Though he made the name famous, Bushwick Bill is certainly not the only rapper to come out of this fair section of Brooklyn. Wake Your Daughter Up has recently posted a mixtape called “Bushwick Day.” It’s a compilation of raps from various Bushwick crews and MCs including Shadez of Brooklyn, Dysfunkshunal Familee, and Finsta Bunday. The mixtape is only twelve years old, but sounds like it could be from the early 90’s. It’s mostly laid-back lyrical joints that walk the fine line between gangsta and backpack raps, like so much underground East Coast rap from that time period. It’s a good listen for anyone curious about hip-hop from the neighborhood. You can download the mixtape (one long mp3!) or stream some of the tracks on the YouTube playlist.
My favorite tracks are “When it Change it Pours” by Shadez of Brooklyn and “Halloween” by The Arsonists, which contains a Bushwick Bill vocal sample! Anyone have any favorites? Anyone actually remember these guys? I’ve heard of Shadez of Brooklyn, but only in passing. Bushwick locals, drop your knowledge in the comments, if you would.
thos March 2nd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Didn’t O.C. come up in Bushwick? Just didn’t see him in the tracklist.
Always good to hear that Shadez of Brooklyn “change” get some shine though.
markodude March 3rd, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Good look on the bwick tape. Look forward to hearing all the other cats doin it in this neighborhood in 97. First time i heard that shadez of bklyn was back around that time on the haze/premier selection NY Reality Check 101. Dope mix, put me on to a lot of the tru school/underground shit that was goin on at the time in NY that I wasn’t privy to at the time as a young kid watching mtv in boston.