Fu-Schnickens vs. Lords of the Underground vs. Das EFX
Hey how’s about a “The ‘90’s On My Mind” special presentation?!?
Ready…good…cuz we’re gonna duke it out. We as Americans love to vote on things (presidential election, American Idol, the new flavor of M&Ms), so let’s do it again in the first of a series of matches I seemingly put together at random involving all aspects of pop culture from the best decade ever. I’ll touch on music videos, TV sitcoms, junk food, movie quotes, top athletes, memorable moments, etc. But today, let’s talk Hip-Hop.
Which East Coast group would win this 1990’s Hip-Hop battle? So, bust out the Timberland boots, Starter coats, notty dreadlocks, and help me decide: who had the freshest lyrics? Tightest image? Flyest crew? Coolest songs?
Let’s weigh in on the contestants first. Here’s the tale of the tape:
Das EFX
Meaning: Dray And Skoob Effects
Members: Krazy Drayzy, Skoob
Origin: Virginia by way of NYC
Allies: EPMD, RedMan
Hits: “They Want EFX” (1992), “Mic Cheka” (1992), appearance on “Check Yo Self remix” by Ice Cube (1993), “Real Hip-Hop” (1995)
Style: Pop culture references, cartoonish content, “iggedy” word prefix, double-time rhyming, Sewer slang
Fu-Schnickens
Meaning: For Unity coalition
Members: Chip Fu, Poc Fu, Moc Fu
Origin: Brooklyn
Allies: Shaquille O’Neal, A Tribe Called Quest
Hits: “Ring the Alarm” (1991), “True Fuschnick” (1992), “La Schmoove” ft. Phife Dawg (1993), “What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock)” ft. Shaq (1993)
Style: Jamaican-influenced flow, pop culture references, tongue-twisters, Kung Fu references
Lords of the Underground
Members: DoItAll, Mr. Funkee, DJ Lord Jazz
Origin: Newark, NJ
Allies: K-Def, Marley Marl, Pete Rock
Hits: “Funky Child” (1993), “Tic Toc” (1993), “Chief Rocka” (1993), “Flow On” (1994)
Style: Eccentric wordplay, loud boastful raps, constant pop culture references, Run-DMC back-n-forth rhyme passing
All three groups had the same downfall: poorly received follow up albums after highly successful debuts filled with hits. Plus, Hip-Hop’s mainstream landscape had passed by such nonsensical, non-gangsta, cartoony acts…subsequently these groups all became lost in the shuffle. Das EFX hung around a lot longer and released more music than the other two, but they couldn’t shake the ‘iggedy’ label and eventually faded into obscurity. The Lords just couldn’t match their initial success and were seen by some as trying to jump on the EFX bandwagon. Fu-Schnickens just plain ran out of steam and seemingly no one wanted to hear what they had to offer; the group only made two albums. So which fleeting faction was your favorite?
–DeRoin.
