Das EFX - Straight Up Sewaside (1993)

By the time Sewaside saw the light of day, the public hadn't fully absorbed Das EFX's innovative debut, Dead Seriuous. The hardcore rap game had barely caught up with the brilliance of their rapid-fire vocal delivery and sample-laden beats. But then again, another crew from Staten Island emerged in 1993 and took the rap game by total storm, leaving the genius of Sewaside somewhat overshadowed by their dominance. However, this change in climate shouldn't overshadow Sewaside as a crucial record in the Das EFX canon. While the duo's methods of madness were slowly emulated by a large plethora of MCs, Das EFX stayed with the same effective blueprint laid down in Dead Serious. By maintaining this consistency, Sewaside lacks the punch in the gut that Dead Serious delivered, but it's still a solid record that completists and newfound fans will equally enjoy.

01. Intro
02. Undaground Rappa
03. Gimme Dat Micraphone
04. Check It Out
05. Interlude
06. Freakit
07. Rappaz
08. Interview
09. Baknaffek
10. Kaught In Da Ak
11. Wontu
12. Krazy Wit Da Books
13. It's Like Dat
14. Host Wit Da Most (Rappaz Remix)

DOWNLOAD

Das EFX - Dead Serious (1992)

Das EFX — part of EPMD's Def Squad crew, which also included K-Solo and Redman, among others — made such a wide breakthrough in 1992 with their debut album that their hit "They Want EFX" was even referenced in the lily-white teen serial Beverly Hills 90210. That Dead Serious could have that sort of broad impact and still retain its credibility within the underground hip-hop community says something about its appeal, which was considerable. But the 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. What exactly the duo is rapping about is anyone's guess. One thing is for sure: 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. None of the lyrical clichés that can occasionally bog down even the finest hip-hop artist are present. Members Dre and Skoob(tellingly, "books" spelled backward) instead engage in lightning-fast, tongue-twisted word association and stream-of-consciousness rants rich in pop cultural references and allusions. 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. "They Want EFX" is clearly the creative highlight of the album; the other songs work the same basic template, and each one is nearly equal in execution and charm, particularly the jaunty "Mic Checka" and "Jussummen."

01. Mic Checka
02. Jussummen
03. They Want EFX
04. Looseys
05. Dum Dums
06. East Coast
07. If Only
08. Brooklyn To T-Neck
09. Klap Ya Handz
10. Straight Out The Sewer

DOWNLOAD