El Da Sensei

El Da Sensei first entered the hip-hop arena as one member of the Newark, NJ duo known as the Artifacts. Recognition arrived when the pair’s rough demo reached Bobbito the Barber at WKCR in New York, prompting a deal with Big Beat/Atlantic Records. Their 1994 debut, Between a Rock & a Hard Place, led with the single and video “Wrong Side of the Tracks,” the track that had initially brought them attention. Subsequent releases such as “Come on With the Come On” and “Dynamite Soul” followed, and the group toured across the United States, Europe, and Japan. As graffiti writers and committed purists, the duo cultivated a devoted audience of hardcore listeners and helped originate the “backpackers” movement within the culture.

In 1996 the Artifacts returned with their second album, That’s Them. Though it did not match the commercial reach of the first record, many listeners still regard it as an “underground classic,” buoyed by the tracks “The Art of Facts” and “The Ultimate.” Soon after its release, El Da Sensei and Tame-One parted ways on amicable terms. El then spent time traveling internationally and contributed to compilations issued in Japan, Norway, and Germany, while issuing the solo singles “Frontline” and “Got That” to maintain contact with listeners.

During the fall of 2002 he issued his first proper solo project, Relax, Relate, Release, on Seven Heads Entertainment. The album included appearances from Sadat X of Brand Nubian, J-Live, Organized Konfusion’s Pharoah Monch and Prince Po, Mike Zoot & F.T., Asheru, and additional guests.