Shadez of Brooklyn

It's a shame that a crew like Shadez of Brooklyn, who sounded so ill and had such break-out success with their debut single - I think I could safely use the word "beloved" in relation to their hit, "Change" - only managed to put out three 12" singles before disappearing. Well, in 2010, Chopped Herring Records has finally rectified that situation with the release of their Pandemonium EP.

To be clear, this isn't new material by the group reunited; this EP consists of 5 previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1996 and '97 (which means they actually predate Shadez' second and third singles). And like their previous singles, all the tracks here are produced by Da Beatminerz, so don't expect any disappointments. Only one of the tracks, "Everyday Livin'," has ever been heard in any capacity before - it was included on an Evil Dee mixtape. But, like the other songs, this is the first time it's being released in a full un-edited/blended capacity.

Really, if you're familiar with the Shadez of Brooklyn's previous output (and you really ought to be), all I need to tell you is that this is every bit as good as their past singles. Production-wise and lyrically, any one of these songs would have fit perfectly on their previous 12"s. The voices, the flows, the way the MCs play off each other going back and forth over hot beats with killer piano loops and fresh cuts from crazy comic book records... it's all here. In fact, the opening track, "Now a Dayz," seems to be a sequel to their original B-side, "Survival Wars;" with a hook that goes, "Now a days/ You've got to live in a certain way/ Watch what you say/ Here comes the gun spray/ East to west, South Shore to North Shore/ We told you before/ This is the time of survival wars." And "Pandemonium" is presumably the song they named their record label (Pandemonium Wreckords) after, so it's nice to finally get to hear it.

And in addition to those five unreleased joints, they also threw "Change" on here as a bonus. I can't imagine many people who'd buy this wouldn't already have "Change" on vinyl, but just in case, here it is.

As you can see in my scan, this comes in a nice sticker cover, and it's limited to 300 copies. It's still available (mine just landed today) as of this writing directly from the label's website: choppedherringrecords.com. The limited releases don't get much more essential than this one.