RAP METTLE
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y Area foure Team, a suave Ba ject that became Th hant for delivering game pro the in ny iro he penc is d Oakland) with a uthern-type slap, some (Berkeley an o beats coated in So rl mp Ka -te e up org er Ge ov lly ics cia affiliated lyr sketball coach (espe word. While any ba the operative word the essence of the u there is no “I” in yo l tel to ve mo uld rson. wo Ca w) de no Cly t d right abou Mayne an mbers Jungle, Kaz, “team,” don’t tell me n thing,” says eady doin’ they ow disbanded “Everybody was alr the of n ma nt atic fro Carson, the charism a crew. “The whole ide ferent sound for the Bay, a a dif was to come with goal, to do at was always the national sound. Th everyth wi k fuc uld ople co something that pe where.” “Gettin’ d that formula with tial, but The Team discovere ten po at gre d ha that High,” a regional hit national track. Still, they the never quite got on d in the ee exuberance, an persisted with carefr strong following per a a up process drumming ring.” With scribed as “whispe unique delivery de t and up fel ce sen king his pre Keak da Sneak ma ion and Frontrat de Fe e Th s up and coming gro d the perm out, The Team ha line balancing the s yellin’, wa s ka fuc tha n mu fect approach. “Whe o wh , de Cly ,” explains we was whispering Juice Energy y ph Hy of e fac doubles as the ists was s thought other art Drink. “Muthafucka rked wo it So . ng eri whisp had us cause they was we e nc ue infl see the out good. You could you listen to a lot of en wh a on the Bay Are t’s comin’ out.” the young cats tha sepaimately went their When the group ult ependent ind his ed um res n rate ways, Carso a out the details for grind. While working st ere int his gn ali would joint venture that with Capitol Reng alo rds co Re e in Moe Do m’s mbled upon the Tea cords, The Game stu atic sm ari ch the ted product and recrui with The Black Wall Carson to join forces comin’ out solo,” he dy ea alr s wa Street. “I way I could get ly on the explains, “but gh somebody. ou thr the deal was to go do it, so why to d nte Game and them wa w with the gro to ing nu nti co wait?He’s hand and his g din len ’s West Coast. He .” makin’ shit happen
10 // OZONE WEST
ers have of what Team follow solo debut, is some d “Hip Hop un n’s so rso Ca red , ctu sic tru Mu res Theater calls his at to e confident rapper first indication of wh gotten used to. Th he o Step” may be the it,” “Tw er gle ov sin me d ga lea e nd Soul Music.” Th l with some Oakla fee ta lot ast a Co a st Are We y l Ba rea The Team. In the expect. “It’s got a e thing I did with a culture. It’s is sam y the ph hy ing t do Bu m d. “I’ un says. phy so mpo and a real hy the shit is real up-te // .” me not a sound to Words by N. Ali Early Photo by D-Ray