Introducing The 90’s Rapper Where Are They Now Detective Agency

Posted on by Robbie Ettelson

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Do you ever sit around and wonder ‘What the hell happened to that marginally talented rap crew who released an album in the early nineties?’ If so, I’m here to help. It turns out that some of your old favorites didn’t all go back to working ‘civilian’ jobs after the roller coaster ride that is a recording contract. Some of them kept keeping on for another shot at fame, and a few are still releasing music this decade, believe it or not. I’ve previously posted modern efforts from The Legion and Freestyle Professors, but after donning my grey trenchcoat and developing a Columbo style wonky eye I was able to dig up the following:

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Trendz of Culture

Best remembered for getting obliterated off the face of the earth by Lord Finesse when he remixed ‘Off and On,’ their album on Motown offshoot Mad Soundz had some great beats if you could get past their wacky vocal inflections. They returned two years later with an Easy Moe Bee produced single, but their second album When Trend Men Come never got past the advance cassette stage. They returned on their own label in 1997 (releasing one of the tracks intended for the sophomore LP and some new stuff) and released new music as recently as 2010, as seen below.

Trendz of Culture – ‘Make A Move’

Trendz of Culture – ‘Lavish Lifestyle’

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Rough House Survivers

This trio had valuable assists from Grand Puba, CL Smooth, Sadat X and Pete Rock on their Relativity debut, which asked listeners to ‘Check Da Back Pack’ because that’s where all New York rappers worth their salt kept their rhymes in 1992. They must have impressed someone in the industry, because they managed to get a deal with MCA to release a second album in 1998. Unfortunately RHS only released three songs from the project, including the Rockwilder produced single which even had a video:

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K-Solo

The one time best buddy of Parrish Smith has challenged both DMX and Keith Murray to UFC cage matches at various points. In between he still found time to release a couple of indy singles, with ‘Exculiber’ in 1998 and ‘Wolf Tickets’ in 2004. I don’t care who wrote ‘Spellbound’ at this point, Kevin Self Organization Left Others is a legend on the strength of ‘Your Moms In My Business’ and ‘Tales From The Crack Side’ alone.

K-Solo – ‘Excalibur’

K-Solo – ‘Wolf Tickets’

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Das EFX

By the time that Skoob and Drayz had stopped and started their tongue twisting stutter style on every other album, the world had moved on (although I do recall Biggie commenting on how much he fuxed with their second LP). Their final release was in 2003, when they enlisted the help of Dame Grease, DR Period and Sean Paul in an attempt to modernize their sound. As you can hear below, this wasn’t a great idea. On a good note, they did get an Un Pacino feature on there though!

Das-EFX – ‘Bouncin In Da Club’

Das-EFX feat. JJ and Un Pacino – ‘East Coast Hustlaz’

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Arrested Development

Who can forget when A.G. railed on these guys in a Source interview for failing to shout-out Show for the remix when they won that Grammy? The crew split-up for while after the second album tanked, but due to demand from fans in Japan they reformed and released their last album of new material in 2010. I just hope that old guy is still around, he must have been at least sixty on the first album!

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Lords of the Underground

These Jersey boys who managed to piss off both Lord Finesse and A.G. for different reasons returned to the game last year with a new Marley Marl produced video where they appear to have started their own chapter of Fight Club, having unleashed their last retail LP in 2007.

Lords of the Underground – ‘English Mami’ [2007]

65 thoughts on “Introducing The 90’s Rapper Where Are They Now Detective Agency”

  1. I mentioned Columbo in the Ghost comments section, and here he is. Rap Columbo could be a good aka for Robbie Unkut.

  2. Lord’s played in London a year back at a small bar called The Silver Bullet. Heard good things, but didn’t attend myself. Arrested Development played in London last year and at the Southport Soul Weekender in Somerset a couple of years back.

  3. Das EFX and Lords of The Underground are products of there time. When they came out I could see why there styles would be dope but there music hasn’t aged well at all, but The Microphone Masters remix with Mobb Deep is a classic and Those K-Def beats on the Lords albums doe.

  4. I bumped into K-Solo a few years back in Chicago, and the word then was that he was living in one of the suburbs with, and recording material with a crew out there called Rec Center. I remember him being short and solidly built with a huge head, very much like a pit bull. He did not look like the one.

  6. A great but uncomplimentary description of K Solo.

  7. dude in the middle pic from rough house survivors stays here in south carolina. i’ve seen him around here for the past 10 years or so..

    lord tariq is down here too

  8. That Rough House joint sounds good….yo the 90’s was so good that you can go back and mine that for unreleased goodies and be good…the only negative about the Rough House joint is that one cat sounds a lil like Meth..not sure how that would had went down back then..

    The East Coast joint by Das efx is good..that other song..smh…not Das lol

    LOTUG….its ok I guess…

  11. K-Solo’s 2nd album is incredible. He could rap his ass off. I just picked up a sealed copy of Trendz a couple weeks ago. Probably not going to open it, it’s an ok album, but there’s a reason they came and went. I’m in LA, a lot of 90’s underground guys live out here for some reason. Recently saw 8off shopping for records.

  13. WoW! The Rough House Survivors album was one of my favorites back in the cassette era… The production was Crazy. Need to get my hands on that Album again!!

    Another one is Kirk who had the Album “Makin Moves” with “gotta stay fresh” and “Uptown Style” prod by ski…. whatever happen to him??

  14. Finsta & Bundy

    Rumpletilskinz

    Boogiemonsters

    Da Bush Babees

    Yaggfu Front

  16. Yo! Like Mr. Lo above me said, PLEASE find out what’s going on with Double XX Posse. I love those dudes. “Put Ya Boots On” and “Ruff, Rugged & Raw” still get regular burn from me. I last heard Sugar Ray was a pimp, but you know…the internet. Can’t believe everything you read.

  17. I don’t understand why Lord Finesse went at L.O.T.U.G., but not Erick Sermon. Erick started calling himself the ‘Funk Lord’ in 1993 [same year the Lords debuted]–remember the opening line of his verse on “Hostile?”

    Anyway, since rap Columbo is pon di case:
    Fu Schnickens
    Shadez of Lingo
    Born Jamericans

  19. Regarding the above comment by ab, I thought the reasons for dissing LOTUG seemed a bit odd, too. Maybe there was another reason behind it, since using the words ‘lord’ or ‘funky’ seems odd to attack them for alone. I still like Das’ Real Hiphop single (both mixes), it still sounds good and hasn’t aged much.

  21. @ab

    I think Erick Sermon was reppin’ that funk already, in terms of his sound anyway, plus LOTUG were easier targets. Gimmicky soundin’ cats AND they were from Jersey? Guess he figured “why not?”…

  22. @oskamadison Thanks. He’s talking and looking like a pimp. Hahaha!!! Glad he’s still active though and namewise Sugar Ray>>>Ray Rothchild.

  23. @DAPPER DAN ERA

    All good picks. I’d add:

    Hoodratz (aka Da Knuckleheadz)
    Stezo
    Strickly Roots
    Troubleneck Brothers
    Dirt Nation
    Cash Money & Marvelous
    True Mathematics
    MC Rell & The Houserockers
    Laquan (aka LQ)
    Majestic Production (aka DNA International)
    Dove Shack

  25. Boogiemonsters: Vex Davortex dropped a few instrumental albums in the late 00s.

    Finsta & Bundy: Released The Via FB EP in 2013.

    Da Bush Babees: Mr Man went on to write stuff for De La Soul, Mos Def, Killah Priest and Murs.

    Yaggfu Front: Dropped a CD called The Lost Tapes in 2002.

    Fu Schnickens: Chip Fu aka Jungle Rock Jnr is still active: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjZsda8oNM4

    Born Jamericans: Notch released a solo album in 2007 called Raised By The People.

    Stezo: Has a new EP of demos coming out: https://soundcloud.com/dope-folks-records/stezo-police-story-pre-orders-coming-soon

    Troubleneck Brothers: A 2LP bootleg of their vaulted 1994 album came out in 2010.

    Cash Money & Marvelous: Cash Money continues to tour the globe performing DJ sets.

    True Mathematics: Last seen playing the cop on PE’s ‘Get The Fuck Outta Dodge.’

    Laquan (aka LQ): Transformed into Rap-A-Lot artist Poppa LQ and released Your Entertainment, My Reality. Last seen on Yukmouth’s 2001 album Thug Lord: The New Testament.

    Dove Shack: Their second LP came out in Japan in 2000 titled Reality Has Got Me Tied Up.

    Kirk: Did a second single with Ski on Sure Shot in 97 called ‘Everyday’ / ‘Suspect.’

  26. Krazy Drayz from Das Efx released an album called “Showtime” in 2012…it’s on iTunes…he also released a free EP late last year called “Showtime: Encore”…both are pretty good.

    Lords of The Underground are currently working on a new album with Marley Marl. If you can, check out music from the Garden State Greats (Treach & Kaygee from Naughty, Fam from Rottin Razkalz, Doitall from LOTUG, a few other dudes).

    Aside from that reunion album (Camp Lo & Ski Beatz) called “Ragtime HighTimes” that dropped earlier this year, Camp Lo released “80 Blocks From Tiffany’s” with Pete Rock in 2011. This was mostly classic a capella’s blended with classic instrumentals…in 2013, they released the (all-new music but presented as a continous-mix, unfortunately) album, “80 Blocks From Tiffany’s II” as a free download.

  27. CRU: Yogi went on to join Bad Boy/The Hitmen…Mighty Ha was credited on the Barbershop sdtk, as part of P Diddy & The Family, but doesn’t actually appear.

    Sporty Thievz: After Marlon Brando’s death, this group was M.I.A., but wikipedia states “In 2013 King Kirk released his new Sporty Thievz compilation album mixtape called “Cinema, Beats & Brawdz”. In 2014 Sporty Thievz released their official follow up to their first album “Street Cinema part 2″.”

  32. what happened to the chicks from Homey don’t play that lol

    come to think of it…what happened to that other group off that Terminator X album…I forget their name right now..a group of young cats..video was filmed in a high school…I always liked that record…

  35. @P.Dom

    Post-Double XX, Sugar Ray put out couple records under the name STRONG ARM.

  36. Anyone recall Mad Kap? I remember buying the album.
    I remember then selling the album.
    Just had a listen on youtube, the title track has aged surprisingly well. Wish I’d kept it now.
    Also where art thou Shorty Shitstain esq?

  37. I posted this,probably in the wrong place, last week but what about Da Bushwackass and more specifically did they do a 2nd album featuring ‘caught up in the game’ after ‘how real israel’?

  38. I wish the Tru Criminal guys could bring some more heat also that e.p. In the 90s was dope,thought Ak Skills / Godsunz /Street Smartz were gonna blow up but they seemed to fade out apart from FT who has showed up here and there recently…also does anyone recall Ras-T with that ‘Ill Nig / 6 Million Dollar Man’ 12? What happened to that dude?

  39. The Madkap album still sounds dope, it’s stood the test of time. It’s on Discogs for a few quid or dollars. They should definitely come out of retirement, along with Y’all So Stupid and Da King and I.

  42. xx posse, all city, real live, ini, the rotten rascals, pretty much everyone from flip mode except for spliffstarr, both cats from illegal, the dark skinned dude from channel live, 98% of rawkus records…

  43. Whatever happened to the other dudes from Main Source, K-cut and Sir Scratch?

  44. What ever happened to Shazzy? N-Tyce? Van full of Pakistans? Mexi-kids?

  45. King Sun

    Just Ice(first two albums were classics)

    PRT(Wise is still putting in work even though he moved to Georgia,Father Shaheed was killed in a motorcycle accident a couple years ago,Culture Freedom is a chef)

  46. The Lords of the Underground first two albums are so dope, some of Marley and K-DEFS best work, What happened to Jamal and Lil Malik from Illegal?????

  48. Was gonna say boots from the coup but remembered stumbling upon some of his recent clips on YouTube while drunk about six months ago. And immediately wishing I hadn’t.

  49. I would have liked to hear more from L da Headtoucha

  52. Scaramanga/Sir Menelik? Godfather Don? (I’d heard Kool Keith managed to drag him out of vocal retirement for an unreleased as of yet track recently, but maybe that’s just me being hopeful.)

    Megalon/Tommy Gunn and the rest of the original Monsta Island Czars line up?

  53. Young black teenagers.

    Charlie Brown. Dinco D. Cut monitor milo.

    I second the main source djs & king sun.

  54. Double X Posse changed up to Strong Peoples Coalition round 97/98. Released a few things on vinyl and also featured a new mc at the time. Both releases were pretty dope..War Stories and It Ain’t Safe..forgot the name of the other tracks..it’s on discogs obviously

  55. Bonnie ‘N’ Clyde had a song on Chuck D’s online Slam Jamz label too, “Punch Buggy No Punch Back” if I remember correctly. 1997 maybe, but was probably left over from earlier, sounded kind of like L’Trimm’s third album only good.

  56. @357

    Yo,you be knowin’ that Chilltown shit. Salute! BTW, Sugar Ray still doin’ his thing. Peep my link above…

  59. @Lpac

    Malik or Mr Malik’s solo album on Rowdy Records was shelved but he did release the single “Mr Malik Goes On”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBk9vgwKTag and featured on Monica’s single “Like This & Like That”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZDKy-MDiu0

    Later on signed with Deathrow (he’s Snopp’s real cousin…) and released the album “The Game Needs ME” under the name Hershey Hefner (wtf?! lol…)

    anyone know why Special Ed killed his kickstarter album funder?

  62. Robbie since you are in columbo mode can you track down the production credits for crazy like a foxx.

    Off topic I know but it’s really bugging me.

  64. Tracey Lee became a lawyer but has released a couple songs since “Many Facez”
    Shorty Shitstain has appeared on various Brooklyn Zoo albums/mixtapes.
    Yall So Stupid’s H2O is still active via Serious Knock Entertainment (works with DJ Pocket, Count Bass D et al).

    Dear Rap Columbo. Whatever happened to:
    Kwest Tha Madd Ladd
    Joe Synista (off a Terminator X album)
    Gripp/Grippsta (token child/female rapper Off Ice-T’s “Home invasion”)
    Nefertiti (dropped that one “LIFE” LP then vanished)
    RBX (last heard him working with Korn’s Fieldy)
    Anonymous Twist (Canadian rapper/producer)

  65. You must be at least 6’9″, because K-Solo is at least 6’2″. He and Redman are about the smell height, and Redman is tall.

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