Dead Serious (album)

Last updated
Dead Serious
DasEFXDeadSeriousalbumcover.jpg
Studio album by
Das EFX
ReleasedApril 7, 1992
RecordedFebruary 1991 - January 1992
StudioFirehouse Studios
(Brooklyn, New York)
North Shore Soundworks
(Long Island, New York)
Genre Hip hop
Length38:43
Label East West
Producer EPMD (exec.), Solid Scheme, Das EFX, Dexx
Das EFX chronology
Dead Serious
(1992)		 Straight Up Sewaside
(1993)
Singles from Dead Serious
  1. "They Want EFX"
    Released: March 5, 1992
  2. "Mic Checka"
    Released: July 16, 1992
  3. "Straight Out the Sewer"
    Released: November 19, 1992

Dead Serious is the debut studio album of American hip hop duo Das EFX, released April 7, 1992, on compact disc and audio cassette on East West Records and distributed through Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Firehouse Studios in Brooklyn, New York and at Charlie Marotta's North Shore Soundworks studio in Long Island, New York.

Contents

The album was a certified hit, peaking at 16 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, topping the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for five weeks and reaching platinum sales by 1993. Well-received upon its release, Dead Serious has since been regarded by music writers as a significant and influential album in hip hop. It was also nominated in the 1993 Soul Train Music Awards and 1993 Billboard Music Awards.

Background

Group member William "Skoob" Hines was raised in the neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. [1] Andre "Krazy Drayz" Weston, born in Jamaica, came to the United States as a child, growing up in Union City and Teaneck, New Jersey. [1] Both rapped during their high school years, Hines with the group's future producer Derek Lynch's brother Tony. [1] However, Lynch was Hines' DJ first and would not begin producing until later. [1] Hines and Weston began performing together after they met at Virginia State University in 1988. [2] Hines and Weston met their freshman year on a road trip to another college through a mutual friend. [3] According to Weston, the two became a duo after winning a campus contest which Hines suggested they enter together. [3] Hines and Weston began to work with Brooklyn-based producers Chris Charity and Derek Lynch, both friends of Hines' from high school, who had formed a production team using the name Solid Scheme Music at the time. [3] According to Hines, aside from "Klap Ya Handz" and "They Want EFX," which was produced by Weston and he, all of the other instrumental tracks on the album were produced by Charity and Lynch. [4] Around this time the group came up with its name which Weston noted was mostly Hines' idea. The name stemmed from an acronym of the two's nicknames, Skoob and Dray, and EFX from their constantly wanting their producers to add reverb to their vocals when in the studio. "So it was Sad EFX for a minute, but that didn't really make much sense, so we changed it to Das EFX." [4]

Hines recalled much of the group's early material as being "primitive," stating that "the production on our early stuff didn't come up to par until "Klap Ya Handz." [4] A producer named Dexx, also from Crown Heights, produced "Klap Ya Handz" for the group. [4] In early 1991, Hines and Weston heard that EPMD would be hosting a talent show at Club Tropicana in Richmond, Virginia and decided to enter. [4] Hines and Weston performed their song "Klap Ya Handz," which they'd recorded as a demo with Dexx (In fact, for the album, Hines and Weston had to rhyme over the demo for "Klap Ya Handz" because they didn't have an instrumental version of the music.). [5] The group apparently had the highest score in the contest, which would earn the winner a $100 prize. [5] However, according to Weston, although the duo had the highest score Parrish Smith, one half of the group EPMD, told the club announcer to give the second best group the prize. [5] While the winning group went up to claim their prize, Smith came to Hines and Weston and said, "yo, what would you guys rather have: a record deal or a hundred dollars? Meet me in the back of the club in five minutes." [5] Smith and Erick Sermon, the other member of EPMD, met with Hines and Weston in the back of the club and asked the two to play them the "Klap Ya Handz" track again. [5] Sermon and Smith were so impressed by the song that they asked Hines and Weston for the tape, with Smith telling them, "if you can get us nine more songs like the one you just performed, we can get you a deal." [5] Hines and Weston kept in touch with EPMD during their junior year in college, finishing out the school year in May. [5]

In 1991, the group was signed to EPMD's GMC Productions production and management company and became a part of their Hit Squad collective of protégés. [2] [6] The material for their first album was recorded at Firehouse Studios in Brooklyn and EPMD's production home base, Charlie Marotta's North Shore Soundworks studio in Long Island. [6] The duo would send EPMD, who were touring the country at the time, the material they were recording for guidance. [2] The group, who were also courted by Jive Records at the time, were finally signed in late 1991 to the Atlantic Records subsidiary East West Records. [6]

Music

Due to being removed from an active music scene, the two MC's were free to develop their most idiosyncratic tendencies musically. [2] According to Weston, the group's lyrical style stemmed from the two not being able to listen to New York hip hop on the radio in Virginia. Weston stated that "except for Brand Nubian, we weren't influenced by what was going on in New York. Basically we wanted to be different and we wanted to be dope like Brand Nubian... So instead of saying, 'I got a lot of balls,' we'd say, 'I got more nuts than a Baby Ruth.'" [3] Hines also felt being away from the environment helped their personal artistic growth. "We just wasn't exposed to that many styles at the time, so it helped us form our own." [3] Hines and Weston would make up gibberish words, adding -iggity after many of them, which would eventually become their signature. [2] The group also had a tendency to weave many pop culture references into their rhymes. [2]

Though many have assumed that EPMD produced the music on the album because of their executive production credit, Weston stated "in the studio back then it was just me, Skoob, Chris, and Derek, and that was it. EPMD didn't produce us, we were just with their production company. A lot of people forget that." [6] Weston referred to Charity, who died in the year 2000, as "the brains of the operation, definitely... He was definitely the boss and the real executive producer of the first album. We'd have meetings at his crib in Brooklyn and he was running things." [6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Robert Christgau Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [8]
RapReviews(9/10) [9]
The Source Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Spin (favorable) [11]
Trouser Press (favorable) [12]

Dead Serious caused an immediate sensation upon its release in March 1992. [2] The album went platinum on the strength of the singles "Mic Checka" and the Top 40 pop hit "They Want EFX", by 1993. [2] [13] Giving it a 4 out of 5-mic rating, The Source 's Matty C compared the duo's lyrical style to that of Busta Rhymes, Treach, and EPMD, writing "Not only have they innovated a new rhyme flow that expands on all these styles, but they have brought back fun filled hip-hop". [10] Ronin Ro of Spin complimented their "hard lyrics that simultaneously perplex, captivate, annoy, and amuse... television-induced, schizophrenic, lyrical wit". [11] In his consumer guide for The Village Voice , critic Robert Christgau gave the album an honorable mention ( Five Pointed Star Solid.svg ) rating, [8] indicating "a worthy effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well like". [14]

In a retrospective review, RapReviews writer Steve Juon described the album as "ten tracks jam-packed with dopeness" and commended Das EFX for "merging pop culture and punchlines, beat poet skat and hip-hop style, and creating a free form lyrical jazz in the process". [9] Ira Robbins of Trouser Press called it "a monstrously entertaining debut" and wrote that they "don't push the topical envelope any — geography, rhyming and sexing are pretty much the alpha-omega of their menu... Fortunately, the pair's rereading of old news yields fresh and funny angles". [12] AllMusic's Stanton Swihart gave the album 5 out of 5 stars and noted the duo's "lightning-fast, tongue-twisted word association and stream-of-consciousness rants rich in pop cultural references and allusions". [7] Stewart elaborated on its initial appeal and subsequent influence in hip hop, stating:

[T]he album wasn't just appealing; it was also enormously influential, ushering in an entirely unique rhyming flow that influenced any number of rappers, established and novice alike... their lyrics are about as far removed from hardcore realism as they could possibly be, and although there are certain elements of boasting, it is so cut up and contorted that it never sounds like there's even a hint of the humdrum here... It was a completely original rhyming style in 1992 — one of the reasons it had such an impact both in the insular world of hip-hop and on the wider public — but it also had an invigorating looseness that lent itself to commercial radio. [7]

— Stanton Stewart

Speaking on the duo's impact, Hines stated that he felt "what we were doing brought a twist to the game without watering anything down. If you were only hearing our radio stuff, you had one impression of us, but if you got the album then you realized there was a lot more depth there". [13]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Solid Scheme, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mic Checka" 4:54
2."Jussummen" 3:29
3."They Want EFX" (Produced by Das EFX)Charles Bobbit, James Brown, Das EFX, Fred Wesley, Andre Weston3:39
4."Looseys" 2:50
5."Dum Dums" 3:50
6."East Coast" 4:29
7."If Only" 4:02
8."Brooklyn to T-Neck" 4:01
9."Klap Ya Handz" (Produced by Dexx) 4:07
10."Straight Out the Sewer" 3:22

Personnel

Information taken from Allmusic and album booklet liner notes. [15] [16]

Charts

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Bacdafucup</i> 1993 studio album by Onyx

Bacdafucup is the debut album by American hip hop group Onyx, released on March 30, 1993, by JMJ Records, Rush Associated Labels and Chaos Recordings. The album was produced by Chyskillz, Jam Master Jay and Kool Tee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EPMD</span> American hip hop duo from New York

EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is a concatenation of the members' names "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. During an interview on college radio station WHOV in 1987, Parrish Smith stated that the name evolved from the original: "We were originally known as "EEPMD", but chose to go with EPMD because it was easier to say." He also stated that they dropped the two "E's" because N.W.A.'s Eric Wright was already using "Eazy-E" as his stage name. The group has been active for 36 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Das EFX</span> American hip hop/rap duo

Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Dray and Skoob. They named themselves "DAS" standing for "Dray and Skoob" and "EFX" meaning "effects". They rose to popularity in the early 1990s due to the duo's stream of consciousness lyrical delivery, which became one of the most influential lyrical styles in rap music at the time; as well as their affiliation with EPMD's Hit Squad. Their style combined intricate rhymes, sometimes mixed with made up words, delivered with a fast-paced flow and numerous pop culture and hip hop culture references.

<i>Down with the King</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Run-D.M.C.

Down with the King is the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C., released on May 4, 1993, by Profile Records. The album was produced by Pete Rock, Q-Tip, EPMD, DJ Kay Gee of Naughty by Nature, Jam Master Jay, The Bomb Squad, Daniel Shulman, Run-D.M.C., Chyskills, Jermaine Dupri and Clifton "Specialist" Dillon.

<i>Whut? Thee Album</i> 1992 studio album by Redman

Whut? Thee Album is the debut studio album by American rapper Redman. It was released on September 22, 1992, by Def Jam Recordings, Rush Associated Labels and Chaos Recordings, a dimension of Columbia Records. Taking place at Ian London Studios, North Shore Soundworks, and Power Play Studios, recording sessions began in 1991 and continued into 1992. The album features production from mentor and fellow Hit Squad member Erick Sermon; as well as Redman himself under his birth name Reggie Noble, with additional production from Pete Rock.

<i>Business as Usual</i> (EPMD album) 1990 studio album by EPMD

Business as Usual is the third album by hip hop duo EPMD. It was released on December 18, 1990, and was their first on Def Jam, after being signed from their former label, Fresh Records. It was also the first release under Def Jam's new Rush subsidiary, which allowed founder Russell Simmons more control and more ownership over its material, as the masters for proper Def Jam releases at that time were primarily owned by Sony Music's Columbia Records.

<i>Business Never Personal</i> 1992 studio album by EPMD

Business Never Personal is the fourth studio album by hip hop duo EPMD. It was released on July 28, 1992, on Def Jam Recordings. Following mixed criticism of their previous studio effort, 1990's Business As Usual, the duo was able to return to their past acclaim on Business Never Personal. The lead single, "Crossover," became its biggest success, nearly reaching the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is about keeping it real and not crossing over to the mainstream, but became EPMD's biggest mainstream success.

<i>Edutainment</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Boogie Down Productions

Edutainment is the fourth album from Boogie Down Productions. Released on July 17, 1990, it is an album whose lyrics deal with afrocentricity and socio-political knowledge. It has 6 skits/interludes known as 'exhibits' that all talk about or relate to Black people. Many skits feature Kwame Ture a leader of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 10, 1990. KRS One has stated in interviews that the album has sold over 700,000 copies

<i>KRS-One</i> (album) 1995 studio album by KRS-One

KRS One is the second solo studio album by American rapper KRS-One. It was released on October 10, 1995, via Jive Records. Production was handled by DJ Premier, Diamond D, Big French Productions, Norty Cotto, Showbiz and KRS-One himself. It features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Channel Live, Das EFX, Dexter Thibou, Fat Joe and Mad Lion.

<i>Straight Up Sewaside</i> 1993 studio album by Das EFX

Straight Up Sewaside is the second album by the hip hop duo Das EFX. The album reached #20 on the Billboard 200. The album achieved gold status.

<i>Generation EFX</i> 1998 studio album by Das EFX

Generation EFX is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo Das EFX. It was released on March 24, 1998 via EastWest Records America. Production was handled by Agallah, Solid Scheme, Rashad Smith, Mike Lowe, Tony L, and PMD, who also served as executive producer. Unlike the first three Das EFX albums, it features a number of guest appearances from Redman, Agallah, EPMD, Miss Jones, M.O.P., Nocturnal and Teflon. The album debuted and peaked at number 48 on the Billboard 200, selling 22,000 copies in its first week. In its second week of release, the album dropped to number 89 on the Billboard 200, selling 14,000 copies bringing the two week total to 36,000 copies.

<i>How We Do</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Das EFX

How We Do is the fifth album by hip hop duo Das EFX, released in 2003. Unlike the group's four previous albums, there was no production input from EPMD. Instead, the majority of the album's production was handled by group member Willie Hines.

The Hit Squad is an American hip hop collective of East coast hip hop artists. Originally formed in the 1990s by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith of the rap group EPMD, the group included rap artists such as K-Solo, Redman, Das EFX, Top Quality, and Knucklehedz. When EPMD broke up for the first time in 1993, the collective separated, with Sermon forming Def Squad and Smith retaining the Hit Squad name.

<i>Strictly Business</i> (EPMD album) 1988 studio album by EPMD

Strictly Business is the debut album by hip-hop duo EPMD. It was released on June 7, 1988, by Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records around the world and BCM Records in Germany. It peaked at No. 80 on the Billboard 200 soon after release, yet it earned an RIAA gold album certification within four months of its release. In addition, it has received much positive critical attention since its release. In 2012, the album was ranked number 453 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

<i>We Mean Business</i> (album) 2008 studio album by EPMD

We Mean Business is the seventh studio album released by rap duo, EPMD. It was released on December 9, 2008 through EP Records, making it the group's first album since 1999's Out of Business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EPMD discography</span>

This is the discography of American rap duo, EPMD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">They Want EFX</span> 1992 single by Das EFX

"They Want EFX" is a song by American hip hop group Das EFX recorded for their debut album Dead Serious (1992). The song was released as the group's debut single for the album in March 1992. The song samples "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren and "Blind Man Can See It" by James Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mic Checka</span> 1992 single by Das EFX

"Mic Checka" is a song by American hip hop group Das EFX recorded for their debut album Dead Serious (1992). The song was released as the second single for the album in July 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight Out the Sewer</span> 1992 single by Das EFX

"Straight Out the Sewer" is a song by American hip hop group Das EFX recorded for their debut album Dead Serious (1992). The song was released as the third and final single for the album in November 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baknaffek</span> 1994 single by Das EFX

"Baknaffek" is a song co-written and performed by American hip hop group Das EFX, issued as the second single from their second studio album Straight Up Sewaside. The song samples "People" by Graham Central Station; "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team; and "Cummin' at Cha" by EPMD. It peaked at #44 on the Billboard rap chart in 1994.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Coleman (2007), p. 133.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Huey, Steve. "allmusic ((( Das EFX - Biography )))". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Coleman (2007), p. 134.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Coleman (2007, p. 135.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Coleman (2007), p. 136
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Coleman (2007), p. 137.
  7. 1 2 3 "allmusic ((( Dead Serious > Review )))". Allmusic . Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  8. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Dead Serious". The Village Voice : July 28, 1992. Archived from the original on July 17, 2010.
  9. 1 2 Juon, Steve 'Flash' (February 19, 2008). "Das EFX :: Dead Serious :: EastWest Records". RapReviews.com. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  10. 1 2 C, Matty (May 1992). "Classic Reviews : Dead Serious in The Source (1992) << Press Rewind If I Haven't..." Press Rewind If I Haven't... Archived from the original on July 16, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  11. 1 2 Ro, Ronin. "Review: Dead Serious. Spin : 75–76. June 1992.
  12. 1 2 Robbins, Ira. Review: Dead Serious. Trouser Press . Retrieved on July 17, 2010.
  13. 1 2 Coleman (2007), p. 138.
  14. ↑ Christgau, Robert. CG 90s: Key to Icons. Robert Christgau. Retrieved on July 17, 2009.
  15. ↑ "allmusic ((( Dead Serious > Credits )))". Allmusic. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  16. ↑ Credits as per liner notes for Dead Serious album
  17. ↑ "Das EFX Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Das EFX Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.