In terms of vocab, concepts, flow and style, Chill Rob G was the top dog in the Flavor Unit wolf pack. His first record remains as one of the finest selections in the impressive Wild Pitch catalog, as all three songs hit equally hard. “Chillin” didn’t end up making the album, but provides a perfect example of Rob’s technique, as he informs us that “it’s hard to find a rapper with my dedication/intelect, sense of humor – plus imagination” while “jumping from one subject to the next” in a superb display of lyrical prowess that manages to combine a stream-of-consciousness feel while still keeping it in the pocket over a rolling break. (more…)

Adding on the Louie Louie article from the other day, here’s an old interview from The Source.

I should also mention my post on Funkmaster Wizard Wiz over at Oh Word for their Crack Week.

I can’t confirm that Priority One were official Flavor Unit (actually I’m pretty sure they weren’t), but Louie Louie was 45 King‘s right-hand man for a while, so his work deserves a mention here. His first record was with his crew Priority One, who dropped “I Can’t Go For That”/”Showin’ My Stuff” on Tuff City in 1988. At this stage the group consisted of MC Ron Delite, Naikwan, DJ Smitty B, Louie Louie and JV-1.

Five Things You Need To Know About Ron Delite:

1. He’s a solo poet (that means he rocks alone).
2. He’s a South Bronx resident (that’s quite evident).
3. He’s been rockin’ rhymes ever since he was ten (but that was ten years ago)¹
4. If Ron Delite was spaghetti, Smitty B would be sauce.
5. He’s clean, crisp and clearer (like 7UP).
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1. 1. Circa 1988.[back]

One of the early members of the Flavor Unit, Double J doesn’t feature on much of their output other than his spot on “The Flavor Unit Assination Squad” and a couple of 12″s. He mentions how it all started in an old Hip Hop Connection piece:

“We used to do block parties in Jersey City where I was born and raised. Me, Latee and Zeke met up with DJ Mark in 1988 and he introduced us to this other rapper named Apache and the rest of the Flavor Unit.”

He also explains how he got his deal with Island Records on the strength of his appearence in a homemade video of the crew that Fab Five Freddy had shot. (more…)

Without a doubt, Lakim Shabazz was the busiest member of the Flavor Unit during their peak period, with two solo long-players to his credit and guest shots on every 45 King album that featured vocals. This little guy with the voice of a giant was also staunch representative of the 5% Nation of Islam, which he repped in every aspect – from his traditional Muslim clothes to entire songs featuring “Supreme Mathematic” lessons. He even flew to Egypt to shoot the cover to his second album! These days, of course, such a strong Islamic image would ensure that your album would never even get pressed in the US, given the current political climate, but in 1988 a large section of the hip-hop community were spreading the word of Allah, warning us about “the devil’s tricknology” and insisting that we take the pork off our fork. Can you imagine a popular underground group (like Brand Nubian were at the time) releasing a song called “Allah U Akbar” in 2006?
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As one of the least prolific members of the original Flavor Unit, Markey Fresh still made quite an impression based upon his performance on “The King Is Here” alone. A brilliant slice of lo-fi theme music declaring the superiority of New Jersey’s king of the beats, this staple of Red Alert‘s Kiss-FM show exists in two incarnations. The jeep-beat ready 12″ version (complete with crafty “It’s Just Begun” horn chops) is far more commanding than the stripped down mix found on the King’s Master of the Game LP, but Markey’s lyrical dedication to the 45 rings true in both instances. (more…)

This is a strange one. While the logos on the label would have us believe that DJ Mark The 45 King recorded an album for Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam following the hit he gave Jay-Z (“Hard Knock Life”) in 1998, there’s really no reason to think this is anything but a bootlegger scam (the whole “Mark 45 King” thing doesn’t help either!). I can’t for the life of me picture Def Jam putting money up for a project that mainly features local unknowns’ Big Pooh and Lady Champain over a selection of well-known loops that would have cost a fortune to clear. (more…)

Despite the fact that his classic debut single served as the inspiration for the name of his crew, Latee remains as one of the more enigmatic members of the New Jersey collective. Anyone who used to catch Kool DJ Red Alert‘s show on KISS-FM would instantly recognise the block-rocking Fatback riff and earth-shattering kick drum combo of “This Cut’s Got Flavor”, as it was a fixture of Red’s “45 King Specials” for a year before it even made it onto vinyl. (more…)

Not content with serving-up killer beats for the Flavor Unit crew, DJ Mark The 45 King also blessed us with several examples of his impressive mic skills, a tradition that’s since been carried on by Kid Capri, Doo-Wop and Tony Touch. Forget that “best producer on the mic” talk, DJ’s that rap are where it’s at, and 45 King puts it down like a pro whenever he steps to the booth. (more…)

Though in recent years the name Flavor Unit has been seen only as Queen Latifah‘s production and management company, it’s origins can be traced back to 1987, when a young New Jersey-based rapper named Latee teamed-up with local DJ, Mark The 45 King to kick some lyrics over a dope Fatback Band loop. Dubbing the track “This Cut’s Got Flavor”, it became a staple on Red Alert‘s Kiss-FM show, and was eventually released as a single on Wild Pitch records. This lead to the formation of the Flavor Unit, a crew which has seen three very different incarnations over the years. (more…)