Back To The Lab - Written by The Source on Saturday, September 6, 2008 14:39 - 12 Comments

Back To The Lab: Heltah Skeltah

STUDIO SURVIVAL PACK

1) Beats
2) Something to smoke
3) Petrol
4) M.F.G. Squad

Words: MC

For a group with the blunt-rolling, Timbs and hoodie, Brooklyn military mentality of Heltah Skeltah, you might think this studio overlooking Manhattan’s landmark Madison Square Garden arena might be a little too fancy. But throw a few L’s in rotation, a banging track on repeat and a few crew members on deck, and a studio in midtown could be a studio over the corner store.

“We need NOTHING B,” states Rock in his trademark growl. “Cause we are Da Incredible Rap Team.” Sean Price nods in agreement. “Heltah Skeltah smash, that’s what we do”

“Da Incredible Rap Team” or “D.I.R.T.” marks the first album from Rock (a.k.a. Rockness Monstah) and Ruck (a.k.a. Sean Price) as a duo since their sophomore effort “Magnum Force.” In the meantime, Ruck has released several solo albums and mixtapes, reinventing himself as Sean Price. But both promise the time apart hasn’t hurt their natural chemistry.

“Sixteen bars might take me a day now,” laughs Sean. “Cause nobody wants to be the corny guy on the song.”

“In a sense I gotta catch up, I can’t short change the people,” says Rock of his lack of output compared to his partner. “But those are problems AND solutions, so that just means we ain’t playing.”

With production by the likes of Evidence, Khrysis, Sick Beats and expected tracks from the Beatminers, Sean and Rock insist there will be business as usual with little surprises in the way of guest appearances.

“Traditionally, we’ve always had the Representitives, Illa Noize, Rustee Jux” starts Sean. “But they family” continues Rock. “Right, so as far as a guest? Nah,” finishes Sean.

But at the end of the day, much like MSG, the duo see the need for their presence as much now as they did then “You need the balance,” says Sean. “They got the dudes with the ring tones, and if that’s what you like cool, but you gotta give us some light too.”

12 Comments

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DJ Obscene
Sep 7, 2008 21:08

This is real hip hop and what we need to survive! Can’t wait for D.I.R.T!!!!!

Richard Morales
Sep 22, 2008 17:59

Finally I’ve been wating eons for another Healtah Skeltah album, now all i need is another boot camp album and i’m good money. Cause i’m Really tired of all this trash hip hop that the radio stays playing.

J Barry
Sep 24, 2008 12:51

Yo I know ya’ll go Hard welcome back. An may you an SIDE bring some raw back 2 hip hop.

bakang
Oct 11, 2008 9:00

YA watup.this is bk in Botswana,Africa. LONG LIVE OBAMA! LONG LIVE THE SOURCE! Word out

tommy blaze
Oct 17, 2008 21:20

yo for real rap is dead,nas is rite, these boys bring that grimy street rap i grew up listenin to,that made me love hip hop,bootcamp ,wu,redman,lost boyz,rip tah,these are the only people that could start to save are music….

harlemprincess
Dec 5, 2008 16:46

I haven’t heard from these dudes in a minute.

Mr B!
Dec 9, 2008 4:47

Its about time MFC gives me something fresh to smoke a joint to once again, can’t wait for D.I.R.T. Word!!!!!

Joburg,South Africa.

Why Breezy
Dec 9, 2008 20:47

Keep on rockin….

trevon
Dec 15, 2008 9:22

yo hip hop is dead and the legend NAS is rite.screw these fake whack rnb rappers.we need 94 back 4real.

Hybrid
Dec 22, 2008 20:06

I’d like to start by saying that I think you guys are doing a great job. I can’t start that way though because I’m having a hard time believing that The Hip Hop Bible is sitting on it’s laurels letting this culture be destroyed by a bunch of know-nothing critics and adolescents who have no appreciation for talent, skill or craft; only marketing savvy. Yes, you too, oh hallowed scribes of Street Knowledge are falling into this trap of abandoning that which above all makes an MC great: LYRICS.
There was a time when every rapper’s dream (besides platinum plaques and groupies) was to be acknowledged as one of the chosen few whose verse was so eloquent, clever and symbolic of one’s originality that it became, dare I say it? A HIP HOP QUOTABLE. Wow, could you get a higher accolade of your ability as a lyricist than that? Posdnous didn’t seem to think so. “Man, everything I say should be a Hip Hop Quotable” he said on “Stakes is High.” The great late yet all too early Big Punisher even boasted he was “King of the Hip Hop Quotables.”
Now with Soulja Boy-D4L-Hurricane Chris-Dem Franchise Boyz ringtone rappers coming outta the woodwork, lyrics are becoming a relic of a bygone era back when rappers were, uhm what’s the word? Oh yeah…SMART.
Let me get to the point…YOU CAN FIX THIS. And if you love this culture as much as you proclaim to, then YOU SHOULD FIX THIS. Give appreciation to some of the Lyricists out there still struggling to make their voices heard, stop being lazy and giving the quotable to Jay-Z and Nas. Go out there and FIND that underground verse that everybody should be checkin’ for! How did y’all manage to not give ANYBODY a quotable for that song Slaughterhouse?!
We are dying because you are LETTING US DIE. This isn’t about the South being wack OR an East Coast comeback. This is about how The Source has an established tool for getting Hip Hop to focus on that which made us great and can do so again. Why is it when I google Hip Hop quotable I get search results for a Ludacris song? This is unacceptable. Y’all don’t even have Hip Hop Quotables on your own website? What…the Fuck?
You need an issue dedicated to the Hip Hop Quotable and what it means to all of us. You need to tell us about WHO got them and WHY. And you need to make MC’s realize that this is something they should strive to get and that the only way to do that is by being NICE with the wordplay, rhyme schemes, poetry and vocabulary. Why am I putting this to you? Because VIBE put Plies on the cover and called him the future of Hip Hop. Y’all should be shittin’ bricks trying to prevent such a thing from occuring. As for XXL, I don’t recall a SINGLE rapper bragging about how they got “Train of Thought.” Besides we should be past excuses now. Stop following the trends and start SETTING them again. BE the change that all of us want to see. Return to your former glory by taking the first step.

signed,
Hybrid

P.S. I don’t believe anyone should bitch and moan without offering a solution so I have a list of some of the ones I know should be in there. It is not complete but it should get you started. If I’m wrong on any of these, feel free to let me know. I’m working off of memory here. We’re all human on my side of the street and nobody’s perfect. One.
Andre 3000-Aquemini,International Players Anthem,Royal Flush (He got one from ATLiens but I don’t remember it)
AZ-Rather Unique,I Don’t Give A Fuck,Fanmail
Beanie Sigel-Whatcha Life Like (I know he’s got at least 2 more)
Big Boi-He’s got at least 2, one from ATLiens and one from Speakerboxxx
Big L-Da Graveyard,’98 Freestyle (honorable mention for Ebonics)
Big Punisher-Superlyrical,Dream Shatterer,Drop It Heavy,Bring ‘em Back
Bishop Lamont-My Opinion
Black Thought-Y’all Know Who!
Canibus-Beasts From The East
Cee-Lo-Decisions, Decisions (He has another one)
Chino XL-No Complex
Common-Retrospect For Life,The 6th Sense
Consequence-He got one but I forgot it ’cause the song wasn’t on his CD
dead prez-Hip Hop
E40-something from “My Ghetto Report Card”
Eightball-something from “Lost”
Eminem-Forgot About Dre,The Way I Am,Renagade
Foxy Brown-730
Fredro Starr-What If
Game-something from LAX
Ghostface Killah-Impossible,Cream 2001 (at least 2 more)
Guru-Flip The Script
Gza-Breaker, Breaker
Ice Cube-Ghetto Vet,Child Support
Inspektah Deck-Triumph,Grand Prix (Y’all listed the verse incorrectly under Rec Room)
Jadakiss-Blackout,Why
Jay-Z-Cashmere Thoughts,Money Ain’t A Thang,Mind Right remix,The Takeover, Izzo,Alone In This World remix,Go Crazy, I Know, Minority Report,Watch What You Say To Me (Sorry if I missed one but it seem like he get it every other month.)
Joe Budden-Family Reunion
Kanye West-Through The Wire,All Falls Down,Diamonds, Everything I Am
Keith Murray-The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World
Kool G. Rap-a verse from Murda Muzik, the song was with Mobb Deep
KRS-ONE-(something, I mean it IS KRS!)
Krumb Snatcha-Make ‘Em Pay
Kurupt-Trylogy
Lady Of Rage-Sho Shot
Lauryn Hill-How Many Mics
Lil’ Kim-This Is Who I Am
Lil’ Wayne-Dr. Carter
LL Cool J-4,3,2,1,Back Where I Belong
Ludacris-first song on Chicken-N-Beer, I Think
Lupe Fiasco-Real Recognize Real
Method Man-Shadowboxin’-NYC Everything
MJG-I forgot but it was only 8 bars (very lazy)
Mr. Voodoo-I forgot
Mos Def-Mathematics,The Rape Over
Nas-It Ain’t Hard To Tell,Verbal Intercourse,I Gave You Power,Stillmatic freestyle,What Goes Around,One Mic,Black Zombie,Carry On Tradition (he might have more, I don’t remember)
Notorious B.I.G.-Kick In The Door
Pharoahe Monch-He’s got at least 2
Phonte-The Yo-Yo,All For You
PMD-Rampage
Prodigy-Nighttime Vultures,Quiet Storm
Prince Po-Hate
Q-Tip-Get A Hold (and 1 more)
Rakim-Microphone Fiend,Hoodlum
Ras Kass-H20 Proof (maybe Remain Anonymous too)
Redman-How High,Do What You Feel,Hostility
Rza-something from Supreme Clientele
Skillz-The Wrap Up
Sticky Fingaz-Money Talks
Styles P-he’s got 2 but I don’t remember
Talib Kweli-The Proud
T.I.-Prayin’ For Help
2Pac-Letter To My Unborn
I know there’s more but this is over a hundred already and I don’t remember any others. I hope you take this seriously and I hope to see the complete list soon.

Richard
Mar 2, 2009 18:06

I’m glad healtah skeltah is back cuz i’m really getting tired of these cookie cut trash bag rapper who shouldnt even spit on the mic to begin with. shout out to the whole BCC.

Jay Santos
May 5, 2009 9:53

Thus is true im tired of the lame ass wana be so Called “Rappers” that are only rappin’ about money,jewlery,cars, and calling females out their names. Like wtf kind of stuff is that. I want rap to be back to the way how it use to be when it actually ment something and like one of the previous commenters before me has said. “When rappers were actually smart” or somewhere along the lines… Right now Im a big fan of U-N-I, The Cool Kids, Notorious and 2pac, The foreign exchange, Slum Village, Pharrel, Kanye West, Tyga, Dom Kennedy, Skillz, J-live, and some more people. Don’t get me wrong Lil wayne fans. He’s good but he’s not that good. For one buddy can’t sing so why is he trying i heard a song with him and Drake called Im a take your girl and as much as my ears know is that Drake is better. But getting off topic we don’t need rappers like Purse State a.k.a Gucci Mane. as i qoute from a good rapper that enjoy listening to. “What type of real nigga name himself after a bag, nigga you’s a hoe, a Louis Vuitton fag”. As I said before we need more rappers out there to be come on out and stop this fake rap madness