da bush babees: ambushed // gravity

Berlin-based 90s Tapes takes care of things for us. Dedicated to the reissue of golden hip hop records in vinyl and in cassette (+ digital) the German label reminds us of one of the best acts from the ‘90s golden era, reissuing their two albums: Ambushed, from 1994; and Gravity from 1996. Da Bush Babees consisted of Kaos, Y-Tee and Mr. Man, a trio that grew up in the West Indies and that shook the world of music with their energetic and reggae-infused brand of hip hop. Hailing from Brooklyn they only released those two records that have been since “inducted” to the hall of fame of the genre.

Ambushed, released in 1994 by Reprise Records, featured productions from Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Salaam Remi or Jermain Dupri, and contains instant classics like "We Run Things" or "Remember We". The album produced a few singles that made some minor noise, but the album didn’t sell well and received very little fanfare upon its release. This obscure hip hop group had to wait a couple of years for their deserved appreciation.

In 1996, via the giants of Warner Bros., they released Gravity, inviting an all star cast of guest MC’s that include Mos Def, Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, Rahzel and Muntcho Leo. On top of that productions by the likes of The Ummah, Pos of De La Soul, Rahzel of The Roots or Shawn J took their art to wider audiences. For the ones that didn’t paid attention to their debut, Gravity is a gold redemption for the true groovy people that always followed groups like the Native Tongues, the Hieroglyphics, or the Pharcyde.

Limited editions of 1000 copies in gatefold sleeve with bonus 7" for both albums are flying quickly. By now it might be very hard to get hands on this diamond of hip hop. Despite that, give it a try, raise one up in the air and enjoy the underground legends of Da Bush Babees. Big up to 90s Tapes for this one.