Biography
Emerging in the mid-'90s as a Virginia-based East Coast rap pair with early promise, Ill Biskits had their sole full-length project, Chronicle of Two Losers: First Edition, recorded in 1996 yet pulled from Atlantic Records distribution just before stores could stock it, only surfacing commercially more than ten years afterward. The group formed in the opening years of the decade in Petersburg, VA, around core members Deeda and Kleph, each born in Germany during their fathers' military postings. Their first appearance on wax arrived in 1994 via the Khari Entertainment imprint with the Mike Loe-helmed "God Bless Your Life"; the B-side, Lord Finesse's "22 Years," later turned the 12-inch into a sought-after artifact among collectors. Strong response to that debut track prompted a deal with Atlantic, which issued the single again in 1995, while a follow-up Atlantic single, Chill Factor, appeared the next year. Although Chronicle of Two Losers: First Edition was slated for an Atlantic launch in 1996, the label halted it at the final stage after advance copies had already shipped. Those promos kept circulating even after the duo stopped recording altogether, and the album's growing stature eventually justified an official reissue in 2007 on Khari Entertainment. The expanded edition appended several tracks originally found on the God Bless Your Life and Chill Factor singles. Mid-'90s East Coast rap enthusiasts welcomed the set, which showcased beats from Lord Finesse, Buckwild, Mike Loe, and Jesse West and earned recognition in some quarters as an unjustly overlooked classic.
Albums