Casualties Of War (Part 2)

“Change is good…”– Buckshot, “Night Riders”

So where was I? Oh yeah, 1995. By the end of that year, the Boot Camp Clik was still on the ball. Black Moon (despite member 5 FT leaving the group in ’94) was still rollin’ and ready to drop new material soon, Smif-n-Wessun‘s Dah Shinin‘ had a strong street-level presence, and Heltah Skeltah and OGC were introduced as the Fab 5 with a single that took off. The Boot Camp had developed a brand, with a distinctive look and their own sound, produced by Mr. Walt and Black Moon DJ Evil Dee, known as Da Beatminerz.

Casualties of War (Part 1)

“It went down like this- one little nigga snuck through the door/ Peeped the scene, sniped a few then crept through with two more/ Heads was gettin’ Nervous- that’s three now they wanna break north/ Too late- five more tore the door straight the fuck off!”

-Rock from Heltah Skeltah, “Operation Lockdown”

Around this time of year, I don’t know what it is, but my musical preference gets in a grimy mid-’90s hoodie-n-Tims kinda mode (well, either that or love songs, but that’s a story for next month). Something about the winter just brings out that moody shit, I guess. In light of that, I say that to say this: one crew whose music was always winter-appropriate would have to be Brooklyn, NY‘s own Boot Camp Clik. In a 2011 world where niggas are wearin’ Ugg boots and tight jeans, their music and presentation was a polar opposite of what we’ve come to expect as of late. But for a nice portion of the ’90s, the BCC had their own corner in the game. I’ve recently been listening to a great deal of their classic shit, which brings us here today for the first of a two-parter (!) on one of hip-hop’s most underrated units.

DANJ! Presents Winter Six: 1996 (Shoop, Shoop)

Hope y’all have been enjoying Love Week here on DLT90s thus far. And since it is Love Week and Valentine’s Day just passed us by… lemme tell y’all about some ol’ bullshit I did back in February ’96.