Unsigned Hype: Dr. Seus

 

For its first foreign-born Unsigned Hype feature, the August 1993 edition of The Source magazine featured England-native and New York-bred Dr. Seus. Raised in the boroughs of the Bronx and Brooklyn, Seus found his home in Queens and established a friendship with high school classmates Mobb Deep (who appeared as the Poetical Prophets in Unsigned Hype's July 1991 release). Seus maintained his Mobb Deep affiliation through the recording of his demo tape; Prodigy makes a guest appearance on "Catchin' Bodies" and served as a producer alongside Kerwin "Sleek" Young (the former Bomb Squad affiliate who had produced four tracks on Mobb Deep's 1993 debut album Juvenile Hell). Seus' demo featured "slow and funky, hardcore, jazzy tracks" accompanied his "serious flow" and "laid-back drawn outt voice". Seus described his character on the microphone as being "Voodoo Magic" as he used a technique that sounded like two "separate minds rhyming with one style alternating back and forth". He presented "rugged realities" that were relatable to any kid from the streets.

Alas, Seus' content did not appeal to the kids of the record companies and he failed to sign a deal or put out a single. He also could not further secure the help of his friends Mobb Deep to make a guest appearance on any of their material and his output – or any sign of his existence – was over by the end of 1993.

The two named tracks from his demo tape  – "Dearly Beloved" and "Catchin' Bodies" – have found their way to release: the former through Young's 2015 production compilation album Beats, Breaks & Rhymes [1992-1995] Vol 1 and the latter on Vol 2. Another Seus track, titled "Clips", also appears on Vol 2. Seus and Prodigy display neat chemistry on "Catchin' Bodies" but Seus proved he was capable of holding his own on "Dearly Beloved" over Juvenile Hell-sounding production by Young. 

Unsigned Hype: Big Ill the Mack

Dedicated readers of The Source in the early-1990s but have already been familiar with Big Ill the Mack by the time he was featured in the July 1993 issue. He previously appeared in the magazine's year-end issue in 1992 in a section titled "I–to tha L–to tha L.", about an infamous freestyle where he dissed Big Daddy Kane at his own party. Apparently Ill earned enough notoriety from the freestyle to have the whole thing played on The Stretch Armstrong Show and then establish a name for himself in the underground scene prior to appearing in Unsigned Hype. His demo was produced entirely by The LG Experience, the younger brother of Easy Mo Bee and who would go on to have an solid yet underappreciated career in production. Ill's demo was recorded at Soundtrack Studios in Manhattan, leading to a very polished sound on the demo. The professionalism might have also been influenced by Ill's prior career: in 1989 he released the album eF yoU eN Kay E with group The W.I.S.E. Guyz, who receive a couple of disses on the demo ("niggas got gassed so I bounced" and "that's why I left the group and I bought my ass a gun"). Matty C concludes with "Ill is well on his way to blowing up the spot on a wide scale with a new flow, fat beats provided by LG and a very real perspective on getting paid in the streets of Brooklyn."

Big Ill never embarked on a solo career, but is best known for being one half of the duo Ill Al Skratch with fellow rapper Al Skratch. They released two albums, Creep wit' Me in 1994 and Keep It Movin' in 1997, as well as two successful singles, "Where My Homiez?" and "I'll Take Her", both of which reached the top 10 of the US Rap Singles chart. They broke up in 1997, but apparently reformed in 2012 under the name Brooklyn/Uptown Connection. The one song I could find by them under their new name was "And U Say NYC", which is a stark departure from their 1990s sound.

Besides his career with Ill Al Skratch, by the far the most interesting thing about Ill's career is his freestyle at Big Daddy Kane's party, which turned him into sort of a legend around the time it came out. Among those who witnessed the freestyle was Masta Ace (who included his part of the freestyle at the end of his song "Rollin' wit Umdadda" from 1993's Slaughtahouse), and recalls the details in an interview with Robbie of unkut. Ill's freestyle occurred when most of the people at the party had already dispersed, including Kane himself, and Masta Ace was one of the few to notice. However, there was tension created due to Ill's subject matter, and it remained by the time Ill signed to Mercury Records with Ill Al Skratch two years later. Mister Cee, who was Big Daddy Kane's DJ, worked as an A&R at the label, and Ill was scared to come to the label "because they thought somebody was gonna do something to them". Fortunately it was worked out and no further drama was created.

Here's the one solo Big Ill song I could find: an untitled demo track that was featured on the 2 September 1993 episode of The Stretch Armstrong show.

Unsigned Hype: Fesu

Fesu of Houston, Texas, was featured in the Unsigned Hype column in the May 1993 issue of The Source. Fesu, who got his stage name by spelling his first name Yusef backwards (obviously Fesuy was not a less desirable option), had already made a name for himself around the Houston area with his single "Streets of Greenspoint", a song about the area where he and his group The Jump Out Boyz came from. Fesu "sticks to his tracks with a unique slow flow and a southern drawl", which is guaranteed to "catch all kinds of ears". Apparently Fesu didn't hold back on his demo, as it only took a few tracks for writer Matty C to declare that Fesu "raps with one of foulest mouths [sic] to touch a microphone". His song "Goose Bumps" is "up there" with songs such as "Gangster of Love" by Geto Boys and "She Swallowed It" by N.W.A. Another track, "Blind, Cripple and Crazy" shows that "Fesu can get deep too". Fesu was funded by Houston Oilers players Marcus Robinson and Darryl Lewis for studio time, and he and producer TK completed over "thirty songs" together. In what is by far the most bold statement I've seen so far in an Unsigned Hype column, Matty C concludes that "some of the production on this demo is in a class with "My Mind Is Playin' Tricks on Me" and "Ain't Nuthin' but a G Thang". Even though Fesu "might ... have some flack for being so explicit", "he may be looking at a fat deal" if "things go right".

In 1993, Fesu released his debut EP, Blind Cripple and Crazy, on New York-based label Fang Records (their only other release being a single by the group No Concept). The EP featured both songs mentioned on his demo tape, "Goosebumps" and the title track, as well as four new songs and a "Goosebumps" extended mix. Stunningly, the album received a four-mic rating in The Source magazine, only half-a-mic less than De La Soul's Buhloone Mindstate which was featured in the same issue.

Fesu then signed to Continuum Records, a subsidiary of MCA Records. He released his debut studio album, War with No Mercy, in 1994, which featured both songs mentioned on his demo. "Blind, Cripple & Crazy" was additionally released as a single. Fesu released a second album in 1996 on Albatross Records, titled Life Goes On, and a third in 1998 on Destiny Records titled The Game. His last appearance was in 2000 on the song "The Good Old Days (Remix)" by Bishop "Stick" Burrell on his album The Man and His Music. Fesu then disappeared from the rap game and hasn't been seen since. A short write-up in The Source's own Unsigned Hype retrospective in their January 1998 issue states that Fesu is "currently in the witness protection program".

It's been a long-standing controversy over Fesu's appearance in The Source, and there is a strong consensus that maybe there was some money exchanged to get the feature. I can't find this hard to believe, especially considering some of the outlandish comments made by writer Matty C that seem very forced in comparison to his previous write-ups on artists. In no other feature before this has anybody had their production compared to two of the greatest hip hop songs of all time, making the comment seem really out of place. To add further fuel to the flame, Fesu's debut EP received a prestigious 4 mic rating by The Source themselves only a few months later. Seven track EPs with a small cassette-only release on an independent label rarely, if ever, received such high ratings and even exposure (it was featured on the first page of the reviews section when it was published), and though Fesu was a decent rapper, the EP definitely was not "slammin'", which the 4 mics indicated. Fesu is an interesting case, and might have been the first involved artist in The Source rumours about paying for good reviews.

Unsigned Hype: Artifacts

"A young duo" named Artifacts were the featured artists in the April 1993 edition of Unsigned Hype in The Source magazine. MCs Tame and El the Sensei earn a comparison to fellow New Jersey rapper Redman in the first paragraph, which is aided by the fact that Tame and Redman are revealed to be cousins. Artifacts had already had some exposure through appearances on The Stretch Armstrong Show since the previous year after winning an over-the-phone rap contest. Artifacts incorporated "classic B-boy flavor into their lyrics" on the demo, with mentions of "train yards, third rails, mad color tips, black books and backspins" being common topics. One of the songs featured on the demo was an early version of "Wrong Side of the Tracks", featuring and produced by none other than Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian. Lord Jamar enlisted his fellow Brand Nubian member Sadat X to appear on the song "Check the Fine Print", which apparently featured "a verbal assault on the ex-Brand Nubian member" Grand Puba. T-Ray, who would go on to produce almost the entirety of the group's debut but at the time was best known for producing for the Double XX Posse, produced the song "Wicked Lyrics". "Although they had some serious help on the production side", Artifacts "show and prove skills of their own" to earn their appearance in Unsigned Hype.

With the name-drops of the Artifacts' connections in their write-up, it was no wonder they were immediately signed to a record deal with Big Beat, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. On the label, they re-recorded "Wrong Side of the Tracks" with a new beat by T-Ray and without Lord Jamar's vocals, which became a hip hop classic and the group's most well-known song. Their debut album, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, was released in 1994 and peaked at #17 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart. Tame's cousin Redman features and produced the song "Cummin' Through Ya Fuckin' Block", while the group also secured a guest appearance from Busta Rhymes. Interestingly, there is no Brand Nubian contribution to the album, which seems odd considering the group's impact on the Artifacts demo. Artifacts would go on to release one more album, That's Them, in 1997 before disbanding. Both rappers embarked on solo careers and have since released multiple albums each.

It was no surprise that Artifacts were signed to a record deal after this feature, and it was even less of a surprise that they were featured in Unsigned Hype in the first place. This is the first Unsigned Hype demo tape I can recall that features artists with already established names. I hope I am not the only one busting to hear that demo version of "Wrong Side of the Tracks" with Jamar.

Edit: Anybody who wants to hear Artifacts' demo tape in its entirety now can through our YouTube playlist. Lord Jamar's appearance on "Wrong Side" is limited to hook duties but he and Sadat X go all out on "Check the Fine Print".

Unsigned Hype: The Red Eye Crew

The Red Eye Crew of Staten Island, New York were featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source Magazine's March 1993 issue. Staten Island is referred to as "New York's most slept-on borough", only a few months before a local group called the Wu-Tang Clan released their debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and brought the area to the forefront of hip hop. The trio consisted of rappers Hype, Jun Jak the Invincible Principle and Oob the Freestyle Fanatic. Hype was previously a member of a group called the Brooklyn Poets and spent a year playing college basketball for the Xavier Gold Rush basketball team in Lousiana, before returning to Staten Island to form the group. The other two members "just started actually writing rhymes together in the last year", which brought a "spontaneous element and a brand new style" to the group. The group had influences in the form of fellow New York artists: listing Slick Rick, Organized Konfusion and KRS-One as their favourite artists. They only had two songs on their demo tape – "Red Eye" and "Flowin' in Fly" – but were working on cleaning up their 4-track demo with Web D of Darc Mind (a group featured in Unsigned Hype less than a year prior).

As Red Eye in 1993, they appeared on "Darc Mind Inc." by Legion of D.U.M.E. alongside Funky Jilz (in what is an ultimate Unsigned Hype collaboration: Legion of D.U.M.E. of June 1992, Red Eye of March 1993 and Jilz of June 1994). Hype released the singles "Da Professional"/"Real MC's" as HDM (Hype da Madman) and "No Nice Timez"/"Who Wanna Taste"/"Big Apple Anthem" as Sho-Nuf in 1997. He appeared on The Stretch Armstrong show in 1997.

With credit to a great post by HipHop-TheGoldenEra that brought this to my attention, HDM could have had his career go very different. Through an affiliation with fellow Staten Islander Schott Free, HDM was invited to appear on "Right Back at You" by Mobb Deep from their album The Infamous. Prodigy wanted him to change his verse but HDM refused and he was replaced by another Staten Island rapper: none other than Ghostface Killah. That must have been a reasonably life-altering decision; Big Noyd built his whole career off of his Infamous appearances. Only a demo version with HDM's appearance exists.

Edit: This article was edited to update corrections by Digital Stimulation, who performed their research a bit better than mine. Big ups. The group also apparently appeared on The Stretch Armstrong Show in 1993 but I cannot find a working link.

Unsigned Hype: Snupe (Extra Prolific)

18-year-old Snupe of East Oakland, California was the Unsigned Hype feature in The Source magazine's February 1993 issue. It was always going to be tough for Snupe to make a name for himself when a much larger rap figure had an identical sounding nickname, as even in early 1993 Source writer Matty C predicts that "it's not going to be easy" to differentiate himself from a young Snoop Doggy Dogg of nearby Long Beach, who had been brought to the forefront of the hip hop world through his guest appearances on Dr. Dre's The Chronic which was released only three months prior. In fact, Matty C spends the entire first paragraph of Snupe's Unsigned Hype feature talking about the name similarities, making it even harder for Snupe to make a name for himself when his supposed "big break" was talking about another rapper. He then goes on to talk about Snupe's membership in the Hieroglyphics collective, stating that it will be possible to "peep Snupe on Casual's and Del's forthcoming albums" (Snupe produced "You're in Shambles" and appeared on "No More Worries" for Del's No Need for Alarm, but did not appear on Casual's album Fear Itself). Regardless of his strong connections with already established hip hop artists, Snupe gets props for his "strong 3-cut demo of innovative Hieroglyphic hip-hop", which "all skillfully exibit Snupe's laid-back jazzy vibe as he gets lyrical with a country East Oakland accent" (the article fails to mention Snupe's upbringing in Houston, hence the accent). Matty C points out that, "unlike most Unsigned Hype artists", Snupe has an advantage on getting a record deal due to the "ties with his crew".

It turns out Matty C's predictions were almost correct. Snupe did attain a record deal not too long after his Unsigned Hype appearance, but not as a solo act. Instead, he and DJ Mike G signed to Jive (the label of fellow Hieroglyphics members Souls of Mischief and Casual) as the duo Extra Prolific. In 1994, they released their stellar and highly under appreciated debut album, Like It Should Be, which is performed exclusively and produced predominantly by Snupe himself, with Mike G's only contribution to the album being the production on the intro. Jive cleansed itself of the Hieroglyphics members not too long afterwards, dropping all three affiliated artists from the label. In 1996, Extra Prolific released the album 2 for 15 on Security Records, which was only pressed in 500 copies. Mike G contribute to the album at all, let alone appear on the cover, and so it appears that Snupe was using the already-established Extra Prolific name for himself. Following this, Snupe and Hieroglyphics split "due to musical differences". The Hiero press release comedically bluntly states that "the crew decided that Snupe would be better off his own", very obviously meaning that his departure from the group was probably due to something greater than just musical differences. Regardless, Snupe continued making music, releasing his next album, From Block to Block, as the slightly altered Extra Pro in 1998, marking a reunion with former partner Mike G who receives a credit as a separate artist (the album is credited to Extra Pro & Mike G). That same year, Extra Pro released Master Piece as a solo act on Snuper Records, which is an obvious throwback to his original stagename.

Then Snupe disappeared and did not release any music until 2013.

After a 15-year departure from the music scene, Extra Prolific returned in 2013 to release the digital-exclusive Royalty. Its one review on iTunes gives the album a one-star rating and mentions that "Extra Pro has gone off the deep end and landed in a giant pool of Faith", criticising the fact that "literally every song is religious". Snupe was no stranger to religious references in his early work ("First Sermon" from LISB is an obvious example) so this shouldn't come as a surprise that as he's grown older he's become more reliant on these references.

One thing really incredible about the Hieroglyphics collective that I think is often overlooked is the fact that these dudes were so young when they were releasing material in the early-to-mid-1990s that is now universally regarded as classic material. Snupe was one of these young dudes and I think it's a real shame that he never received the same attention that his partners received. Whether it was due to his Snoop Dogg-reminiscent stage name, releasing music as a duo under Extra Prolific, or releasing solo material under the names Extra Prolific and Extra Pro, there was definitely some odd reason as to why Snupe never attained the hype he seemed destined to achieve when he was starting out, because there was definitely never anything lacking with the music.

Edit: This article previously incorrectly stated that Del was signed to Jive. He was the one Hieroglyphics artist signed elsewhere during major label days and instead had his contract handled by Elektra/Warner.

Unsigned Hype: Total Pack

The duo Total Pack of Hollis, Queens, New York, were the Unsigned Hype artists in the December 1992 issue of The Source magazine. Active "for about a year" at the time of their appearance, rappers Kamal B. Wise and Cestyle met each other battling in 1988. Bobbito of The Stretch Armstrong Show on WKCR met Kamal at a nightclub, and was so impressed by the duo that they went on to have four guest appearances on the show. Writer Matty C describes their style as "hardcore hip hop without the guns and the curses" and "strictly verbal assault". Cestyle is also described as the beatmaker for the group, although it is mentioned that Total Pack were working on a studio quality demo with producer Money Moses, who had previously most notably worked with Pretty Tone Capone of Mobstyle. With their "exceptionally positive attitude, mad skills and raw fruit loops" (the latter expression for making beats is used twice in the article but bears no relevance to anything), the group seemed to have been poised for success.

Except they weren't. Their only official releases were two songs ("Battle Hymn" and "What's the Deal") on the Wild Pitch Records mixtape Wild Pitch Blends in 1994.

Though Matty C mentions the group having appeared on The Stretch Armstrong Show four times before they appeared in Unsigned Hype, according to this website that lists guests on the show, the pair had their first appearance together on the 14 January 1993 show (one month after appearing in UH). Kamal B. Wise appeared by himself in 1994 on 2 June. They then appeared together again twice in 1995, on 9 February and 17 August. Cestyle then made his only solo appearance in 1997 on the 13 July show.

Kamal seems to have not released any solo material. Cestyle, on the other hand, produced Non Phixion's 1996 debut single "Legacy". He appeared on The Korp's song "The Champion", which saw its only release as part of Stretch Armstrong's 1997 mixtape Lesson 1. The following year, Cestyle collaborated again with The Korp, appearing on their songs "We Comin'" and "Never Ending Story". Cestyle only put out one solo single, "Thumpathon", on Plasma Records, which has an unknown release date but is almost certainly early 2000s.

A compilation of unreleased Cestyle songs was released in 2014 by Chopped Herring Records, titled Parkhouse Music 1995-1998 EP.

Unsigned Hype: Eight Off the Assassin (Agallah)

Eight Off the Assassin was the featured Unsigned Hype artist in the November 1992 issue of The Source magazine. His eight-letter stage name was a reference to his birth date  (May 8th) and the age he began rhyming (age 8). Writer Matty C details that he first met Eight through Schott Free of the group Legion of D.U.M.E. (who appeared in an Unsigned Hype article a few months prior), and was surprised to hear "this little 18-year-old, skinny Puerto Rican kid", who was able to "kick a rhyme with a flow unlike anything out now". At the time of his Unsigned Hype feature, Eight had been in the studio recording tracks with producers including Bobby Crawford (who produced two songs on Tim Dog's Penicillin on Wax) and Doug King (who was serving as one of Rap-A-Lot Records in-house producers). He had also signed with rapper YZ's management company, 720 Management. A list of songs he was working on at the time include the legendary "Livin' and Sellin' Buddha Out of My Ice Cream Truck", which tragically remains unreleased.

Things took a while to start happening for Eight after his Unsigned Hype appearance. The January 1993 issue of The Source announced that Eight was negotiating with Tommy Boy Records in a deal that did not ultimately work out. Later that year, he performed the chorus on his manager YZ's "Acid Rain" from his album The Ghetto's Been Good to Me. The following year, he produced the remix for Champ MC's song "Do U Know My Style".

It wasn't until 1995 that Eight Off began establishing a name for himself, albeit with a slight name change to 8-Off. On October 24, 1995, he released his debut studio album, Wrap Your Lips Around This, on EastWest Records America. It was put out with the singles "Ghetto Girl" and "Alize for Dolo". Over hard East Coast beats, Eight Off performs very tough and menacing verses, often yelled and almost screamed with demonic-sounding adlibs. 8-Off produced the majority of the album, with the exception of the Diamond D-produced "Science Fiction". On the same day, another 8-Off-affiliated album was released, in the form of Onyx's sophomore album All We Got Iz Us. 8-Off contributed production to three songs (two interludes and "Betta Off Dead"), and his performance on his solo album begins to make sense - it is heavily influenced by Onyx. All We Got Iz Us was a huge commercial success considering its sound and lyrical content, peaking at #2 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart (beaten only by Mariah Carey's Daydream). However, 8-Off failed to match any amount of commercial success as Onyx. His singles failed to reach any Billboard charts, and Wrap Your Lips Around This failed to see a full release by EastWest.* He was dropped by the label not too long after the album's release. To date, Wrap Your Lips Around This is 8-Off's only album released on a major label.

It was then a slow climb to the top again for 8-Off. In 1996, he produced three songs on PMD's album Bu$ine$$ I$ Bu$ine$$. The following year, he produced the Busta Rhymes song "Things We Be Doin' for Money Part 2" from his album When Disaster Strikes..., and also produced the Group Home single "Run for Your Life". 8-Off's previous PMD affiliation came back to help him, as to close out the 1990s he produced songs from EPMD's two albums Back in Business (1997) and Out of Business (1999), and also three songs for EPMD affiliate Das EFX on their album Generation EFX (1998) while making guest appearances on the latter two albums. In 1999, 8-Off released the single "The Crookie Monster", produced by Alchemist, under the new name Agallah on Game Recordings. That same year, he made multiple appearances on Group Home's sophomore album A Tear for the Ghetto, while also appearing on "Permanent Scars" by Buc Fifty. In 2000, he produced three songs for DJ Tony Touch on his album The Piece Maker. The following year, 8-Off released the mixtapes Show Up! 8 Off and Da Mix Tape Iz the Album, both under the name Agallah and in collaboration with DJ P.F. Cuttin'. He produced and appeared on "The Grits" for Wu-Tang member Cappadonna on his album The Yin and the Yang. He also produced the song "Clubber Lang" for Cash Brown, while additionally making a guest appearance on the track alongside Sean Price, amongst others. From 2000 to 2002, Agallah made appearances on songs by D&D Crew, Krumbsnatcha, Tommy Tee, DJ Honda, Group Home and Sean Price, while producing for Guru

8-Off returned to releasing official solo material in 2002 with the self-produced single "Imagine Your Life" on Street Level Records, featuring a hook performed by Monie Love. He also contributed the song "Rising to the Top" featuring Sean Price and Bazaar Royale to the Game Recordings compilation album Game Tight!. The latter song was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto III on the in-game radio station Game FM, hosted by Stretch Armstrong and Lord Sear. The two singles would be his final release using his name 8 Off and its alternate spellings, as he would change his name to Agallah completely. From there, it was back to production work for artists including PMD, Sean Price, Saigon, Remy Ma, Jus Allah and Dead Prez over the next four years, while also featuring on songs by Mr. Cheeks, Sadat X and Scaramanga.

Then, finally, ten years after the half-hearted release of Wrap Your Lips Around This by EastWest, Agallah released his actual debut studio album, You Already Know, on Babygrande in 2006.

I'll save the rest of Agallah's career for an Artist Introduction post one day because, despite his arduous beginnings, Agallah has gone on to have an extensive career in solo and collaborative work as both a rapper and producer. His latest studio album, The White Lotus, was released with duo Dirtydiggs in 2018. Agallah may be far removed from the 18-year-old named Eight Off the Assassin that first surprised Source writer Matty C enough to earn the rapper an appearance in Unsigned Hype, but that same passion he had then is still going strong almost thirty years later.

Note
* - Discogs has a page for 8-Off's debut album, even with full artwork and liner notes. However, the album sees to have seen only a very limited release, only having been bought once on the website (for a shockingly low US$10). A promo version was also released by the label and, despite being extremely expensive, seems to have had more of a larger release than the actual album.

Unsigned Hype: Capital Tax

The second Unsigned Hype feature from Oakland in three months, Capital Tax featured in the October 1992 issue of The Source. The group consisted of rapper TMD (Total Mind Devastator), DJ Cool Al and producer Smooth G. TMD's claim to fame is that he put out the second Oakland rap record ever (after Too $hort) in 1985 with All Rapped Up alongside Mr. Fresh (Discogs has the date as 1986, but it is still undoubtedly one of the earliest records out of Oakland). A few years later, TMD formed Capital Tax, and, with the group, put out the two-track single Capital Tax on independent label T-Cap Productions. So, three years later, the group submitted their demo to The Source and put themselves on a more larger stage. And it worked.

Capital Tax signed to MCA Records and put out their debut album, The Swoll Package, in 1993, just one year after appearing in Unsigned Hype. The lead single "I Can't Believe It" had its music video receive airplay, and the East Coast-production style worked well with TMD's lyrics to create a good album. It seemed to be going well for the group, but nothing happened afterwards as the group never put out any additional material. TMD made his final appearance on Father Dom's 1997 album Oaktown's Finest with a feature on the song "Nasty Niggaz", and that was the last time anybody heard from a member of the group on a track. Even The Source in 1998 pondered where the group went, as they put in their January 1998 Unsigned Hype retrospective, "dropped an album on MCA Records and the rest is an unsolved mystery. C.T., phone home".

Discography
Capital Tax - Capital Tax (1989)
1. "Two Timin'"
2. "Get in to It"

The Swoll Package - Capital Tax (1993)
Full album stream

Unsigned Hype: Back 2 Back

The only duo to feature in Unsigned Hype that consisted of rapping female twins was Back 2 Back, who appeared in the September 1992 issue of The Source. From Mount Vernon, New York, the group was composed of Aisha and Idrissa Hassan, who had got their start in the industry by dancing for other hip hop groups, like Das EFX, De La Soul and Original Flavor. They then got with TD Hype, a production company that had worked with previous Unsigned Hype recipients Top Quality and DMX. Back 2 Back got featured from their two-song demo tape, which consisted of the "fat joints" "Don't Let It Get to Your Head" and "Back to Back", both produced by Tony "Tone Capone" Dofat (who would go on to experience much success with the help of Sean Combs). Though female rappers, the writer of the Unsigned Hype article says that their "flow definitely has some of that distinct Pete Rock & CL Smooth flavor to it", which is most likely due to the fact they are both from Mount Vernon.

An unsigned hype update a few months later (The Source January 1993) notes that Back 2 Back signed to RCA in October 1992, only one month after they appeared in The Source, with their first single expected in "early spring '93". However, this single never came out and the group never released anything commercially. Another Unsigned Hype retrospective released in 1998 (The Source January 1998) notes that the group "haven't been heard from since" signing to RCA. A mysterious disappearance from a group I can't find any information about besides their Source appearances.

Unsigned Hype: Saafir

Oakland's first Unsigned Hype recipient was Saafir (then known as Saafir the Saucee Nomad), who appeared in the August 1992 issue of The Source. I've written twenty-one articles on Unsigned Hype features so far, and Saafir is only the second rapper to have his demo available on the Internet, which makes my descriptions of it much easier. People familiar with Saafir's style in the mid-1990s will be glad to know that his demo sounds exactly the same as his commercially released work, particularly Boxcar Sessions. Matty C of The Source credits the demo's production to "The Seven", which was an alternate name for producer Mista B. Saafir must have been an easy choice for Unsigned Hype that month because his demo is ridiculously good, and showcases his talent perfectly in only three tracks ("It's a Pimp Thang", "Mark" and "Prime Time After Seven").

Prior to his Source appearance, Saafir had appeared as a background vocalist on the song "Do My Thang" by Digital Underground spin-off group Raw Fusion. After getting featured in Unsigned Hype, Saafir didn't sign to a label as a solo artist, but instead was absorbed more completely into the D.U. collective. He makes multiple appearances on their 1993 album The Body-Hat Syndrome, with his best solo exhibition coming on "Doo Woo You" with a dope verse. Saafir eventually split from D.U. and could concentrate on his own previous collective, the Hobo Junction. Also in 1993, he made an appearance in Menace II Society as cousin Harold. The next year, he became affiliated with fellow Bay Area resident and Hieroglyphics member Casual, and drops a crazy freestyle on "That Bullshit". Later that same year, Saafir released the definitely under-appreciated Boxcar Sessions on Qwest. Saafir went on to release three more albums. Recently, Saafir has had severe back troubles and is now confined to a wheelchair, which seems to have marked a tragic end to his rap career.

Personally, Saafir is one of my favourite rappers, and "Light Sleeper" is one of the best hip hop songs ever, so it's real sad to see what has happened to him. Wishing him good luck with everything.

Pre-Boxcars discography
Live from the Styleetron - Raw Fusion (1991)
4. "Do My Thang" - Raw Fusion (additional vocals by Fuze, Humpty Hump, Mac-Mone, Saafir & Shock G)

1992 demo tape
1. "It's a Pimp Thang"
2. "Mark"
3. "Prime Time After Seven"

The M M E Program 1 - Force One Network (1992)
12. "Back 'n' the Dayz" - Force One Network feat. Saafir

Quest 4 Survival - Plan Bee (1993)
1. "Quest 4 Survival" - Plan Bee feat. Pooh-Man & Saafir
2. "Quest 4 Survival (Remix)" - Plan Bee feat. Pooh-Man & Saafir
3. "Runnin from the 5-0" - Saafir

The Body-Hat Syndrome - Digital Underground (1993)
2. "Doo Woo You" (performed by Shock G & Saafir)
3. "Holly Wantstaho" (performed by Shock G & Saafir)
4. "Bran Nu Swetta" (performed by Shock G, Money-B & Saafir)
10. "Digital Lover" (performed by Humpty Hump, Clee, Money-B & Saafir)
11. "Carry the Way (Along Time)" (performed by Shock G, Clee, Saafir & Money-B)
20. "Wheee!" (performed by Shock G, Clee, Money-B & Saafir)

Fear Itself - Casual (1994)
8. "That Bullshit" - Saafir

Edit: designaural let me know that it was not DJ JZ who produced Saafir's demo tape  – like I had previously assumed – but it is by Mista B, who was also known as "Sevin" and had his name spelt incorrectly in the original Source article. Mista B also produced Plan Bee's Quest 4 Survival EP. Also, Hobo Junction were around before Saafir joined Digital Underground.

Unsigned Hype: Puppets of Chaos

Puppets of Chaos were featured in the Unsigned Hype column of the July 1992 The Source issue. Skrib, Sckala and 7 Zark 7 were from the New York boroughs of Brooklyn, Harlem and Queens respectively, and have "let the 'strings' of chaos move them towards the burning nucleus of hip hop culture". Out of all of the Unsigned Hype columns I've read so far, the Puppets have the feat of having the demo tape I wish to hear the most, with their track titles of "Make You Wanna Smack Your Mother" and "I Wore a Three Piece Timberland Suit to the Bar Mitzvah" being stuff of my dreams.

The Puppets' only release as a group was the 1995 single "Tru Dat"/"New & Improved" on Pro-Amp Entertainment, and it sounds a lot more sane than the content the group were earning praise for in their Unsigned Hype write-up. However, the songs still sound real tight, and have a nice mid-1990s NY sound to them. Only Skrib and Sckala are credited as writing the song, suggesting that 7 Zark 7 was no longer a member of the group at this time. Another cool thing I noticed is that the song "New & Improved" features "kuts by Rob Swift", and is one of the earliest appearances of a dude who would go on to be renowned for his scratched hooks.

Discography
1995: "Tru Dat"
1995: "New & Improved"

Unsigned Hype: Legion of D.U.M.E.

Legion of D.U.M.E. featured in The Source's June 1992 Unsigned Hype column. The group was based in Long Island, New York, and consisted of GM WEB D, Prime Time, Kev Roc and Scott Free. Web D was the only member of the group to have gained notoriety beforehand, as he is credited as being the producer of Sugar Bear ("who had that jam "Ready to Penetrate" back around '87?"). The Source states that "one important aspect of their sound is that each MC has a totally different sound from the next", mainly because the group's members were of different races (Italian, Puerto Rican and African-American). WEB earns some respect for his production work also.

The January 1993 issue of ''The Source'' provided an update that the group, under the management of YZ's 720 Sounds (who also managed November 1992 Unsigned Hype feature Eight Off), were in negotiations with Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. The deal did not work out and the group's only release under the name was the independent single "Son's of Sam" (which interestingly features Funky Jilz, who would be featured in the Unsigned Hype column of June 1994, exactly two years after D.U.M.E. made their appearance). However, Kev Roc and WEB D (now known as X-Ray) formed their own duo under the name of Darc Mind. Their debut single, "Outside Looking In", was released by Loud Records and produced by Nick Wiz, on which Kev displays a style that sounds real similar to Scarface on "I Seen a Man Die" (an odd comparison, but you'll hear what I mean when you listen to it). Loud also featured the group on their soundtrack for the movie Soul in the Hole, with the song "Visions of Blur". During this time, they also recorded an entire album for Loud, but it was shelved and not released officially until 2006 under the name of Symptomatic of a Greater Ill. that same year, the group released an unofficial album titled Bipolar, that features several incomplete songs and a couple of remixes. In 2011, Dope Folks put out an unreleased EP recorded by D.U.M.E..

X-Ray, who had the most success before D.U.M.E.'s Unsigned Hype appearance, went on to have the most success after their appearance. He became a member of the Monsta Island Czars in the late-1990s, and produced songs for members MF DOOM, MF Grimm, Tommy Gunn, Rodan, Gigan and Kwite Def. He has also released three solo albums (two under the name King Ceasar), with the most recent being 2016's All the King's Men.

Though D.U.M.E. never made it, half of the group in the form of Darc Mind became signed hype when they were on a label as notable as Loud. Unfortunately, they never gained much success and some shelved albums are all that is left of the group. However, the appearance can be credited as springboarding the career of WEB D/X-Ray/King Ceasar.

Discography
"Son's of Sam" single - Legion of D.U.M.E. (1994)
1. "Son's of Sam" - Legion of D.U.M.E.
2. "Darc Mind Inc." - Legion of D.U.M.E. feat. Funky Jilz & Red Eye

"Outside Looking In" single - Darc Mind (1996)
1. "Outside Looking In" - Darc Mind

Symptomatic of a Greater Ill - Darc Mind (shelved 1997, released 2006)
Full album stream
1. "Visions of a Blur"
2. "U da One"
3. "Seize the Phenom"
4. "Knight of the Round Table"
5. "I'm Ill"
6. "Covert Op"
7. "Give Me Time"
8. "BMOC"
9. "Fever Pitch"
10. "Rhyme Zone"
11. "Outside Looking In"

'94 D.U.M.E. EP - Legion of D.U.M.E. (recorded 1994, released 2011)
1. "Knights of the Roundtable"
2. "Darc Mind Inc."
3. "Sons of Sam"
4. "Bullet in the Clip"
5. "Vived I Recollect"
6. "Senile"
7. "Spontaneous (Darc Mind Inc. Remix)"
8. "Sons of Sam (Remix)"

Unsigned Hype: The Uncanny

The Uncanny appeared in the May 1992 issue of Unsigned Hype in The Source. The trio was from Wynnefield, Philadelphia, and consisted of Mixelplics, Pizazz and the G-oker. The group's greatest claim to fame was that Mixelplics would say "whole sentences backwards: "Can ya understand? / stand under-ya can". His entire style was a reference to the Superman villain Mister Mxzyzptlk, who could only be stopped by getting him to say or spell his name backwards. The column writer notes, "the concept should definitely get over with hip hop heads who are into comics". Apparently the group did not get over with any label executives, as the group never released anything commercially.

The most crazy thing about The Uncanny, however, is their producer. The group's demo tape was produced by ""Beat Prodigy" Kelo", who, of course, is the same Kelo who went on to produce four tracks on The Roots' classic Illadelph Halflife and "Cold Blooded" by Common. It was real surprising to see that a producer whose work I am familiar with get a name-check in an article about a group that never gained fame.

Edit: Digital Stimulation let me know that a demo by the group surfaced in 2016. It has a strong early-1990s sound to it (definitely 1991 or 1992). It even features Mixelplics' reverse rapping style towards the end.

Unsigned Hype: The B.R.A.T. Crew

Following their discovery of Biggie, The Source's Unsigned Hype column followed with a series of artists that never got record deals. The first of these was The B.R.A.T. Crew, a group from Lakeview, Long Island. B.R.A.T. stood for Black, Rough and Tough, and the group "was originally a local street gang of 25 plus members notorious in their area for criminal activity". In their April 1992 Source appearance, The B.R.A.T. Crew consisted of four members: Mike Mellow, Ken-Do, The Rebel and Divine Smooth, all of whom were under the age of 19 at the time. As for the other gang members... they were "dead or in correctional facilities". The remaining members decided to "take their energy in a more positive direction", and thus began making music. Working with the production team Photosynthesis, the group display a "funky flow on the hardcore tip" and "drop a little science too". Their motto is claimed to be "United we stand, divided we fall / we're tighter than panties two sizes small."

The group never released any music commercially.

Unsigned Hype: The Notorious B.I.G. & The Hitman 50 Grand

There is one artist discovery that The Source will always be patting themselves on the back over. After a three month pause, Unsigned Hype kicked out 1992 in a big way with the feature of The Notorious B.I.G. and The Hitman 50 Grand. What's crazy about this is that this appearance was the definitive beginning of Biggie's career, as aspiring music manager and then-executive at Uptown Records Sean Combs found him from this very column.

Biggie's simple rap beginnings are detailed perfectly in his Unsigned Hype write-up, as his demo tape was recorded using two turntables, a microphone and a tape deck. He didn't even use actual original instrumentals; instead his DJ 50 Grand uses a "couple classic breaks and instrumentals" to "let B.I.G. do what he had to do: he ripped shit". Biggie not only didn't use original tracks, but also only performs freestyle raps. The write-up spawns the most quintessential Biggie description ever: "His rhymes are fatter than he is."

Adopted by Combs, Biggie spent the rest of 1992 making appearances on R&B records by Neneh Cherry and Mary J. Blige. In 1993, he appeared on a record by Super Cat, before appearing on a remix of Toni Braxton. Then, in 1994, Biggie dropped Ready to Die, an album immediately heralded a classic, and rightfully so. Biggie's come-up was ridiculously quick, and went from an unknown recording on a tape deck to releasing one of the greatest hip hop albums ever in the span of two years.

As for 50 Grand, he never went on to release any music commercially. He does have a great appearance in the Stretch & Bobbito radio documentary where he listens to Big's freestyle and mouths every lyric, which is a dope scene.

Pre-1994 discography
1992: "Buddy X (Remix)" - Neneh Cherry feat. The Notorious B.I.G.
1992: "Real Love (Hip Hop Mix)" - Mary J. Blige feat. The Notorious B.I.G.
1993: "Leave a Message (Remix)"* - Mary J. Blige feat. "Buttnaked" Tim Dawg, K-Ci, Martin Lawrence, The Notorious B.I.G. & Sean Combs
1993: "What's the 411? (Remix)" - Mary J. Blige feat. The Notorious B.I.G.
1993: "Dolly My Baby (Bad Boy Extended Mix)" - Super Cat feat. Mary J. Blige, 3rd Eye, The Notorious B.I.G. & Sean "Puffy" Combs

* - Not an actual song: just the featured artists leaving messages on Blige's answering machine.

Unsigned Hype: D.O.A.

The final Unsigned Hype act of 1991 was the group D.O.A., appearing in The Source's December issue. The group consisted of rappers MC Slim and Kool-Aid, who were from the Acres Home section of Houston, Texas. They had a socially conscious style that reflected on "the drug infestion, gang violence and police brutality" of their hometown, and "kick positive ideas from a ruthless perspective".

I could not find any information on MC Slim, but I did discover that a rapper named Kool-Aid made several guest appearances during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He appeared on several Southern releases. In 1999, he made several features on Throwed Yung Playa by Yungstar, before guest appearing on songs by Wood, Grace, Den Den and Bo-Leg in early 2000s.

Unsigned Hype: Divine Nation

Divine Nation of Newark, New Jersey was the featured act of The Source's November 1991 Unsigned Hype column. The group consisted of MD Love, Kwame (a different rapper than the more well-known one), K-One and Al-Kebu-Lan. The group are praised for "their lyrical abilities as they kick creative freestyle rhymes" over "jazzy hardcore" tracks.

Another group I can't find any information on or any tracks by them.

Unsigned Hype: Common

The Source's Unsigned Hype made three truly great discoveries in 1991: their first was DMX, their second was Mobb Deep, and their third was Common, who, at the time of his October 1991 appearance, was a nineteen-year-old rapping under the name of Common Sense. His "Avant Garde School approach" is praised, as he portrays "different characters and altered egos" in his lyrics due to his rhymes "display[ing] a melting pot of personalities". For anyone familiar with Common's 1992 debut Can I Borrow a Dollar? and the sound of his voice at the time, he definitely displayed it the same way on his demo as the writer notes his "distinct, squeeky but likeable voice". His production work, "by Sense's homeboys the 3 Wise Men" (almost certainly consisting of No I.D., Ynot and Common himself), works with Common's vocals to "create a package with the potential to attract a wide variety of audiences from al regions without losing the hardcore crowd".

Common's write-up was a lot more indepth and detailed than the artists' that appeared before him, and it was perhaps a result of this that he signed to Relativity Records in December of that same year. Of course, another factor in his quick signing was his easily marketable sound, which was probably the reason he was signed by a label that only had two hip hop acts on its roster before him (2 Black 2 Strong MMG and Chi-Ali). Common's five years on Relativity turned out three albums, eight singles and some of the best songs amongst his extensive and solid discography. In 1999, he signed to MCA Records, released Like Water for Chocolate and rose to a huge prominence with that and his following albums.

Common's demo is the first Unsigned Hype tape I could find available on the Internet, and it is no wonder he was chosen as the featured artist. It plays more like an actual album than just a demo and is a perfect demonstration of his potential. Of the seven tracks, only "Take It EZ" made it onto Can I Borrow a Dollar?, which comes at no surprise because it stands far above all of the other songs on what is a very good tape. I'm glad Common got that chance to shine because he definitely had his value readily apparent on his very first release.

Discography (pre-1992)
UnAmerican Caravan (1991 - The Demo) - Common Sense (1991)
1. "First Days of the New School"
2. "Take It EZ"
3. "2 the Temple"
4. "Who Stole the Clippers"
5. "The Caravan Train"
6. "Divide & Conquer"
7. "A = For Effort"

Unsigned Hype: Sir Essence Don

Without a doubt, Sir Essence Don had one of the dopest names of the artists featured in Unsigned Hype. Don only had to turn in a two track demo for him to get featured in the September 1991 issue of The Source, but on the two songs he displays his "unique flavor", "suspense in his rhymes" and "originality in his cadence".

Sir Essence Don was one of the first Unsigned Hype artists to actually get signed, as he managed to link up with the-UK based Afrocentric label. Interestingly, this label only ever had three releases: one single by Don and two singles by fellow American-based artist Giant Size C. His only single for the label featured the song "Live from New York", which was one of the songs included on his demo (which the writer described as "more of that pure raw hip-hop"). The other song on the single is "First Step", which is a fantastic display of lyrical ability and begins with Don dedicating the song to his idol - "me". Both songs are produced by Lord Digga, who would later gain fame for being a member of Masta Ace Incorporated and the production duo Bluez Brothers. For some reason, the other song on Don's demo, "Sweet Like Sugar", never had an official release and is therefore not available on the Internet.

In 1993, Don made a guest appearance on the album International Dope Dealers by Kaos, an American group that were staying in Germany at the time because that is where they recorded the album. Don appears on the song "Go for the Kill" alongside Main One, Tic and DJ Chubby Chub of Original Flavor.

The following year, Don returned under the slightly modified name Essence Donn on the single "Show Me the Way". Released on Freeze Records and distributed through Priority Records, Donn made a huge come up between his first and second single with a gap that was only interrupted by a guest appearance on an album released solely in Germany. With production again supplied by Digga, the production this time sounds a lot more accessible than on his previous single, with "Show Me the Way" featuring the same Joe Sample sample used on 2Pac's "Dear Mama" one year before. The B-side, "Simple", features a style more reflective of Donn's early work with a beat that allows him to flex his lyrical style.

Donn's final release came on the 1996 compilation album Flippin' the Script: Rap Meets Poetry. The album had a sampler released through Mercury Records, but apparently the demand was not reached and the actual album was released independently on Mouth Almighty Records. Amongst spoken word poems by numerous poets and rappers Myka 9, Kool Kim and Sha-Key comes the Essence Donn poem "No Respect for Life". An acapella track like the rest of the album, it features Donn performing his poem infront of a live audience. I can't find a digital version of the song in full on the Internet, but the album goes for cheap on eBay so cop that if you feel like hearing it.

Donn had a short-lived career that definitely had several intriguing moments to it - an Unsigned Hype appearance, signings to both a UK and USA label, two singles, working with Lord Digga, one guest appearance, and a feature on a spoken word album. If anybody knows Donn, be sure to hit me up because I'd really like to find out more about his history.

Discography
1992: "First Step" - Sir Essence Don
1992: "Live from New York" - Sir Essence Don
1993: "Go for the Kill" - Kaos featuring Main One, Sir Essence Don and Tic
1994: "Show Me the Way" - Essence Donn
1994: "Simple" - Essence Donn
1996: "No Respect for Life" - Essence Donn