Smif-N-Wessun ‘Dah Shinin” 25th Anniversary

The 90s. The golden age of hip-hop that gave the world hundreds of dope and fresh releases, putting MC’s, their hoods and crews on the map. As for Smif-N-Wessun (also known as Cocoa Brovaz), their first appearance was in ’93 on Black Moon‘s classic debut album Enta Da Stage. Tek & Steele got some attention but not nearly as much as they did the year after they dropped their first single, one of NYC’s finest underground anthems at the time – Bucktown. From this point on, every hip-hop head in New York was banging to that Jack Bruce trumpet-led sample and shouting that Brooklyn-representing chorus. A piece of history was written and in an instant everybody knew that new cats are on the scene that mean business and everybody was wondering what’s coming next. The year of 1995 came next. 10th of January. The recording time with Da Beatminerz at The D&D Studios has officially finished. In a similar form of Roy Ayers Ubiquity’s 1972 ‘He’s Coming’ album cover, the circle was closed – Dah Shinin’ was officially released.

Wreck / Nervous Records were richer for another LP by the almighty Boot Camp Clik, the super-group that was represented for the first time on a track called Cession At Da Doghille. The duo got supported by their large crew on other tracks too, featuring Rock of Heltah Skeltah, Buckshot of Black Moon and the whole Originoo Gunn Clappaz, formed by Starang Wondah, Top Dog & Louieville Sluggah, which gave the album more lyrical diversity and originality. Smif-N-Wessun came out on the scene with huge Jamaican influence they were surrounded with in their part of town. This style of rap was prominent throughout the whole album, most notably on Sound Bwoy Bureill that featured reggae artist Jahdan Blakkamore.

With 16 tracks in total, including skits, the album was one of the first on the front line of East Coast renaissance when at that time most eyes and ears were focused on the ever growing West Coast G-Funk sound. The lyrical and instrumental freshness and rawness was not easy to be ignored, and tracks like Wontime, Wrekonize, Let’s Git It On and my favorite Shinin’… Next Shit are just some of the examples where combination of Tek and Steele‘s rapping skills and Da Beatminerz production was proved to work like a charm.

Today, Dah Shinin’ is still on repeat by many & it is considered an all-time classic. It may not have such a selling success as ‘Illmatic’, ‘Ready To Die’, ‘The Infamous’ or ‘Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’, but nevertheless it had a huge impact on the listeners and on the further development of East Coast hip-hop, and was included in The Source’s 100 Best Rap Albums of all time. For a reason.
Exactly 25 years have passed since the duo have dropped their debut album and we got nothing but love. Those who want to celebrate the anniversary in style, put the album on replay, head to their website www.smifnwessun.com and get yourself limited edition T-shirts.

Another one from our music editor Re:tro Flava.