so i mentioned in some other posts that ive been in the middle of writing up a massive blog post that covers everything that can possibly be known about Da Bassment crew (and if ur unaware of them to begin with, this'll be a good starter package). i think i'm finally done. original link is below (i'll post some of the content here, but links to the music and the interviews and my ramblings at the end will have to be viewed on the page):

http://confessionsofacurlymind.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/da-bassment-crew-aka-swing-mob-the-rise-fall-rise-of-one-of-the-baddest-motherfucking-crews-in-modern-music-history-the-recently-unearthed-77min-cassette-demo-tape-you-must-hear/

DA BASSMENT Crew (aka Swing Mob): The Rise, Fall & Rise Of One Of The Baddest Motherfucking Crews In Modern Music History + the recently unearthed 77min cassette demo tape YOU.MUST.HEAR
--
let’s take it back to the early/mid-90s for a second and lemme sum up what i’m about to offer up to you, anonymous tastemakers and music-lovers of the Internet:

Jodeci were blowing the fuck up off the strength of their now-classic debut album Forever My Lady in the early 90s (of which all the slow songs were written by mastermind DeVante Swing about a girl he was dating at the time who left & joined the army. random, right?). and amidst all the adulation came some form of power for Mr. Donald “DeVante” DeGrate, who then embarked on an ambitious project that was reminiscent of a bygone era in music. while on tour with Jodeci, he would routinely hear auditions from local groups. after carefully selecting which ones he thought showed real promise and real talent, he amassed them into a collective known as Da Bassment crew (aka Swing Mob) sometime around 1992, tho some people say the ball could’ve got started rolling even before that. this is a large pool of talent that included future legends like Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Tweet, Magoo, Ginuwine, Playa, Static/Major and quite a bit of input from DeVante and Dalvin as well. originally known as the 45.4 Q Clique, and then Swing Mob, the name Da Bassment eventually stuck due to the recording complex that all the artists either lived in or next to (this would be Dajhelon Studios in which the group primarily used the basement studios for their work).

however, the clique imploded sometime after The Show, The Afterparty, The Hotel (an album which had credited and uncredited contributions from various Bassment members, as did Diary Of A Mad Band, this group-mentality of creation being the status quo). while the majority of the goings on and the real reasons for the epic split of this epic crew remained a source of constant wonder and curiosity for nearly two decades (and a certain amount of sadness that it wasn’t fully realised), in the last few years we’ve seen ex-members like Susan Weems (of the group Sugah, of which Tweet and Rolita White were also a part) and emcee, Accion, give lengthy interviews about their experiences in Da Bassment. the former VP of the label, Shannon “Big Shann” Miller also recently recounted the experience with an interview via Skype that’s up on YouTube.

but above all else is this following important information: in 2010 the owner of the Static Major Is Music Blog anonymously recieved a package in the mail after posting a few Bassment-related things. turns out the tape, unmarked and unlabeled, is a full tape of snippets of songs produced and made in Da Bassment, by Da Bassment. since it’s in snippet form, i can only assume it was originally designed to be a mixtape or promo tape of sorts. only a few full-length songs are featured. oh yeah, let me say it again just in case i understated it: UNRELEASED, UNEARTHED TUNES BY YOUR FAVOURITE BASSMENT ARTISTS. this is stuff i, or the collective “we”, thought we’d NEVER EVER end up hearing. when i randomly discovered it in a lazy Google search over 2 months ago, i almost freaked out. it had become such an unreachable treasure that i didn’t bother to think about it anymore, but here it is y’all: 77MINS OF IT. lol. a sneak peek into the collective creative braintrust known as Da Bassment. and what i hear only confirms my long-held position that, were the ‘experiment’ to work out and the group not disbanded, they would be household names and changed the entire face of modern r&b and hip hop music (as a COLLECTIVE and on their own terms, which is what DeVante was ultimately working towards).

INSANELY, this gem has somehow managed to remain SO under the radar (even Internet’s radar) that i, a confirmed Bassment zealot, didn’t know of its existence til a YEAR after it hit the net. which is some shameful shit (to me). so i have taken it upon myself to help spread the good vibes. i want this blog post to become the vocal focal point for some Bassment love. come share your adulation for this still-unheralded clique, read up on the day-to-day happenings of the group via eye-witness accounts of ex-members, and how it ultimately all went sour. but like i said, most importantly: DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE. listen to all the early weed-soaked creative nuggets that led to mega-stardom and music icons.

FYI: these are tunes that have been directly ripped from a rough cassette tape copy as just “Side 1″ and “Side 2″ (respectively by Static Major Is Music), i’ve spent a good month chopping em up and figuring out track names, and especially the artists involved in each tack. since some of the members were completely new to me, it took a while to get acclimated to their voice in order to suss out who is who. but i think you’ll find this to be the most complete (and probaly ONLY) functioning tracklist.

FYI (II): i’m designing this post to be sort of a central hub for any and all information regarding the history of Da Bassment throughout its entire run. that includes interviews with former members, rare pics and video glimpses into their world, an attempt at a complete list of Bassment members, unconfirmed rumours (some so crazy they might be true), and of course the songs themselves (incuding all the released material the group were involved with).

—

we begin the audio assault with THE demo tape that no one seems to know ANYthing about lol. typical Bassment style, even when we get to hear the MUSIC, we’re still left in the dark about the finer details. nevertheless, it’s die-hard fans/music nerds like me that desire to put the pieces together. here we go, courtesy of the afore-mentioned Static Major Is Music blog (wanna make sure they/Buddha get the much-deserved shout-outs on this page cos they broke the news/provided links in the first place).

DA BASSMENT DEMO TAPE

tracklist:

01. Timbaland – Da Funk (1:32)
02. Sista – Sweat You Down (Alternate Version) (feat. Crack Mack) (1:19)
03. Virginia – Slow Drag (3:41)
04. Sista – U Better Be Ready (2:02)
05. Ginuwine – Come Inside (2:03)
06. Ginuwine – I’m Going To Fall In Love (2:23)
07. Sugah – Fly Guy (1:18)
08. Timbaland & Magoo – Plenty Of Styles (feat. Missy Elliott) (3:34)
09. Dante Hawkins – My Parents Are Gone (prod. DeVanté Swing & E-Bass) (3:50)
10. Da Boogie Man – Interlude (1:00)
11. Sugah – Sugah Thang (feat. Playa, Accion, Mr. Brendal, Timbaland & Reboc) (1:42)
12. Da Bassment – Ain’t Nuthin’ But A B-Party (4:07)
13. Jodeci – Get Back (6:03)
14. Ginuwine – Let’s Stop Effin’ Around (1:48)
15. Sugah – Expired (2:41)
16. Sista – Find My Love (Alternate Version) (0:58)
17. Playa – Come On, Girl (2:15)
18. Sista – Brand New (Mr. Dalvin’s Ferrari Mix) (Extra Raps) (feat. Mr. Dalvin & Static) (1:11)
19. Timbaland – Makes You Say (1:26)
20. Timbaland – We Can Do This (1:08)
21. Da Bassment – Ain’t Nuthin’ But A B-Party (Alternate Mix) (1:02)
22. Timbaland – Get Down (feat. Playa) (1:07)
23. Static – S-T-A-T-I-C (1:34)
24. Reboc – Untitled (feat. Timbaland) (0:56)
25. Timbaland – Peepin’ My Style (feat. Static & Missy Elliott) (2:37)
26. Timbaland – Do You Wanna (feat. Accion) (3:09)
27. Sugah – Sugah Sensation (feat. Timbaland) (1:44)
28. Sugah – Goin’ Down (feat. Timbaland) (2:11)
29. Virginia – Get Down (feat. Timbaland & Missy Elliott) (3:23)
30. Virginia – Let Me In Your Life (feat. Missy Elliott) (3:28)
31. Unknown – Baby I Know (0:54)
32. Missy Elliott – Red Lights (feat. Timbaland) (1:12)
33. Sugah – Smokin’ In The Dark (1:23)
34. Sugah – Smokin’ In The Dark (Alternate Mix) (0:34)
35. Mr. Dalvin (?) – Set It Off (4:12)
36. Sugah – Sugar & Spice (1:51)

runtime = 77:18.
-

as u might tell, it’s not yet a COMPLETE tracklist. so if anyone’s got info on tracks 31 & 35 please let me know.

—

and just to further add to this barrage of Bassment-related audio yumminess, i’ve compiled my own personal mix of more Bassment materials which includes: unreleased stuff, soundtrack cuts & work done for other artists (as you will see, many of the members of the crew participated on the production and writing tip for other artists). it’s slightly riskier for me to post these songs as some of them include some big-name artists that might wanna lay the smackdown on me and this blog, but it’s all for the love. if anyone DOES object to their tunes being present here in this particular mix, please give me a yell first. otherwise, please to be enjoying even more of my favourite Bassment-related goodies :)

(and a further note, i’ve tried to include only tracks that feature two or more Bassment members on the track, and also the songs which i think best exemplify Da Bassment sound. i’ve also tried to track down as many deets/credits regarding who did what on each track as possible, but even i can be wrong time to time so if y’all have any corrections to make, please don’t hesitate to tell me off).

-

Mista Vee Presents…Swing Mobbin’: Sounds From Da Bassment

tracklist:

01. DeVante – P.I.B 4Play
produced by DeVante Swing.

02. Danny Boy – Slip N’ Slide
produced by DeVante Swing & Reggie De’vell Moore.
additional vocals by DeVante Swing & Ginuwine.

03. Aaron Hall – Curiosity (Misdemeanor)
produced by Mr. Dalvin.
written by Aaron Hall, Missy Elliott & Mr. Dalvin.
additional vocals by Missy Elliott.

04. DeVante – Gin & Juice (Remix)
produced by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
additional vocals by Da Boogie Man, Mr. Brendal, Magoo, Timbaland, Accion, Static & C-Dub.

05. Al Green – Could This Be The Love
produced by DeVante Swing.
additional vocals by DeVante Swing, Playa & Renee Anderson.

06. Mr. Dalvin & Static – True O.G.
produced by Mr. Dalvin & Timbaland.

07. Jodeci – Can We Flo?
written, produced and arranged by DeVante Swing.
background vocals by Playa.

08. Jodeci – Zipper
produced by DeVante Swing.

09. DeVante – Gin & Juice
produced, written & arranged by DeVante Swing.
additional vocals by Static.

10. B Rezell – Blowed Away
produced by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
additional vocals by DeVante Swing.

11. Jodeci – Room 454: DeVante’s “Inhermission”
produced by DeVante Swing.

12. Da Bassment – Love You Down
produced by DeVante Swing.
vocal arrangements by Playa.
additional vocals by LB, Sugah & DeVante Swing.

13. Jodeci – What About Us (Swing Mob)
produced by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
additional vocals by Magoo.

14. Ginuwine – I Want You
produced by DeVante Swing.

15. Tony Thompson – Slave
produced by DeVante Swing & Darryl Pearson.
music by DeVante Swing, Darryl Pearson & Missy Elliott.
all instruments by DeVante Swing & Darryl Pearson.
background vocals by Static, Smokey, Darryl Pearson, Missy Elliott & DeVante Swing.
mixed by Prince Charles Alexander.

16. Jodeci – Sweaty
produced by DeVante Swing.
additional vocals by Missy Elliott.
scratches by Timbaland.

17. Sista – Find My Love
produced by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
additional keys by DeVante Swing.
written by Missy Elliott.

18. Renee Anderson – Gonna Be Your Night
produced by DeVante Swing.

19. Usher – Can U Get Wit It
produced by DeVante Swing.
instruments by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
guitar by Darryl Pearson.
mixed by Prince Charles Alexander.
additional vocals by DeVante Swing.

20. H-Town – Part Time Lover
produced by DeVante Swing & Darryl Pearson.
additional vocals by DeVante Swing.

runtime = 78:10.

-

there’s also a funky phat bonus track called “Ride Around” (dudes on the net are calling it “RidING Around” but i’ma call it “Ride Around”) that was also apparently featured on the tape, but for some reason was edited out of the final cassette rip by the blogger (i think, but again not sure why). as a result i’m not sure where it sits in the tracklist, therefore i’m callin it a “bonus track”. but far more than a loose end, this is one of THE dopest tracks to surface from the collective. it’s labeled as Da Bassment but it sounds mostly like a Timbo/Playa production. either way, tis some FONKY.SHIT.

http://youtu.be/FyXuoJaTcIE (mp3 link is on the blog).

---

in the midst of all this research (let me remind y’all, i’ve been heading toward this large-ass blog post for what seems like a lifetime: i GREW UP on Bassment music), i was able to piece together a decent list of known Bassment/Swing Mob members.

—

Donald DeGrate (aka DeVante Swing/Boss Playa)
Dalvin DeGrate (aka Mr. Dalvin)
Timothy Mosley (aka Timbaland)
Melvin Barcliff (aka Magoo/Maganoo)
Melissa Elliott (aka Missy/Misdemeanor)
Elgin Lumpkin (aka Ginuwine)
Radiah Scott
Chonita Coleman
LeShawn Shellman
Charlene Keys (aka Tweet)
Susan Weems (aka Susie/Sue)
Rolita White
Jawann Peacock (aka Smokey/Smoke E. Digglera)
Benjamin Bush (aka Black/Digital Black)
Stephen Garrett (aka Static/Major/Stacks)
Renee Anderson (aka Renee)
Bazaar Royale (aka Da Boogie Man/Boogie)
Virginia Williams (aka Virginia/VA)
Dante Hawkins
Charles Wiley (aka C-Dub)
Mr. Brendal
Accion
Reboc
Darryl Pearson
Steven Jordan (aka Stevie J)
Chad Elliott (aka Dr. Seuss)
Shannon Miller (aka Big Shann) (Vice President)
Robert Reives (aka Robb/RR)
D. Brooks (?)
Da Deuce
Special “K” Tay
Big Mel
Reggie De’vell Moore
SMK

—

RUMOURS, HALF-TRUTHS, BULLSHIT & INNUENDO

welcome to the now-legendary pantheon of theories and assumptions regarding one DeVante Swing and Da Bassment crew. i collected these nuggets from various locales on the web, didn’t feel like crediting anyone as none of it can really be verified. then again, we barely know half the story, and as The Dude might say (in the parlance of our times), new shit is coming to light all the damn time. and like i said at the top of this post: some of this sounds so crazy that it might be true. so, brace yourselves :/

—

*the members in Jodeci was also sleeping with some of the girls in Da Bassment. K-Ci slept with Missy.

*Mary broke in to some girl’s appartment that K-Ci and DeVante was messing with. Mary “DON’T PLAY” when it comes to K-Ci.

*DeVante was raped and beaten with a bat in his home by Suge Knight and the homies, because he didn’t want to work with Suge anymore. Suge did alot of things to his own artists. Suge is ruthless.

*i live in Rochester & I remember the time period they were here. they also made the last Jodeci CD here. if i remember correctly DeVante‘s cars started getting reposessed here during that period. he also produced a local girl here, had a whole album done. she opened for Maze here & the local station was playing what was supposed to be her 1st single then she vanished. word is that before the album dropped, DeVante pressured her to sleep with him. she wouldn’t & overnight the master tapes to her album were destroyed.

*1. DeVante discovered Missy and some other folks.
2. he moved them up to Rochester to make a compilation album.
3. Missy started to shine and DeVante got salty.
4. DeVante started doing some devious shit because he was angry that Missy was getting her shine on.
5. after spending two years in Rochester, folks weren’t getting paid, there was no album, no food, and no sleep.
6. Missy, Ginuwine, Timbaland, and Magoo had the balls to leave.
7. Missy and Timbaland are now healthy and rolling in money while DeVante looks like the crackhead firefly from the Frog Princess.

*here’s DeVante‘s story in the music biz:
he was doing real good at one point and was making music for everyone, Suge reached out to him and asked that he worked on certain projects. at first he was alright with it but then realized Suge was abusing him and decided to let Suge know he was no longer interested in working on those projects. eventually, Suge had some dudes run up on him in his crib and rape him. after that incident he kept running from house to house, wherever he could stay because he was scared of being home. he started doing drugs heavy and was suicidal at one point… DeVante‘s never been the same since that incident.

*ALL of them were getting raped, Suge helped them get out of the situation at Uptown so their ass was on tap.
Mary was also helped out of that situation.
one of them, either K-Ci or JoJo got the door locked on them in the studio for talking slick.
The Roots wanted to sign with Suge but they didnt want to give up the ass since Questlove has a big juicy one.

*i heard he got blacklisted because Elektra gave him $1 million for his own label, but he couldn’t recoup it.
also burned bridges….he had Suge Knight force Andre Harrell to restructure their contracts, on some “Big Red” Five Heartbeats type ish…lol.
shortly after “All Eyez On Me” dropped, he caught on that Suge was skimming money too, and severed all ties. Suge wasn’t too pleased about that…
also Keyshia Cole….he has a studio out in SF Valley and develops artists out there.
alot of people say, since he’s blacklisted and can’t do anything under his own name, he ghosts for other people, i wouldn’t doubt that.

*i heard that most of the members started having Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after two years of minimal food and water.

*Ginuwine is just cool with K-Ci and JoJo and they were always cool..they once had a writer from Vibe magazine who knew DeVante… she even said DeVante doesn’t talk to hardly any of the Da Bassment members besides Static (R.I.P). Timbaland has tried to reach out to DeVante but he aint messing with none of them.

*”the real GENIUS behind Jodeci was DeVante. that’s a real producer for you. those beats, melodies, and vocal arrangements truly caused goosebumps. look at “Feenin’”, case and point. the concept of being in lust over someone so much its painful you need a fix like a dope fiend. the chorus is so strong, i haven’t heard anything since. he was the one who mentored Timbaland, Missy, and Ginuwine. in 1994 they all came here to Rochester NY to record “Show, Afterparty, Hotel” to be low key. i knew Ginuwine as Elgin when he worked at the downtown Footlocker. they were managed by Suge who ran up 500K in recording costs at Dajhelon studios. when the bill came, Suge told them to fuck off and bankrupted them. i had a brief internship there a few years later, where I got to hear most of the amazing unreleased master tapes, particularly from a then unknown named Timbaland. lol, and K-Ci got my sloppy seconds (sorta). i was seeing this dope Rican mami, he scooped her at the mall and it was a done deal. she told me and i said peace.. ah the memories”, by Frank Mancuso (@FrankieEmz) via Twitter, posted April 2011.

—

as for the rest of it (interviews, links, my thoughts), ur gonna have to check the page out cos a)can't post direct links to music, and b)dont want to COMPLETELY overload this post with info.

anyways, please listen to the music n pass the link around like a fat blunt. and i consider OKP to be a pretty good source for info, so if anyone's got anything to ADD or corrections i should make on the blog, plz don't hesitate.

V.

Thanks a lot for sharing.

I honestly wasn't even aware of the connection between the Timbaland & Missy camp with the Jodeci camp.

With that said.. anything from Static and company from the 90's is always a good thing.

I've always wondered what really happened with Devante Swing, but I never really gave the matter much time or energy in terms of finding the answers. His production was really taken to another level with the Death Row stuff and then poof!

i'm never amazed that the connection is lost on people even tho it's quite out in the open, but it manages to remain on the low somehow. it took me YEARS before i bothered to check the Diary Of A Mad Band credits to realise whos voice i was hearing rappin bout "i can rock a paaaarty, like LIBeraaaaci" lol. find out it's Timbo. and Missy's the chick talkin bout "got they fingers up up me ass, butt bigga black suga" lol. and that it was Missy's voice we hear climaxing on Jodeci albums #2 and #3. and that Static was the Robin to DeVante's Batman. crazy connections b/w so many of these cool cats. swhy it gets to be such a shame they didn't stay connected and continue developing the 'sound'.

V.

in particular the interview with "Accion" is hella thorough and informative. i recommend listening to the Demo Tape and reading thru alla those, get a full sensory experience lol.

V.

nm

It makes you SMH @ what legacy could've taken place had madness didn't get into the picture. It never ceases to amaze me how much talent Da Bassment gave birth to, or aborted given how many of them weren't as fortunate as Missy, Tim, Tweet, Ginuwine and the likes. DeVante's story sort of reminds of Sly Stone, both had many talents, but their most treasured asset was "the studio", both had a posse that broke out and made names for themselves, both had that civil war element among their friends, both were introduced to the wrong type of folks who ultimately helped to their career's demise.

I would love to hear ALL of the Sugah song in full crisp condition. Hearing Charlene "Tweet" Keys singing in her fresh, young voice made my eyes lit up.

And the stories gave me perspective on why her singing in "Southern Hummingbird" was very moody, dark and jaded.

Best thing about your post though was how it maintained balance, most of the accounts I've heard about DeVante were demoralizing to say the least, and from what I read/watched from this blog, this is the first time were I felt sympathy for the man and for those who didn't break out of the Bassment crew.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, bravo!

>It makes you SMH @ what legacy could've taken place had
>madness didn't get into the picture. It never ceases to amaze
>me how much talent Da Bassment gave birth to, or aborted given
>how many of them weren't as fortunate as Missy, Tim, Tweet,
>Ginuwine and the likes.

one of the more shocking stories was in the Bazaar Royale interview where he mentioned one of the members committed suicide after it all fell apart. couldn't catch the name tho, not sure if he revealed who it was :/

DeVante's story sort of reminds of Sly
>Stone, both had many talents, but their most treasured asset
>was "the studio", both had a posse that broke out and made
>names for themselves, both had that civil war element among
>their friends, both were introduced to the wrong type of folks
>who ultimately helped to their career's demise.

ye it kills me this genius-level musician had to go out like that. and it sounded like he was a real good dude on top of that, pre-Suge. he basically went out of his way to bankroll the future stars of tomorrow. cept they all jumped ship before THE plan could be implemented. it's all one big bittersweet experience cos it never ended up happening, but at least we did get that superb run from Timbo when he debuted. we got a pretty good extension of the sound Da Bassment had developed collectively and with most of the original members involved too. so thats somethin.

>I would love to hear ALL of the Sugah song in full crisp
>condition. Hearing Charlene "Tweet" Keys singing in her fresh,
>young voice made my eyes lit up.
>
>And the stories gave me perspective on why her singing in
>"Southern Hummingbird" was very moody, dark and jaded.

and it was a beautiful thing how it was Missy n Tim who saved her from herself. i wish they woulda reached out to more Bassment folks n put em on. plus Sugah had stayed with DeVante probly the longest of the original crew, so she woulda been even more jaded once it all ended. Sue Weems seems like she did ok, haven't heard anything about Rolita.

>Best thing about your post though was how it maintained
>balance, most of the accounts I've heard about DeVante were
>demoralizing to say the least, and from what I read/watched
>from this blog, this is the first time were I felt sympathy
>for the man and for those who didn't break out of the Bassment
>crew.
>
>I thoroughly enjoyed this, bravo!

that is definitely the line i was trying to tow. i'm a big fan of the entire collective as a group and as individuals, always have been. they all got that 'it' factor that DeVante talks about, which to me means they can sing, rap, arrange vocals, cypher/freestyle, produce, write n do it all in a way that sound effortless (and most-importantly, weed-soaked lol). so i never fully believed all the anti-DeVante vibe the collective was on for a lil while post-Bassment. they seemed too tight for it to be all on him. all those interviews really set things straight and gives us that much-needed insider perspective, cos up til that it was whatever Tim, Missy n Ginuwine would talk about. and it's been demonstrated that they've lied at least twice about that time of their lives (Missy saying she was the first to leave, and Tim claiming Da Bassment sound as his own).

V.

-------------------------
“The other dude after me didn’t help my case. It was just like…crazy nigga factory going on.”
Dre makes no apologies for his own eccentricities. “I was young, and searching, trying to find myself,” he says. “Never did.”-- Andre B

dope posse cut. Static killin it on the mic as usual. u can catch em wearing Bassment shirts with that track title written on em in the Gin & Juice (Remix) vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNKBkJgquSU.

V.

you probably did

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MctVYQOU-H8

-------------------------
“The other dude after me didn’t help my case. It was just like…crazy nigga factory going on.”
Dre makes no apologies for his own eccentricities. “I was young, and searching, trying to find myself,” he says. “Never did.”-- Andre B

V.

This just killed any chances of me doing anything productive today...lol.

now i gotta work on a bassment playlist.
thanks a lot!

V.

up the ass since Questlove has a big juicy one."



That came outta nowhere...

i think that particular one was from the Lipstick Alley msg boards.

V.

http://www.youtube.com/user/vahekosh.

V.

Ginuwine - Untitled CD
1996 Da Bassment/EMI Publishing
Executive Producer: DeVante Swing.

01. Lady (prod. Darryl Pearson)
02. Pony (Original)
03. Yeah Come On (prod. Darryl Pearson)
04. I Want You (prod. DeVante) http://youtu.be/NsjZ9i658V8.
05. Rock (prod. Darryl Pearson)
06. Feel It (prod. Darryl Pearson)
07. Love U Down (Original) (prod. DeVante) (feat. Playa/DeVante/Suga/Misdemeanor/Da Boogieman)
08. Come On Baby (prod. Darryl Pearson)
09. Soaking Wet (prod. Darryl Pearson)
10. Straight Like That (prod. Darryl Pearson)
11. One Reason Why (prod. Darryl Pearson)
12. Come Inside (prod. Darryl Pearson) http://youtu.be/hUUH3QRki2U.
13. I'm Going To Fall In Love (prod. Darryl Pearson) http://youtu.be/8rPKdwGCcrA.

V.

Renee Anderson (MCA): Untitled
Executive Producer: DeVante Swing
1997 Da Bassment/EMI Publishing.

01. Maybe (prod. Darryl Pearson)
02. Aw Yeah (prod. Regi Moore)
03. Don't Be Afraid (prod. Regi Moore)
04. Everytime (feat. Static)
05. Gonna Be Your Night (feat. DeVante) http://youtu.be/6CUGvXNX9o8.
06. Makin Love (prod. Darryl Pearson)
07. Bad By Myself (prod. Regi Moore
08. Do It Up (prod. Regi Moore)
09. Me 4 U (feat. Timbaland)
10. Wind (prod. E-Bass & Rome) http://youtu.be/mTOwqgAizOE.
11. One Of A Kind (feat. Static)
12. Its Alright (prod. Regi Moore)
13. Don't Be Gone (feat. Static)
14. Throw Ya Hands Up (feat. Timbaland)
15. My Guy (prod. Regi Moore)
16. Greater Love (prod. Regi Moore)
17. Have Your Way (prod. Regi Moore)
18. Romeo (prod. Regi Moore)
19. Time Or Chance (prod. Regi Moore)
20. Crying (prod. Regi Moore)

and also "Things That You Say" (prod. Elijah K.J. Harris & Courtney Horton) http://youtu.be/-3K6yzVq50E.

V.

Never ever have I found this album online.
You?

Cause I'd love to hear it.

thank you for this!

if only someone had pushed the jack all the way into the line out...

Phenomenal job!

I remember when Devante lost like 20 leased cars because of financial troubles – I wonder if those leased cars were for the Bassment car to get around. If only Devante had the financial backing that Puff, Suge, etc had in the 90’s in order to support the talent.

not sure if they were for the group, probly more for his personal use. its been reported he had quite the car collection at the time. he did take dudes for rides in em tho. there's one story in the interviews mentioning a high speed chase involving DeVante and some other Bassment dudes outrunning the cops.

it's amazing to me, in the Accion interview, he sed that after that tour with the Bad Boy camp, Puffy basically bit Da Bassment's attire and natural style. these guys were basically one of them "ur favourite artist's favourite artist" type deals, setting trends but not getting the props.

V.

why doesnt Devante ever speak about the bassment?

he broke his silence on Da Bassment days in that most recent interview he did in 2011 (tis on the blog and posted in this thread too).

V.

so far:

car stereo blasts it the best.
Apple laptop speakers are kinda shit.
i also play it most days at work via an Asus laptop hooked up to a 90s cd/tape stereo system which really brings out the low end and just sounds like a rough cassette.

butye, on this Apple Mac lappy it sounds like the jack ain't plugged all the way in. i also tinkered with it via isotope oZone, otherwise it sounds even SHITTER lol.

V.

i ran it through my stereo via AirPlay and it made me wanna hurt whoever recorded it :(

and purposely in shit quality. other than engineers working at the studio, dunno who else would have access to these tunes. plus Buddha (the guy who runs Static Major Is Music and was physically sent the tape) knows DeVante. there's a pic of De, Buddha n Static out there taken in the mid-2000s. and the most recent interview of DeVante (Nov 2011) was done by Buddha.

thats my best guess anywhos.

V.

yeah so this post made me listen to jodeci's entire discography in one sitting. wanna steep myself in the original sound b4 listening to the demo and the other tape you posted.

i went ham on the static major site. downloaded any and everything on there.

another good one -- devante swing collection:

http://ugghnicewatch.com/2011/02/14/download-the-devante-swing-collection/

--------------------------
"cock your hat -- angles are attitudes"
-frank sinatra

u can understand why there was such a big leap ahead in their sound from Forever My Lady to Diary.

DeVante's a genius n everything, but even he wouldn't have been able to achieve any of those Bassment sounds without the rest of the crew. i think they all fed off each other in the end.

i saw that link a couple weeks ago. its good for DeVante completists, but i didn't link it on the blog cos im tryn to keep it strictly to Bassment tracks so ppl get a clear picture of the sound that was being developed.

V.

This is what the Lesson is about!

this, my blog, twitter and facebook is where i went to spread this post. 2 of em are monster social networking sites, one a personal site, and the only other one i immediately thought of was okp.

V.

I most definately will check this out...

For helping to shed light on a sorely underrated collective. I too am a Bassment fanatic and these interviews/songs/etc. are gonna keep me occupied for the rest of the weekend.

just to know what went on and to HEAR some of their work from that era is awesome. i wish i knew who leaked it in the first place.

V.

came here to see if yall were talking about it....and of course, I got the text book

Thank you VERY much for this!

http://revivalist.okayplayer.com/
www.jdillafoundation.org
www.twitter.com/Raydarellis

"Never go full Raytard."-Anfernee

came here to see if yall were talking about it....and of course, I got the text book

Thank you VERY much for this!

http://revivalist.okayplayer.com/
www.jdillafoundation.org
www.twitter.com/Raydarellis

"Never go full Raytard."-Anfernee

Good lookin out Vee you did it again

V.

V.

but I'm gonna check it out this weekend.

Still, V... I gotta give you major props for the thorough musical archaeology, research and detective work. This is what the Lesson needs more of in 2012!

was well worth the two months worth of smokin up, listening to the demos and sporadic writing lol.

V.

We had an opportunity to speak with DeVante Swing as we celebrate the life of songwriter/producer Stephen "Static Major" Garrett. Static along with his group Playa were originally discovered by him. Others who were discovered by DeVante would include Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Ginuwine and Tweet. Garrett died in Feb 2008.

Swing reflected on what it was like working with Static and shared some memories he had of him.


Tell us your first memory of meeting Static and his group Playa?

Oh man, I’m going to have to take it back! I met Static in Louisville where he’s from. Jodeci went on a tour and Static’s group came backstage and sung for me. I liked them ever since then. I went to New Jersey after and they called me every day until I eventually got them in Jersey. I had Missy and everyone else there. As far as Static, we used to talk on the phone all the time with his group and they used to sing for me.

What type of potential did you see in Static from the start? He was singing and also rapping.


Well, Static just had that certain swag with him. You can always tell when somebody has it. He had the “It Factor”. His swag was on point and he was witty with his words.

He didn’t start off rapping, I told him to start rapping. People that were around Static felt the energy from him. He just had all kind of talent. He could whistle ad-libs. People sing riffs like Whitney, he could whistle riffs. A lot of people can’t do, it’s hard to do. A lot of people can sing, but they can’t whistle. Anything he did, he put little things into it.

We noticed you and Static were featured in songs and videos. What were your plans for Static?

We were like Batman and Robin. He held me down. Whenever I went anywhere I would take Static with me because he was my man. We just vibed off each other. With music and whatever else, Static was a singer and I was a player, so it just made sense.

What was like a day in the life of Static in Da Bassment?

Everybody had their little area, but Static had an overall responsibility to write and make others as hot in the camp. I had main writers in the camp.

It was Static, Missy and me. Static’s main thing was if I needed a slick line, I would get Static because that was his department. You know if you wanted something hot, you would go to Missy or Static. He came to be an artist and then he learned how to write from being around it. He always had his own thing that made him stick out. I just kind of rounded up the sharp edges and smoothed it out.

Is there a specific memory that sticks out with Static?


I got millions of memories with Static. There’s so many. I’d have to sit for hours and think about the best one to tell you. They’re all good memories. It was like family. It was like with a brother or a sister, there are so many good memories.

A lot of people only know Static, but you were able to know Stephen Garrett. What can you tell us about him as a person?


Stephen Garrett was a nice, bright person. He was a real person. You don’t meet too many real people and at the same time, he was a good friend.


What is your favorite song that Static wrote?

“Try Again”. The one he wrote for Aaliyah. That song is a timeless song. I like “So Anxious” too. It was hot. I like a lot of songs he wrote for Ginuwine. Static got hits after hits!

What would you like to see done to carry on Static’s legacy?


For people who have been in this game and contributed something that’s not here anymore, they have award shows. Maybe they should have something like that, so we don’t forget people like him. There’s a lot of people that have come and gone, but he was one of the special few people. People should recognize all that he’s done.

It was SO dark and manic depressive lol,,,,,,

But its scary how Missy, Ginuwine and even Playa's debuts sound SOOOOOO much like everything was taken from DeVante's blackboard. I mean, yeah, the production from their debuts were slick in comparison, but the quirkiness and the dark moods(which is Timbaland's forte if you think about it) came straight from DeVante. However, I'm also reminded by HOW much fan DeVante is of Prince and Roger Troutman, not just because of the occasional talkbox singing, but because of the way he programmed his drums, then again, the influence Roger had on 90s R&B was unavoidable.

I would love it if those songs got resurrected in remastered condition.

Good shit homie. This blog has been making the rounds via twitter through Questlove and others.

POWAFUL IMPAK ©Trevor Smith


DVS Jackson, Esq. - DVS for Alderman
1st Single Available Now:
http://windimoto.bandcamp.com/album/follow-me-ep
Album coming in February 2012

this shit is my speed..
this is a treat.

preciate it

V.

(updated the blog post with an mp3 link for this track).

http://tinyurl.com/dabassment.

it's a composite of Timbaland's "Hello" and "Smoke In Da Air". features Reboc n Devante on the intro and verses from Magoo, Static n Timbo.

V.

I was such a baby when this stuff was being recorded and produced, but knew enough that it was some powerful funk. I hate that at the cusp of "real change" in music, the Devil and his imps are always lurking to throw a personal or professional "monkey-wrench" in the shit. People with immense talent become so jaded and "turnt" by what they see, that they don't even wanna do it no more.

this blog is perfect, and the basement squad was/is in a class of their own, good shit fam

Mighty serious posting. Thanks. Crazy thing...I was in iTunes making some smart 'clique' playlists. After doing one (The Jets) with Curren$y, Fiend, Smoke DZA, etc and having that lead to hours of jamming, I was creating smart playlists for Dungeon Family (!), Death Row (!), MMG (hush), and I was trying to figure out the best way to do a Rocafella one too (gotta cut off at a certain year, but my years have soooo many blanks..I'm working on it!). Then, I was trying to update my Timbaland/Bassment crew one too. Ohhh the jamming...now this!? Hell yeah. Thanks 20 times. That crew has given us some topshelf jams, and Jodeci's situation was and still is somewhat a tragedy to me (this is a good enough time as any to write a 'fuck Suge Knight'..dude fucked up Death Row, Pac, AND Jodeci..shit..). The Dream drops stuff that sounds like the fumes of Jodeci and I love THAT, so you can imagine what I think when I hear Freakin You remix (weekly), or any of the mid to late 90s post-Bassment Timbaland stuff.

Jimaveli

>so i mentioned in some other posts that ive been in the
>middle of writing up a massive blog post that covers
>everything that can possibly be known about Da Bassment crew
>(and if ur unaware of them to begin with, this'll be a good
>starter package). i think i'm finally done. original link is
>below (i'll post some of the content here, but links to the
>music and the interviews and my ramblings at the end will have
>to be viewed on the page):
>
>http://confessionsofacurlymind.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/da-bassment-crew-aka-swing-mob-the-rise-fall-rise-of-one-of-the-baddest-motherfucking-crews-in-modern-music-history-the-recently-unearthed-77min-cassette-demo-tape-you-must-hear/
>
>DA BASSMENT Crew (aka Swing Mob): The Rise, Fall & Rise Of One
>Of The Baddest Motherfucking Crews In Modern Music History +
>the recently unearthed 77min cassette demo tape YOU.MUST.HEAR
>--
>let’s take it back to the early/mid-90s for a second and lemme
>sum up what i’m about to offer up to you, anonymous
>tastemakers and music-lovers of the Internet:
>
>Jodeci were blowing the fuck up off the strength of their
>now-classic debut album Forever My Lady in the early 90s (of
>which all the slow songs were written by mastermind DeVante
>Swing about a girl he was dating at the time who left & joined
>the army. random, right?). and amidst all the adulation came
>some form of power for Mr. Donald “DeVante” DeGrate, who then
>embarked on an ambitious project that was reminiscent of a
>bygone era in music. while on tour with Jodeci, he would
>routinely hear auditions from local groups. after carefully
>selecting which ones he thought showed real promise and real
>talent, he amassed them into a collective known as Da Bassment
>crew (aka Swing Mob) sometime around 1992, tho some people say
>the ball could’ve got started rolling even before that. this
>is a large pool of talent that included future legends like
>Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Tweet, Magoo, Ginuwine, Playa,
>Static/Major and quite a bit of input from DeVante and Dalvin
>as well. originally known as the 45.4 Q Clique, and then Swing
>Mob, the name Da Bassment eventually stuck due to the
>recording complex that all the artists either lived in or next
>to (this would be Dajhelon Studios in which the group
>primarily used the basement studios for their work).
>
>however, the clique imploded sometime after The Show, The
>Afterparty, The Hotel (an album which had credited and
>uncredited contributions from various Bassment members, as did
>Diary Of A Mad Band, this group-mentality of creation being
>the status quo). while the majority of the goings on and the
>real reasons for the epic split of this epic crew remained a
>source of constant wonder and curiosity for nearly two decades
>(and a certain amount of sadness that it wasn’t fully
>realised), in the last few years we’ve seen ex-members like
>Susan Weems (of the group Sugah, of which Tweet and Rolita
>White were also a part) and emcee, Accion, give lengthy
>interviews about their experiences in Da Bassment. the former
>VP of the label, Shannon “Big Shann” Miller also recently
>recounted the experience with an interview via Skype that’s up
>on YouTube.
>
>but above all else is this following important information: in
>2010 the owner of the Static Major Is Music Blog anonymously
>recieved a package in the mail after posting a few
>Bassment-related things. turns out the tape, unmarked and
>unlabeled, is a full tape of snippets of songs produced and
>made in Da Bassment, by Da Bassment. since it’s in snippet
>form, i can only assume it was originally designed to be a
>mixtape or promo tape of sorts. only a few full-length songs
>are featured. oh yeah, let me say it again just in case i
>understated it: UNRELEASED, UNEARTHED TUNES BY YOUR FAVOURITE
>BASSMENT ARTISTS. this is stuff i, or the collective “we”,
>thought we’d NEVER EVER end up hearing. when i randomly
>discovered it in a lazy Google search over 2 months ago, i
>almost freaked out. it had become such an unreachable treasure
>that i didn’t bother to think about it anymore, but here it is
>y’all: 77MINS OF IT. lol. a sneak peek into the collective
>creative braintrust known as Da Bassment. and what i hear only
>confirms my long-held position that, were the ‘experiment’ to
>work out and the group not disbanded, they would be household
>names and changed the entire face of modern r&b and hip hop
>music (as a COLLECTIVE and on their own terms, which is what
>DeVante was ultimately working towards).
>
>INSANELY, this gem has somehow managed to remain SO under the
>radar (even Internet’s radar) that i, a confirmed Bassment
>zealot, didn’t know of its existence til a YEAR after it hit
>the net. which is some shameful shit (to me). so i have taken
>it upon myself to help spread the good vibes. i want this blog
>post to become the vocal focal point for some Bassment love.
>come share your adulation for this still-unheralded clique,
>read up on the day-to-day happenings of the group via
>eye-witness accounts of ex-members, and how it ultimately all
>went sour. but like i said, most importantly: DOWNLOAD THE
>MIXTAPE. listen to all the early weed-soaked creative nuggets
>that led to mega-stardom and music icons.
>
>FYI: these are tunes that have been directly ripped from a
>rough cassette tape copy as just “Side 1″ and “Side
>2″ (respectively by Static Major Is Music), i’ve spent a
>good month chopping em up and figuring out track names, and
>especially the artists involved in each tack. since some of
>the members were completely new to me, it took a while to get
>acclimated to their voice in order to suss out who is who. but
>i think you’ll find this to be the most complete (and probaly
>ONLY) functioning tracklist.
>
>FYI (II): i’m designing this post to be sort of a central hub
>for any and all information regarding the history of Da
>Bassment throughout its entire run. that includes interviews
>with former members, rare pics and video glimpses into their
>world, an attempt at a complete list of Bassment members,
>unconfirmed rumours (some so crazy they might be true), and of
>course the songs themselves (incuding all the released
>material the group were involved with).
>
>—
>
>we begin the audio assault with THE demo tape that no one
>seems to know ANYthing about lol. typical Bassment style, even
>when we get to hear the MUSIC, we’re still left in the dark
>about the finer details. nevertheless, it’s die-hard
>fans/music nerds like me that desire to put the pieces
>together. here we go, courtesy of the afore-mentioned Static
>Major Is Music blog (wanna make sure they/Buddha get the
>much-deserved shout-outs on this page cos they broke the
>news/provided links in the first place).
>
>DA BASSMENT DEMO TAPE
>
>tracklist:
>
>01. Timbaland – Da Funk (1:32)
>02. Sista – Sweat You Down (Alternate Version) (feat. Crack
>Mack) (1:19)
>03. Virginia – Slow Drag (3:41)
>04. Sista – U Better Be Ready (2:02)
>05. Ginuwine – Come Inside (2:03)
>06. Ginuwine – I’m Going To Fall In Love (2:23)
>07. Sugah – Fly Guy (1:18)
>08. Timbaland & Magoo – Plenty Of Styles (feat. Missy Elliott)
>(3:34)
>09. Dante Hawkins – My Parents Are Gone (prod. DeVanté Swing &
>E-Bass) (3:50)
>10. Da Boogie Man – Interlude (1:00)
>11. Sugah – Sugah Thang (feat. Playa, Accion, Mr. Brendal,
>Timbaland & Reboc) (1:42)
>12. Da Bassment – Ain’t Nuthin’ But A B-Party (4:07)
>13. Jodeci – Get Back (6:03)
>14. Ginuwine – Let’s Stop Effin’ Around (1:48)
>15. Sugah – Expired (2:41)
>16. Sista – Find My Love (Alternate Version) (0:58)
>17. Playa – Come On, Girl (2:15)
>18. Sista – Brand New (Mr. Dalvin’s Ferrari Mix) (Extra Raps)
>(feat. Mr. Dalvin & Static) (1:11)
>19. Timbaland – Makes You Say (1:26)
>20. Timbaland – We Can Do This (1:08)
>21. Da Bassment – Ain’t Nuthin’ But A B-Party (Alternate Mix)
>(1:02)
>22. Timbaland – Get Down (feat. Playa) (1:07)
>23. Static – S-T-A-T-I-C (1:34)
>24. Reboc – Untitled (feat. Timbaland) (0:56)
>25. Timbaland – Peepin’ My Style (feat. Static & Missy
>Elliott) (2:37)
>26. Timbaland – Do You Wanna (feat. Accion) (3:09)
>27. Sugah – Sugah Sensation (feat. Timbaland) (1:44)
>28. Sugah – Goin’ Down (feat. Timbaland) (2:11)
>29. Virginia – Get Down (feat. Timbaland & Missy Elliott)
>(3:23)
>30. Virginia – Let Me In Your Life (feat. Missy Elliott)
>(3:28)
>31. Unknown – Baby I Know (0:54)
>32. Missy Elliott – Red Lights (feat. Timbaland) (1:12)
>33. Sugah – Smokin’ In The Dark (1:23)
>34. Sugah – Smokin’ In The Dark (Alternate Mix) (0:34)
>35. Mr. Dalvin (?) – Set It Off (4:12)
>36. Sugah – Sugar & Spice (1:51)
>
>runtime = 77:18.
>-
>
>as u might tell, it’s not yet a COMPLETE tracklist. so if
>anyone’s got info on tracks 31 & 35 please let me know.
>
>—
>
>and just to further add to this barrage of Bassment-related
>audio yumminess, i’ve compiled my own personal mix of more
>Bassment materials which includes: unreleased stuff,
>soundtrack cuts & work done for other artists (as you will
>see, many of the members of the crew participated on the
>production and writing tip for other artists). it’s slightly
>riskier for me to post these songs as some of them include
>some big-name artists that might wanna lay the smackdown on me
>and this blog, but it’s all for the love. if anyone DOES
>object to their tunes being present here in this particular
>mix, please give me a yell first. otherwise, please to be
>enjoying even more of my favourite Bassment-related goodies
>:)
>
>(and a further note, i’ve tried to include only tracks that
>feature two or more Bassment members on the track, and also
>the songs which i think best exemplify Da Bassment sound. i’ve
>also tried to track down as many deets/credits regarding who
>did what on each track as possible, but even i can be wrong
>time to time so if y’all have any corrections to make, please
>don’t hesitate to tell me off).
>
>-
>
>Mista Vee Presents…Swing Mobbin’: Sounds From Da Bassment
>
>tracklist:
>
>01. DeVante – P.I.B 4Play
>produced by DeVante Swing.
>
>02. Danny Boy – Slip N’ Slide
>produced by DeVante Swing & Reggie De’vell Moore.
>additional vocals by DeVante Swing & Ginuwine.
>
>03. Aaron Hall – Curiosity (Misdemeanor)
>produced by Mr. Dalvin.
>written by Aaron Hall, Missy Elliott & Mr. Dalvin.
>additional vocals by Missy Elliott.
>
>04. DeVante – Gin & Juice (Remix)
>produced by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
>additional vocals by Da Boogie Man, Mr. Brendal, Magoo,
>Timbaland, Accion, Static & C-Dub.
>
>05. Al Green – Could This Be The Love
>produced by DeVante Swing.
>additional vocals by DeVante Swing, Playa & Renee Anderson.
>
>06. Mr. Dalvin & Static – True O.G.
>produced by Mr. Dalvin & Timbaland.
>
>07. Jodeci – Can We Flo?
>written, produced and arranged by DeVante Swing.
>background vocals by Playa.
>
>08. Jodeci – Zipper
>produced by DeVante Swing.
>
>09. DeVante – Gin & Juice
>produced, written & arranged by DeVante Swing.
>additional vocals by Static.
>
>10. B Rezell – Blowed Away
>produced by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
>additional vocals by DeVante Swing.
>
>11. Jodeci – Room 454: DeVante’s “Inhermission”
>produced by DeVante Swing.
>
>12. Da Bassment – Love You Down
>produced by DeVante Swing.
>vocal arrangements by Playa.
>additional vocals by LB, Sugah & DeVante Swing.
>
>13. Jodeci – What About Us (Swing Mob)
>produced by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
>additional vocals by Magoo.
>
>14. Ginuwine – I Want You
>produced by DeVante Swing.
>
>15. Tony Thompson – Slave
>produced by DeVante Swing & Darryl Pearson.
>music by DeVante Swing, Darryl Pearson & Missy Elliott.
>all instruments by DeVante Swing & Darryl Pearson.
>background vocals by Static, Smokey, Darryl Pearson, Missy
>Elliott & DeVante Swing.
>mixed by Prince Charles Alexander.
>
>16. Jodeci – Sweaty
>produced by DeVante Swing.
>additional vocals by Missy Elliott.
>scratches by Timbaland.
>
>17. Sista – Find My Love
>produced by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
>additional keys by DeVante Swing.
>written by Missy Elliott.
>
>18. Renee Anderson – Gonna Be Your Night
>produced by DeVante Swing.
>
>19. Usher – Can U Get Wit It
>produced by DeVante Swing.
>instruments by DeVante Swing & Timbaland.
>guitar by Darryl Pearson.
>mixed by Prince Charles Alexander.
>additional vocals by DeVante Swing.
>
>20. H-Town – Part Time Lover
>produced by DeVante Swing & Darryl Pearson.
>additional vocals by DeVante Swing.
>
>runtime = 78:10.
>
>-
>
>there’s also a funky phat bonus track called “Ride Around”
>(dudes on the net are calling it “RidING Around” but i’ma call
>it “Ride Around”) that was also apparently featured on the
>tape, but for some reason was edited out of the final cassette
>rip by the blogger (i think, but again not sure why). as a
>result i’m not sure where it sits in the tracklist, therefore
>i’m callin it a “bonus track”. but far more than a loose end,
>this is one of THE dopest tracks to surface from the
>collective. it’s labeled as Da Bassment but it sounds mostly
>like a Timbo/Playa production. either way, tis some
>FONKY.SHIT.
>
>http://youtu.be/FyXuoJaTcIE (mp3 link is on the blog).
>
>---
>
>in the midst of all this research (let me remind y’all, i’ve
>been heading toward this large-ass blog post for what seems
>like a lifetime: i GREW UP on Bassment music), i was able to
>piece together a decent list of known Bassment/Swing Mob
>members.
>
>—
>
>Donald DeGrate (aka DeVante Swing/Boss Playa)
>Dalvin DeGrate (aka Mr. Dalvin)
>Timothy Mosley (aka Timbaland)
>Melvin Barcliff (aka Magoo/Maganoo)
>Melissa Elliott (aka Missy/Misdemeanor)
>Elgin Lumpkin (aka Ginuwine)
>Radiah Scott
>Chonita Coleman
>LeShawn Shellman
>Charlene Keys (aka Tweet)
>Susan Weems (aka Susie/Sue)
>Rolita White
>Jawann Peacock (aka Smokey/Smoke E. Digglera)
>Benjamin Bush (aka Black/Digital Black)
>Stephen Garrett (aka Static/Major/Stacks)
>Renee Anderson (aka Renee)
>Bazaar Royale (aka Da Boogie Man/Boogie)
>Virginia Williams (aka Virginia/VA)
>Dante Hawkins
>Charles Wiley (aka C-Dub)
>Mr. Brendal
>Accion
>Reboc
>Darryl Pearson
>Steven Jordan (aka Stevie J)
>Chad Elliott (aka Dr. Seuss)
>Shannon Miller (aka Big Shann) (Vice President)
>Robert Reives (aka Robb/RR)
>D. Brooks (?)
>Da Deuce
>Special “K” Tay
>Big Mel
>Reggie De’vell Moore
>SMK
>
>—
>
>RUMOURS, HALF-TRUTHS, BULLSHIT & INNUENDO
>
>welcome to the now-legendary pantheon of theories and
>assumptions regarding one DeVante Swing and Da Bassment crew.
>i collected these nuggets from various locales on the web,
>didn’t feel like crediting anyone as none of it can really be
>verified. then again, we barely know half the story, and as
>The Dude might say (in the parlance of our times), new shit is
>coming to light all the damn time. and like i said at the top
>of this post: some of this sounds so crazy that it might be
>true. so, brace yourselves :/
>
>—
>
>*the members in Jodeci was also sleeping with some of the
>girls in Da Bassment. K-Ci slept with Missy.
>
>*Mary broke in to some girl’s appartment that K-Ci and DeVante
>was messing with. Mary “DON’T PLAY” when it comes to K-Ci.
>
>*DeVante was raped and beaten with a bat in his home by Suge
>Knight and the homies, because he didn’t want to work with
>Suge anymore. Suge did alot of things to his own artists. Suge
>is ruthless.
>
>*i live in Rochester & I remember the time period they were
>here. they also made the last Jodeci CD here. if i remember
>correctly DeVante‘s cars started getting reposessed here
>during that period. he also produced a local girl here, had a
>whole album done. she opened for Maze here & the local station
>was playing what was supposed to be her 1st single then she
>vanished. word is that before the album dropped, DeVante
>pressured her to sleep with him. she wouldn’t & overnight the
>master tapes to her album were destroyed.
>
>*1. DeVante discovered Missy and some other folks.
>2. he moved them up to Rochester to make a compilation album.
>3. Missy started to shine and DeVante got salty.
>4. DeVante started doing some devious shit because he was
>angry that Missy was getting her shine on.
>5. after spending two years in Rochester, folks weren’t
>getting paid, there was no album, no food, and no sleep.
>6. Missy, Ginuwine, Timbaland, and Magoo had the balls to
>leave.
>7. Missy and Timbaland are now healthy and rolling in money
>while DeVante looks like the crackhead firefly from the Frog
>Princess.
>
>*here’s DeVante‘s story in the music biz:
>he was doing real good at one point and was making music for
>everyone, Suge reached out to him and asked that he worked on
>certain projects. at first he was alright with it but then
>realized Suge was abusing him and decided to let Suge know he
>was no longer interested in working on those projects.
>eventually, Suge had some dudes run up on him in his crib and
>rape him. after that incident he kept running from house to
>house, wherever he could stay because he was scared of being
>home. he started doing drugs heavy and was suicidal at one
>point… DeVante‘s never been the same since that incident.
>
>*ALL of them were getting raped, Suge helped them get out of
>the situation at Uptown so their ass was on tap.
>Mary was also helped out of that situation.
>one of them, either K-Ci or JoJo got the door locked on them
>in the studio for talking slick.
>The Roots wanted to sign with Suge but they didnt want to give
>up the ass since Questlove has a big juicy one.
>
>*i heard he got blacklisted because Elektra gave him $1
>million for his own label, but he couldn’t recoup it.
>also burned bridges….he had Suge Knight force Andre Harrell to
>restructure their contracts, on some “Big Red” Five Heartbeats
>type ish…lol.
>shortly after “All Eyez On Me” dropped, he caught on that Suge
>was skimming money too, and severed all ties. Suge wasn’t too
>pleased about that…
>also Keyshia Cole….he has a studio out in SF Valley and
>develops artists out there.
>alot of people say, since he’s blacklisted and can’t do
>anything under his own name, he ghosts for other people, i
>wouldn’t doubt that.
>
>*i heard that most of the members started having
>Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after two years of
>minimal food and water.
>
>*Ginuwine is just cool with K-Ci and JoJo and they were always
>cool..they once had a writer from Vibe magazine who knew
>DeVante… she even said DeVante doesn’t talk to hardly any of
>the Da Bassment members besides Static (R.I.P). Timbaland has
>tried to reach out to DeVante but he aint messing with none of
>them.
>
>*”the real GENIUS behind Jodeci was DeVante. that’s a real
>producer for you. those beats, melodies, and vocal
>arrangements truly caused goosebumps. look at “Feenin’”, case
>and point. the concept of being in lust over someone so much
>its painful you need a fix like a dope fiend. the chorus is so
>strong, i haven’t heard anything since. he was the one who
>mentored Timbaland, Missy, and Ginuwine. in 1994 they all came
>here to Rochester NY to record “Show, Afterparty, Hotel” to be
>low key. i knew Ginuwine as Elgin when he worked at the
>downtown Footlocker. they were managed by Suge who ran up 500K
>in recording costs at Dajhelon studios. when the bill came,
>Suge told them to fuck off and bankrupted them. i had a brief
>internship there a few years later, where I got to hear most
>of the amazing unreleased master tapes, particularly from a
>then unknown named Timbaland. lol, and K-Ci got my sloppy
>seconds (sorta). i was seeing this dope Rican mami, he scooped
>her at the mall and it was a done deal. she told me and i said
>peace.. ah the memories”, by Frank Mancuso (@FrankieEmz) via
>Twitter, posted April 2011.
>
>—
>
>as for the rest of it (interviews, links, my thoughts), ur
>gonna have to check the page out cos a)can't post direct links
>to music, and b)dont want to COMPLETELY overload this post
>with info.
>
>anyways, please listen to the music n pass the link around
>like a fat blunt. and i consider OKP to be a pretty good
>source for info, so if anyone's got anything to ADD or
>corrections i should make on the blog, plz don't hesitate.
>
>V.

i was looking for info on the Bassment like 3 days ago max.

Excellent fucking posting.

D

i know how u feel cos ive always hit the net periodically looking for updates of a substantial nature n never finding em. so then i DID start finding em, ergo vis-a-vis concordantly i had to eventuate a blog posting (sorry i jus watched "Matrix Reloaded").

V.

suge and his boys jailed kci,jojo AND devante????

seems a bit much.
the appearance of Suge does coincide with the 'dark turn' in Da Bassment atmosphere and in DeVante himself. so maybe he wasn't physically raped, but definitely financially and probably emotionally.

V.

I remember Jodeci and MJB were toying with the idea of going to Death Row - maybe a negotiating tactic to get them more money, perhaps? But Uptown had it's issues with Puff fired, etc.

Slightly off-topic: anyone had the Mr. Dalvin album that was on Maverick? Stevie J did most of the production.

HELLA disappointing lol. there were a few jams, but Dal just wasn't cut out to be a lead singer imo. on the production side dho, he was always one of the illest to me.

sidenote: the reason i started calling myself "Mista Vee" in 6th grade is cos of Mr. Dalvin. i had actually toyed with changing it to "DeVante" but since my real name kinda SOUNDS like "DeVante" (it's pronounced "vaa-hey"), i thought Mista Vee would do fine lol.

V.

i think it was in one of the interviews, it's mentioned DeVante was dating Madonna for a time. and he was supposedly going to release a solo album on her label (Maverick Records) in the late 90s. that never happened but Mr. Dalvin's solo album did come out on that label (possibly as a favour to De?).

also, i recently re-listened to Tim & Magoo's "Up Jumps Da Boogie", but the uncensored version. i guess it slipped by me cos i always heard the censored raps, but Magoo goes IN on Madonna and just flat-out calls her a slut lol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8cFOm6VdpY.

thoughts?

V.

dalvin WAS signed to Maverick
and not sure of the length of the Devante and Madonna relationship
(she was feenin for the r&b/hip-hop/nba bros tough n the 90's_

but i researched the row/jodeci thang
and i came up on a "blind' post
to sum it up 3 cats were raped,one reported the the theft sans the rape and all went to the other and decided to pact that NO ONE would ever know

heres what i found:


After being violated in the worst possible way, both men still continued to lay face down long after the perpetrators had left. One weeped and the other plotted revenge. The stronger of the two told his bandmate, come on man, we got to be strong. When they both stood up, they both had trouble standing-they were still sore and could barely walk. It didn’t help that one of them had been pistol whipped and had a slight concussion.

They took turns taking hot baths. Instead of going to the hospital, they went over a group member’s house. After telling him what happened, he was speechless but told them, nobody, especially our fans can ever know about this, or they will start questioning our sexuality. He then drove them to the hospital, both men had to be stitched up. Later, one of the men reported the robbery (for insurance purposes) but he left the rape out.

They may have recovered physically but they never recovered mentally. They chopped down as many groupies as they could to prove their masculinity. Before the rape, they smoked a little weed and sipped a little wine. After the rape, they became full fledged drug addicts and alcoholics, trying to dull the pain and the songs they submitted for inclusion on their albums were dark.

Both members still suffer from nightmares but over the years they have declined therapy. The double rape was covered up for a long time but this would explain a lot.

Oddly, the group member they confided in-after the rape-is allegedly gay-now.

The perpetrators were never caught.

Who are the group members?

Dalvin: gay
Devante: weeping rapee
K-Ci: vengeful rapee


???

V.

.

gonna make it hover on 1st page for at least another week before i let it go.

V.

http://twitter.com/iamDeVanteSwing.

V.

THANK YOU

The cd single extended version of Can U Get Wit It is smokin.

Whispers the most underrated heat rock Usher will ever belt out. Ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1OXjtmlgKE.

V.

http://staticmajorismusic.blogspot.com/2010/10/music-da-bassment-love-you-down.html

many ppl thought it was Ginuwine on the track, but turns out it's this cat called "LB" (who u could probly consider a '2nd wave' Bassment artist). the original version was set to appear on Ginuwine's debut album (see tracklist above) and featured more of the crew, but after half of em left it was re-done by the remaining members.

so officially, the released version of "Love You Down" features DeVante and LB on vocals, arrangements by Playa, and apparently Sugah are on background vox.

as u can see on the page, it was Tweet's tweet that shed some light on it: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hHef3UsYlQU/TLOy0WVby3I/AAAAAAAAANA/0OucgXICfwE/s1600/untitled.PNG.

V.

Some thoughts:

- Puff picking up Stevie J and working with Tim/Missy/Ginuwine after the whole Jodeci thing fell thru had to piss off DeVante. Why couldn't Puff through DeVante a track or two to produce on those Carl Thomas / Total / 112 albums? Seems that once Puff was fired from Uptown, he really didn't mess with them except for MJB years down the line. Could working with Suge have soured Puff's relationship with DeVante?

- Watching the old stuff by Father MC makes me laugh as DeVante was singing lead with K-Ci and was pretty good (i laugh because he was a bigger star than them at one point). A shame his personality did not give him the courage to do a solo album or sing more lead.

- Funny how the same company that gave De a label deal signed Missy; no bad blood, I see.

- After the Bassment break-up, DeVante tried to make a comeback and had a new crew - Flo-Rida said as much as he learned from DeVante for a time and then got a deal. Seems that DeVante learned his lesson by working with people who would later leave him.

Article for Flo-Rida's relationship with DeVante:

http://keepittrill.com/online/2010/12/interview-flo-rida/

More links:

First Jodeci impression on Video Soul with Donnie Simpson (other Jodeci videos):
http://www.dailymotion.com/UltimateJodeci#videoId=x27a0p

In the studio with Prince Charles recording “My Heart Belongs to You”
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2xq61_pt-2-of-5-jodeci-docugroove_music#rel-page-3

Bump

howdy doody. been over 6 months since this has been out there, and in that time i've made some new friends. one of em is a producer who likes re-creating Bassment era beats on YouTube. guna compile a Bassment Tribute mix of his material, check him out here: http://www.youtube.com/user/JayPlay01/videos.

i'm also puttin together "Beyond Da Bassment", pretty much golden-era Timbo beats mixed with other tracks by all the various members after the split.

AND, i just completed an interview with La'Shawn Shellman, who was one of the members of SISTA (and also apparently K-Ci's baby mama lol). she's attempting to restart a career in music and is on ze twitter & Fbook if u wanna holla at her:
http://twitter.com/TheRealLaShawn.
http://www.facebook.com/lashawn.shellman.

just friended Radiah Scott on FB too the other day. hopefully she can tell her story too and add to this neverending soup of recollections that is/was Da Bassment.

V.

on the net? I went looking on the net to find out how Devante found Missy and Timbo and the internets lead me back to here?


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

...i can only piece together so much but yeah, far as i know there was no bigass detailed audio-visual archive of Da Bassment out there til this. it's half the reason i did the blog in the first place.

the real meat of their story is with the interviews from former members. i had to nutshell a lot but they tell shit in mad detail.

V.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIasoWU5KPk