Lords Of The Underground

Lords of the Underground pair socially aware rhymes with aggressive production, a style at odds with the combative implications of their group name. Doitall and Mr. Funke, both Newark, NJ natives, crossed paths with Cleveland-native DJ Lord Jazz at Shaw University in North Carolina, where the pair’s search for a DJ prompted an immediate alliance. An acquaintance of Doitall’s then connected the collective with legendary producer Marley Marl, who arranged studio time at his facility aided by K-Def. Three hit singles—“Psycho,” “Funky Child,” and “Chief Rocka”—reached the rap charts ahead of the group’s debut album Here Come the Lords. By the close of 1993, BET had named Lords of the Underground best rap group of the year. The 1994 release Keepers of the Funk could not sustain that early traction, and a five-year gap followed before third album Resurrection arrived in 1999.