true hip-hop stories: sadat x of brand nubian

MC and producer D-Nice has clearly been keeping himself busy for the past few years. Anyone that has grown up with hip-hop during the mid-eighties to early nineties would be familiar with Boogie Down Productions, a group that D-Nice was closely affiliated with. He kicked a verse on the Stop The Violence Movement's classic single, "Self Destruction," a track that he also produced. He would go on to release two solo albums and was perhaps best known for the solo joint "Call Me D-Nice." You can also add DJ, photographer, and web designer to his list of accomplishments, putting in serious work in all of these areas since the turn of the 21st Century.

Cyberspace accolades from hip-hop fans young and old have been building with his True Hip-Hop Stories series. Each episode is a mini-documentary showcasing an MC legend sharing their personal experiences within the rap game and insight on some of the genre's revered cuts from the so-called "Golden Age". Within this series, Kwame breaks down the making of "The Rhythm," Masta Ace talks about how he ended up on the classic posse cut "The Symphony," and Monie Love exposes the back story behind her hit, "Monie In The Middle."

However, this is not just a trip down memory lane. Many of the icons captured speak their piece on today's scene and their place in it, as well as the lives they currently lead. D-Nice is capturing hip-hop history for posterity and it is rich, vibrant, and very necessary. The series gets better with each episode released. If you're new to True Hip-Hop Stories, check out the installment below with Sadat X of Brand Nubian discussing the making of "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down" and the unfortunate circumstances that landed him in Rikers Island for a period of time. Older, wiser, and definitely better as a result of his experiences, I personally was taken aback at the poignancy of this episode. Believe me, once you see one, you'll want to see them all...


True Hip-Hop Stories: Sadat X of Brand Nubian from D-Nice on Vimeo.

Comments

Chyll Will said…
Wow, thanks so much for this, man. We often wonder what happened with so-and-so, well D-Nice is setting records straight.

Funniest line: "If you wanna blame somebody, blame your Mom and Dad for having you fifteen years too early..."

Boy, he did have a lot on his mind, didn't he?
Jason Smith said…
yeah, the quotable you lifted up is definitely the funniest line in the whole thing. i was rollin' last night when i saw that. Monie Love drops gems like that, too...with her British accent in tow, no less. her installment's hysterical.

still playing catch-up with this series. gotta make time for YZ, Lords, and i almost fell over when i saw Cinderfella Dana Dane. there's so many figures i'd like to hear from, so many places that this series could go...
KJ Sampson said…
See, that last sentence done scared me from watching any of this. 'Cause I WILL want to watch them all. :)

Seriously, thanks for the heads-up.