“Obscurity Knocks” Files No. 101: Boogiemonsters

Authors Note: This is the kickoff of what I hope to be a bi-weekly feature. I have a few lined up but if you have any suggestions or recommendations leave a comment or drop a line to michael at ickmusic.com.

Album: Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album
Genre: Psychedelic Hip-Hop
Status: Disbanded

1994 Stands as one of those monumental years in Hip-Hop. The Notorious B.I.G. unleashed Ready to Die on the world, Nas dropped his classic Illmatic and we were all learning just how deep The Wu Tang Clan rolled with solo efforts from Method Man and The GZA. This year also stands out for all the underground acts that were bubbling up to the surface on smaller imprint labels. Groups like Souls Of Mischief, Black Moon and the subject of this file, The Boogiemonsters, released much slept on classic records during this time.

The Boogiemonsters’ four MC’s formed in and around ’92 when Brooklyn natives Vex and Mondo met the Jamaican born brothers Yodared and Myntric at Virginia State University. They ascended through the underground and college scene and were picked up by Pendulum Records in 1993. On August 9^th, 1994 they released their debut album Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album.

I clearly remember the first time I listened to the record. Swishy, heavily effected beats with touches of soul layered over it drew me in and made me nod my head while the lyrics gave way to a higher level of conscious, much in the same vein of A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul. There was a message and a feeling to this record that separated from the rest. A passion that was on the positive with a flow so sweet it dripped like honey. Each of the four MC’s complementing the preceding style perfectly without sounding like a clone.

The single “Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress” is a pure mission statement put to rhythm and verse.

“The cytoplasma, is gettin phatter as it grows
and expansions of the soul so throw the trash below dig within
Your mental will extend upon arrival of the truth the spiritual”

My mind was blown. And it continued on throughout the rest of the record and to this day I can turn on this record and get lost in it. In writing this article I listened to it at least three times and found it just as fresh and new as it did in ’94.

According to sources on the interweb the group lost two members for “spiritual” reasons and their 1997 sophomore album God Sound cast them into hip-hop obscurity.

Boogiemonsters – Recognized Thresholds Of Negative Stress (MP3)

Boogiemonsters – Muzic Appreciation (Sweet Music) (MP3)

Bonus Video Files:

Boogiemonsters – Recognized Thresholds Of Negative Stress (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARc_mdE_r6A 336 278]

Boogiemonsters – Honeydips in Gotham (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtwkFj1IZ4g 336 278]

Buy Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album: Amazon*

Links: MySpace (Vex Davortex)

*(The record is out of print, but it appears that you can pick it up from Amazon used.)