Artifacts "Between A Rock and a Hard Place" (Rap Pages, '94)

Too often unsung and un-MCeed are the masters of markers and the aerosol-ballers with the gall. While this art has been tagged "graffiti" by aboveground clowns who can't even comprehend a tag, Newark's Artifacts highlight the maligned discipline in their debut single, "Wrong Side of da Tracks." In fact, Tame One has been writing since '80, as he and cohort El The Sensei dwelled on Hip-Hop in Jersey's Brick City. The album Between a Rock and a Hard Place exudes Hip-Hop culture as daily existence -- surviving on the spirited sustenance of its four essential food group: DJs, MCs, breakers and bombers. Thus, the obligatory anthem "Whayback" gives respect to Marley Marl, Biz Markie, Rock Steady, BDP and that ephemeral Graffiti Rock episode -- which had a shorter run than Jim Brown's Dirty Dozen dash. Lyrically, El The Sensei and Tame One flow best in battling mode cuts like "Flex Wit Da Tech(nique)," "Whassup Now Muthaf#cka" and "Cummin' Thru Ya F--kin Block," which features Redman on mic and boards. With T-Ray doing a majority of the production, you'll hear a nice but standard scheme of stealthy bass lines and haunted horns. But where's the freaking turntable tweaking? DJ Buckwild briefly retorts in "C'Mon Wit Da Git Down." However, within the frayed context of what we're hearing today, the Artifacts' record unloads mind-blowing cuts squished in between conservative tracks (you get a "blunt" song, a "female" song, etc). Yet Artifacts will make your head nod. The skills, combined with loyalty, are there, and that'll hopefully yield bolder endeavors in the future. - Rap Pages, 1994. Revisit Between a Rock and a Hard Place below...

The full Review in Rap Pages (1994) is below...

Artifacts "That's Them" (Microphone Check, 1997)

The Artifacts (El Da Sensei and Tame One) released their sophomore album, 'That's Them,' on April 15, 1997. Returning from their solid debut, 'Between A Hard Rock & A Hard Place,' in '94, the Brick City Kids enlisted Shawn J Period to handle most of the production with additional joints by Lord Finesse, Baby Paul & Mr. Walt of Da Beatminerz, V.I.C. (Beatnuts), and the ill remix by Showbiz on 'The Ultimate.' While Lord Finesse & Lord Jamar are the only features on the album, the article above in The Source explains their view on that. The Artifacts helped to further popularize the element of graffiti with their videos and lyrics and I can only imagine the # of fan videos there would be had IG existed during 'Wrong Side of the Tracks' and the sequel, 'Return To Da Wrongside.' The main singles off the album were 'Art of Facts,' and 'The Ultimate,' of which there was not only a Showbiz remix but also a J Dilla remix (below). For some perspective on their place in the underground, El shares: "If it wasn't for groups like us, Beatnuts, Common, Organized or The Roots, where would anybody be? You wouldn't have nothing but a radio. There wouldn't be no underground, nothing secondary to run to. You'd have strictly uptop groups." He might've left out some artists, but I get what he was saying right there. All these years later they can still tour the world as solo artists or together (if they choose) with extensive catalogs to run through! Hit the tags for more.

Artifacts "The Ultimate" (The Source, 1997)

The Artifacts (El Da Sensei & Tame One) came with their 2nd single "The Ultimate" in 1997 for their sophomore album "That's Them" on Big Beat Records. With production from Baby Paul and Showbiz, "The Ultimate" got a look in The Source, which said: "After blessing their small but loyal listenership last year with the haunting chimes of "Art Of Facts," the Brick duo return again from the wrong side of the tracks of New Jerusalem with a slice of back-in-the-days bravado, laced with contemporary agitation. Randomly featured on the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink High School High soundtrack, "The Ultimate's" old-school style chorus and par-for-the-course boasts were solidly supported by the hillbilly wails and guitar stabs on Beatminer Baby Paul's original version." 

"D.I.T.C. fugitive Showbiz's overhaul, however, reinvigorates the exercise with the aggression of a physical education coach. Show's expertly arrange regiment of moog loops, handclaps, and scratches from Dana Dane's "Nightmares" provokes Tame One and El Da Sensei into kicking more personal, stronger, new lyrics." Even all these years later, reading the writer from The Source say "small but loyal listenership" still kinda irks me. Right about the remix though, the track still goes! Much respect to El and Tame, listen to "The Ultimate" and get back into the mood of music back in 1997.

Artifacts "Art Of Facts" (The Source, 1996)

The Artifacts' El Da Sensei & Tame One return from their underground gem, "Between A Rock & A Hard Place," with a new single, "Art Of Facts," for their sophomore effort, "That's Them." Getting love in The Source, the review says "The Artifacts have been excavated once again. Brick City's finest twosome - The Tame One and El The Sensei - have rematerialized in physical form to drop "Art of Facts," the first singe off of their sophomore album. Tame One kicks the first verse, showing why the duo has this game on lock: "With each beat released, I reach mad blocks / Analyzing more spots then Matlock / Now I got this rappin' shit on Padlock." El follows suit, warning wack MCs to be wary of the brick-hard steez the Artifacts come with: "I tear the roof off, and when I fuck, don't take my boots off / I shoot from the lip and your nose glow like Rudolph / You soft, so let me hit you off with all the hardness / Artifacts shit we got the hard shit regardless." Adding support to the production: "The production on the joint is hellatight, with a walking xylophone backed by a throbbing bass." (Update, 2018: a video has been released for the 20th anniversary reissue).

Artifacts "Wrong Side Of Da Tracks" (The Source, 1994)

El Da Sensei & Tame One make up the underground duo Artifacts. Their debut album, "Between a Rock & A Hard Place" is celebrated largely due to the 12" release of "Wrong Side Of Da Tracks" with "Flexi With Da Tech" on the B-Side. The New Jerusalem MCs brought a dope element of hip-hop to the forefront in their music. The Source in '94, says: "Out the ruins of Brick City, NJ, comes a duo that never lost sight of the true meaning of b-boy culture. If you were able to physically chip away at the layers of the image, fraudulence and hype currently clouding hip-hop's sincerity, you would find the Artifacts, two emcees who have no problems giving real props to real hip-hop. Tame One and El The Sensei are more than just rappers; they are active participants in hip-hop's original underground society: graffiti. And as the title track suggests, when these brothers talk about writing, they don't always mean writing rhymes. So grab your black book, some fatcaps, a yard key and your favorite mop, because the Artifacts are about to take you back to the dawn of a culture."

"Finally, there is a song that does justice to the seek and destroy art of bombing. The subway excursion begins with a bubbling bassline, rumbling drums and the occasional horn as Tame tells you what he is all about: "I'm about to bomb like Vietnam under the same name Tame One / The bad one ink Flowmaster bastard with a Magnum." And just when you thought that it wouldn't get any nicer, El comes aboard to let you know that he can drop a few bombs of his own at the lyrical lay-up: "Avoid the crowds that want to stab me in the back / Enough of that / Watch the third rail track 'cause I don't wanna get zapped." Backed up with solid production, there is little doubt that the lyrical burners of these vandals will soon reach all-city status ... it is clear that Artifacts marks the true return of the B-Boy." Catch the visuals for the track & OG postcards above, full review below.

Artifacts "Unsigned Hype" (The Source, 4/93)

"Straight from the brick city of New Jerusalem (Newark, NJ) is a young duo named Artifacts that is more than ready to drop bombs. MCs Tame and El Da Sensei are already well connected in the rap game. Does the Pack Pistol Posse ring a bell? Yeah, that's right; they "rock ruff rhymes" around the way with Tame's cousin Redman. You might even catch a similarity in their rhymes ... Tame and El started staking their claim in the underground last year when they first called up the Stretch Armstrong college radio show in New York and won an over-the-phone rap contest. Since then Stretch, Daddy Reef and Bobbito have had them up a few times to wreck shop on the airwaves. Artifacts incorporates classic B-Boy flavor into their lyrics. Train yards, third rails, mad color tips, black books, and backspins are common topics." Cont'd below + an added 8-minute freestyle...

A couple other heads looking out for the Artifacts are Sadat X and Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian. Jamar produced a song called "Wrong Side of the Tracks," featuring Lord J vocals on the chorus, and both Brand Nubian brothers collaborated with the Artifacts on "Check The Fine Print," a bangin' upbeat track with a lyrical buckshot to so-called righteous MCs with "white hoes in their videos" and a verbal assault on the ex-Brand Nubian member. T-Ray (who produced "Not Gonna Be Able To Do It" by the Double XX Posse) did a track called "Wicked Lyrics" where Tame and El kick just that. Although they had some serious help on the production side, they show and prove skills of their own with some pre-production material. Overall, Artifacts represents real hip-hop on its way up from the underground." - Unsigned Hype, The Source (April, 1993). (Updated, freestyle audio added).