DAS EFX "Dead Serious" (Press Kit)

NOT. That is the only word that will wipe away your assumptions, expectations, and comparisons. DAS EFX, like a multi-million dollar film, laced with special EFX, must be experienced, NOT described, discussed, or analyzed. Dray and Skoob are NOT simply blessed with rap skills like Grand Puba, or Busta Rhymes. They do NOT simply rap with turbo speed like Treach or Wise Intelligent. They have created a style, which many will imitate, but NOT many will succeed. DAS EFX, (an acronym for "Dray and Skoob EFX"), is a style that could easily be bottled and sold. But instead they have cornered the market with 11 diggedy-dope tracks on their debut album, Dead Serious. The question is who would dare try to do this themselves? Just like a high EFX stunt in a film, people should probably NOT try this at home. Dray, (aka Krazy Drayz), says of their sound, "Our music is with a lot of effects. The style is so unique, a lot of people think it's one person rhyming." His partner in rhyme, Skoob (aka Books), reveals what he thinks is the key to their style. "We have a little secret. What it is, we were away from Hip Hop. We were in Virginia, going to Virginia State so I guess by NOT being exposed to what was going on up here, our style developed so differently. I think that had a big effect." "We were exposed to NO rap shows...at all," says Dray.  Revisit their debut LP, cont'd below...

DAS EFX got "here" via a rap content held in Richmond, that EPMD was judging. The club was a "hole in the wall." Their hopes raised with the sight of Erick and Parrish walking in. The show began and groups were getting scores as high as 7's, 8's, and 9's. When it was their turn to go up, they heard cynics commenting on their dreadlocks. "De La Soul look-alikes," they heard rumbling through the crowd. They got busy, and the crowd warmed up. "I remember glancing back and seeing Erick in the seat jammin' next to Parrish. We finished and our scores were mad high. Parrish pulled me to the side and said 'Before you leave, gimme your phone number.'" When it was time to announce the winners, it was NOT them. "We were like, 'That's it, we're about to graduate. Forget rap,'" says Dray. Then, Parrish walked across the stage and he leaned over and whispered into his ear, "Would you rather have the $100 or a record deal?" The record deal, and the rest is DAS EFX. Cont'd below...

The first rickety-rockin' single, "They Want EFX," is a slippery, funky tracks with the DAS EFX in full effect. The humorous and playful rhyme runs from engine-run rhymes to slowed-down acapella chanting to a razor sharp hook that will bob your head without you knowing. Dray says, "We don't just like writing two sentences that rhyme together. We like taking one idea from one place and put in another. How many years has it been that if somebody wants to rhyme, the last word of the first sentence rhymes with the last word of the second sentence. We'd rather make the first word rhyme with the third word, and the last word rhyme with the first word of the second sentence, and two in the middle, and, if you can, let's get another word that rhymes with the first word and still have the last ending word rhyme." DAS EFX is the dawn of a new age in rap music. Not since the Native Tongues movement has such unbridled creativity been unearthed. Dray and Skoob have one hope, "We want to bring entertainment back to it. Let's make it fun again. We want to have fun with it. I want to be able to listen to my own stuff and enjoy it." Like their mentors EPMD once said, rap is finally outta control. "So tiggedy tell your friends that here comes DAS EFX." - Press Kit, '91.

Skratch Bastid "The Starter Era – Dope Raps '89-93" (Mix)

A fresh mix from 2011 by Canadian super-DJ, Skratch Bastid, called 'The Starter Era: Dope Raps 1989-1993.' The mix was commissioned in conjunction with the release of issue 22 of Sneaker Freaker magazine and honored the days of music when Starter caps, jackets, and gear were the craze. I used to cop all my Starter hats from an Asian woman across the street from the old Q38 bus stop outside Macy's at the Queens Center Mall, lol. $10 a hat. Anyone remember that small spot? I also had the Miami Hurricanes Starter jacket that got me through a couple winters, and away from the cops at least once reversing the colors on the jacket. Sorry, I went off on a tangent, back to the mix; it features Brand Nubian, Das EFX, Slick Rick, Main Source, Gang Starr, Nice & Smooth, KMD, Naughty By Nature, and more. Skratch Bastid is one of the best with the cuts and his mixes are always extremely precise and technical + great track selection, so you can't miss clicking play below.

Das EFX & Redman on The Arsenio Hall Show 7/31/92

Before there was an Instagram, Das EFX's PR team issued this "Dasogram" to media, alerting us to their performance on The Arsenio Hall Show on Friday, July 31st in 1992. The Hit Squad made its presence felt with none other than the Funk Doc, Redman; holding Skoob & Krayz Drayz down on the turntables. The group performed their lead single, 'They Want EFX,' off the smash album, 'Dead Serious.' People forget how influential and forward-thinking Arsenio Hall was to support hip-hop on his show (in 1992!) and bring the music to millions of people. Many of the live performances on his show were the biggest platforms artists could reach at the time. 25 years later, enjoy the video clip below of the performance. I'm sure you'll find the All-Star tribute if you search Youtube, too.

Das EFX's "Dead Serious" (25th Anniversary Mix)

Das EFX (Krayz Drayz & Skoob) released their debut album, 'Dead Serious,' 25 years ago today and caused a shift in music. A 1992 headline in Billboard once read: "Family-style 'Hit Squad' gets over, but hardcore is still hard to book.' Let's not try to rewrite history just because Das EFX's style caught on, countless artists bit it, and Common had a line throwing shade about them in a song, Dray & Books brought their hardcore, underground aesthetic to the mainstream. With it, a whole new wave of backpack fans and golden era music. In the interview in The Source (July, 1992), they'd describe themselves saying, "we're just lyricists, and we're trying to bring something new to this lyrically. If you're gonna get into Das EFX, you gotta sit down, play the tape and try to catch each line. That's what we're all about." Pre-Genius, you'd have to catch each line to appreciate the foolishness of a track like 'Looseys,' then ask yourself if the label was paying as much attention, lol. At the height of music, would you argue that Das EFX put out 2-3 smash albums? How they've aged aside, I wouldn't argue against that and if you catch them live, you'll be reminded quickly. Matty C sums it up nicely, "some people get tiggedy tired of thiggedy this, but if you don't think they have skills, you need a hearing aid kid." Much respect to Solid Scheme for their exceptional production on the LP, Pete Rock for his remix, and DJ Chris Read on the 25th-anniversary mixtape below...

Wax Poetics · Das EFX 'Dead Serious' 25th Anniversary Mixtape mixed by Chris Read

The Return of the Hit Squad (2/24/12)

February 24th, 2012: the Return of the Hit Squad: EPMD, Redman, Das Efx, K-Solo, and special guest, Keith Murray. The reunion show was at the Best Buy Theater (now called the Playstation Theater) in NYC. Method Man also touched the stage, as well as DJ Scratch holding it down. The final track of the night was the posse cut, 'Headbanger,' with Redman crowd-surfing! Where were you when one of the greatest collectives in music hit the stage live in New York City? A great reunion show.

Das EFX "Straight Up Sewaside" (HHC, 1/94)

"With the roaring success of "Dead Serious" already under their belts, Dres and Scoob must have been at something of a loss as to what to do next. They'd invented a new style of vocal delivery that was immediately taken on board by the likes of Ice Cube and others, and given us one of the funkiest albums of recent years. "Straight Up Sewaside" is almost a step back from its predecessor. It's easier to listen to, in that you can readily understand more of the lyrics, and it's got more immediate commercial potential, even though there certainly isn't another "Mic Checka" on it. The beats are, as per usual with Das Efx, mostly mid-tempo rolling funk loops, some of which are very similar to those on "Dead Serious" - "Gimme Dat Microphone" and "Freakit" being prime offenders. Lyrically they're as mad and cocky as ever, but it's always good to hear some old skool-type foolin' going on. When it comes to lyrical ideas Das Efx are extremely old fashioned, yet still incredibly ahead of most in terms of execution. But for all the technical proficiency of "Straight Up Sewaside," they still sounded better when they were less intelligible." - Hip-Hop Connection, January 1994.

Das EFX "Straight Up Sewaside" (Press Kit, 1993)

"It was during the spring of '92, a natural time for new beginnings, that dread-headed duo Das EFX exploded out of the underground with Dead Serious, the startling debut that injected hip-hop with a badly-needed dose of dopiness. After a million miles of touring and over one million copies sold, Krazy Drayz and Books are ready to set it off again with Straight Up Sewaside... Forget what you heard, and hold tight for something brand new as Das EFX sparks up a fat one for '93. The stiggedy-stuttering style of speak may have helped them make their mark, but since nuff imitators jumped on the bandwagon, the group took their lyrics to the next level. So did the production team of Solid Scheme, who are causing sonic booms with their locomotive trunk-funk. The doubters may have thought Das EFX fell off, but the only place these boys fell was deeper into the nether reaches of the sewa. Just slide open the manhole and get a whiff of "Freakit," the first single, and you'll know that Das EFX is back to freak the funk with a vengeance.... It's been a whirlwind rise to the top for Drayz and Books since their days together at Virginia State University, where Das EFX (which stands for Drayz and Skoob Effects) was born. Here, these two English majors developed their distinctive style, taking it to the stage at college talent shows. Then the rocket ride took off. When they heard that one of their favorite rap groups, EPMD, would be judging a talent contest in nearby Richmond, they jumped at the opportunity to catch wreck, and blew up the spot. But instead of awarding them the $100 first prize, Parrish Smith (the P of EPMD) approached them afterwards and expressed his interest in getting them a record a deal. P lived up to his promise, and rest, as they say, is history." - Press Kit, 1993. They had a style all their own, big up Das EFX.

I've always loved this album, revisit it today.

Das EFX "Dead Serious" (The Source, 5/92)

"If you want to know where underground New York hip-hop is headed next, drop a TV set in the sewer. Question: where's the connection? Answer: Das EFX, the new two man crew consisting of Krazy Drayz from Jersey and the Books in reverse (Skoob) from Brooklyn. The sludge funk beats ooze out the sewer vibes while Drayz and Books kick stiggedy stuttering Porky Pig ghetto phonetics. The first MC that might come to mind when you hear Das EFX is probably Busta Rhymes because of the zany concepts, but their style doesn't stop there. They can get quick like Treach or slow it down like EPMD. Not only have they innovated a new rhyme flow that expands on all these styles, but they have brought back fun filled hip-hop. Lyrics are packed with random, off-the-wall punch lines from TV sitcoms and commercials like "that's pret-ty sneak sis" from the Connect Four commercial, and "Sit UBU sit." It seems like these brothers get most of their lyrical inspiration from blunted late nights in front of the TV set." A VHS video released with the album is below... (Updated).

"The tracks are consistently fat throughout the album. All production was done by the artists and overseen by EPMD ("diggedy down with the Hit Squad, Eye!"). Nothing too complex here, just a solid funky bottom is enough for Books and Drayz to get buck wild all over the tracks. Their sound is best characterized by two of the fattest beats of all time: the beat from Kane's "Ain't No Half Steppin" (used three times on the album) and the beat used on Organized Konfusion's "Who Stole My Last Piece of CHicken" (used twice). Their lyrical topics never stray too far away from raw freestyle rhymes, but the style itself will keep you listening. The cut that really stands out as something is "They Want EFX," which happens to be their debut single. The track is a just a simple loop from the Black Caesar soundtrack with an ill guitar lick that you might recognize from Lord Finesse's first album. But the second the rhymes come in, you'll know they're on some 'ole next shit."