As part of Black Moon: The Beginning, a new documentary released the week of the twentieth anniversary of Black Moon’s debut album, Enta Da Stage, all three members of the Brooklyn-based group have detailed their early history, specifically the process of creating their single “Who Got Da Props?”
According to 5 FT, it was through dance that those in the group were first able to connect at New York City’s Polar Express.
“Polar Express, that’s where all the dancers used to come and get busy, but that’s what really enabled us and helped us to make the crossover from dancing to being emcees touching this mic,” said the rapper.
From their meeting at Polar Express, Buckshot says it was through the help of Chuck Chillout and Nervous Records that the group was able to jumpstart their music career as members of Black Moon. Buckshot also commented on the making of “Who Got Da Props?” a song he says served as his first time formatting a record.
AD LOADING...
“Our beginning started when Chuck Chillout introduced us to Nervous Records,” Buckshot said. “The first time that I had to actually write to the music, to ‘Who Got Da Props?’ me, Evil Dee, and 5 FT, we wrote that in Chuck Chillout’s house. Before we got our deal. We didn’t have ‘Who Got Da Props?’ Well, we didn’t record ‘Who Got Da Props?’ I knew how to make joints, but I didn’t know how to make a record. So, that was the first time that I actually sat down and thought about formatting and stuff like that. And that’s the reason why the record is so—the lyrics are so choppy.”
DJ Evil Dee, the producer of “Who Got Da Props?” also shared his take on the creation of the song and revealed the details of why exactly the song came to be both produced and mixed by him.
“When we was doing ‘Who Got Da Props?’ right? I’m not gonna name the engineer’s name,” Evil Dee said. “Now, I know how I want this record to sound. So, I’m telling homeboy, ‘Yo, I want to do this, this, and this to it. I want this to sound like this.’ And he’s like ‘Yo. No, I want to do it my way.’ So, we arguing back and forth. [Finally], this dude goes, ‘You know what? Fuck that. You know everything Evil Dee? You go to the board and do it yourself.’ ‘Who Got Da Props?’ was mixed by yours truly.”
Formed in the early ’90s, Black Moon have gone on to release five studio projects, among them the 1996 compilation album Diggin’ In Dah Vaults. The trio’s last project, Alter The Chemistry, was released in 2006.
AD LOADING...
In addition to their Enta Da Stage 20th anniversary performance at South By Southwest at the top of the year, Black Moon is scheduled celebrate the milestone with a performance at Duck Down Music’s CMJ showcase today (October 16). Tickets to the showcase, which will also feature performances from Talib Kweli and Sean Price, can be purchased via Ticketmaster.
Black Moon: The Beginnings from Duck Down Music Inc. on Vimeo.
RELATED: Black Moon’s Buckshot Tells Joey Bada$$ This Is A “New Golden Age”
