Recently, at the Rocksteady Crew Anniversary Weekend in Newark, New Jersey, local heroes Tame One [click to read] and El Da Sensei performed together for the first time in over five years. As The Artifacts, the duo released two critically acclaimed major label releases in 1994 and 1997 before disbanding for solo projects.
This afternoon, Tame spoke to HipHopDX about how the impromptu reunion actually happened. “Do
It All pulled me out the crowd to do it. I was in the audience pollyin’, watching
the crowd reaction to ol’ boy’s set. I don’t believe Newark, New Jeruz wanted
to hear a one-man Artifacts classic. ‘C’mon Wit Da Get Down’ had everybody near
me looking at me like, ‘What?’ I didn’t feel no kinda way until… ‘Wrong
Side [of the Tracks’]’ opening horn riff started. I was like, ‘[This is] ill. [He’s doing it] dolo…In Newark…Nobodyy’s gonna
dig that. Not with so many original heads in attendance. Plus I wanted a piece
of that mic. Fuck that.“
Still, after referring to onetime partner as “ol’ boy,” the emcee admitted that this reunion may have lived and died on that stage. “I
said no reunions, and I meant it. Real Talk. I didn’t leave the group on some David Ruffin shit, to come back later for a press story and attention. I left ’cause since I was ‘Actin’ up and shit,’ Why be a detriment to other people? Why
act like friends on stage knowing when the lights go down and the party ends
mothafuckaz don’t wanna be civil? Fuck all that. Go for dolo and do what I wanna do,
when I wanna and how I wanna do it. That way all my behavioral idiosyncrasies
reflect on me and me only. Ya Dig?”
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El Da Sensei recently released his Unheard Of mix CD, sold through his MySpace [click here]. Tame One is presently finishing up his Acid Tab Vocab album, available digitally next month from Amalgam Digital.
