Today is the 20th anniversary of Black Moon’s incredible debut, Enta Da Stage. The Nervous Records-released album was an important album in a year full of very important albums. In the 4th quarter of 1993 (the period between September and the end of the year for you non-industry heads) releases from Wu-Tang Clan, Tribe Called Quest, Das Efx, De La Soul, Erick Sermon were released and hip hop’s gangster rap heavy landscape began to shift back to its gritty, East Coast roots. Enta Da Stage was one of those albums at the center of the gravitational pull back home.
To celebrate this release and the impact this album has we decided to put together a mix together that salutes the amazing production collective responsible of putting together twenty years of Duck Down classics, The Beatminerz.
The Beatminerz are the heart and soul of the Boot Camp Clik sound. Mr. Walt, Evil Dee and Baby Paul are the glue that sonically binds together the different elements that comprise Duck Down movement. Their reign of production both in-house for Duck Down and outside of the crew runs from 1993 all the way through today. It is one of the most heralded runs of a producer contingency. Equivalent to what Dungeon Fam is to the Outkast sound with an impact similar to what The Hitmen were to Bad Boy, – the Beatminerz are to Black Moon, The Boot Camp Clik and the entire Duck Down Records Family.
Smif N Wessun – Bucktown
Year: 1994
Album: Dah Shinin
Producer: Mr. Walt & DJ Evil Dee
OGC – No Fear
Year: 1996
Album: No Fear
Producer: Mr. Walt
OGC – Hurricaine Starang
Year: 1996
Album: No Fear
Producer: Mr. Walt
Black Moon – Two Turntables & A Mic
Year: 1996
Album: War Zone
Producer: Da Beatminerz
Black Moon I Got Cha Opin
Year: 1993
Album: Enta Da Stage
Producer: Mr. Walt
Black Moon – Who Got The Props
Year: 1993
Album: Enta Da Stage
Producer: DJ Evil Dee
Heltah Skeltah – Leflur Leflah Eshkoshka
Year: 1996
Album: Nocturnal
Producer: Baby Paul
Black Moon – War Zone
Year: 1999
Album: War Zone
Producer: Da Beatminerz
Black Moon – How Many Emcees [DJ Evil Dee Remix]
Year: 1996
Album: Diggin’ in dah Vaults
Producer: DJ Evil Dee
Smif N Wessun – Wontime
Year: 1994
Album: Mr. Walt & Rich Blak
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Words by @evboogie
Mix by @unitedcrates