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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.
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