Touring The States: Omaha, NE

The Basement Society is a collective of emcees whose Hip Hop origin is a direct result of being in "the basement." This crew was a predetermined idea of Omaha emcee, Superior DBX.
After presenting the idea to long time friend and fellow emcee, Jay Money. things started to come together. The crew consisted of DBX (RIP), N-tellect, Jay Money, Kee Lo Z and All Ayz (RIP).

The Basement took the streets by storm after running around challenging anybody who wanted to battle and smashing the competition. They became known for their live performances, which brought them household name status. The Basement's first recording was a song called "Its Over" on 1993's "Parental Advisory" (the first local project release), on which they dissed the Young Rebels, another prominant Omaha crew. After beefin' with the Young Rebels (and a few other crews), Basement Society released their debut ep "Who Downstairs?" in April of 1994, which started out on a successful path. "Who Downstairs?" was probably the most popular project released under the watchful eye of DJ Suicide, at that time, selling all copies out of the store (no hand to hand sales), relying on heavy street promotions and the impact of the live shows to sell the units.

A recording contract was being discussed with Ichiban Records back in 1995, but interference from a long time associate of Jay Money and DJ Suicide killed all negotiations. Toward the end of 1995, Basement Society returned to the studio and recorded 3 new songs for a maxi-single called "Raw Power Move." But, due to conflicts within the crew, it was never released. The Basement never broke up, but certain members went their seperate ways. In 2000, all 5 of the Basement members appeared on stage together, impromptu, of course, at the Black Sheep/Das Efx concert in Lincoln, NE. This appearance alone outshined the opening act.

Da Basement Society - Who Downstairs? EP (1994)

Program One:
01. Straight Out Da Basement '94
02. Dat's Da Biscuit
03. Backstage Pass
04. Payin 'Em

Program Two:
01. 24th Street
02. Pass Da Bat
03. This Is Just A Shout Out
04. Dat's Da Biscuit (Remix)

Preview:


DOWNLOAD

-- Markshot

Various Artists - 95% Biz

In 2002/2003 I began doing these compilations that I post all the time. Back then, they were mostly for my own consumption. Sure, I'd share with friends but never really on the internet. In the past seven years or so I have really gotten into them. These days, listening to albums is the exception not the rule.

Once in awhile I do something specifically for the blog. I'll think about the spirit of T.R.O.Y., what it means to me, what it represents to hip hop. Todays post is one such example. The nineties boom bap presented to you here is timeless, inspired, still as musical now as it was then. Will Hook or Black Saturday be any less relevant 20 years from now ? My answer is no. As a youth I was exposed to many different sounds. Classical music, rock, jazz, reggae, afro-cuban percussion, these were a few of the genres I was introduced to. I know that I am not alone in this among my fellow contributors and our readers. All of these influences have left deep imprints and in this way hip hop will speak volumes to future generations. I hope you and even your kids are still digging this one many years down the road.

Download here

01 (4:03) Hook - 95% Biz (New York 1996)
02 (2:42) Global Phlowtations - Subterranean Service (Los Angeles 1997)
03 (4:50) Knowtoryus - Back Stabber (Germany/Ca/Ny 1995)
04 (4:23) Empty Pockets - Getto Beat (Arizona 1995)
05 (4:02) Phat Pockets - Rainbow In The Sky (Nederlands 1997)
06 (0:41) Sharpshooters - Fire When Ready (Seattle 1996)
07 (4:29) Da Basement Society - Payin' Em (Nebraska 1994)
08 (3:38) The Realist - Where (Michigan)(1994?)
09 (2:06) Alps Cru - The Wait (Featuring Mizz) (Chicago 1994)
10 (2:45) Red, Black & Green - Evil Light Box (Canada 1993)
11 (4:23) Black Saturday - What's an Excecutioner? (Tampa Fl 1992)
12 (3:55) Walkin' Large - In Here (The Ill Way) (Germany 1995)
13 (4:00) Black Moon - S--T Iz Real (New York 1993)
14 (5:07) Northern Exposure - To The East (Hidden Track) (Maine 1994)

As usual this is peppered with some rare tunes. Let me know what's new to you and leave some comments if you like the selection.

--Schenectadyfan