Das EFX | |
|---|---|
 Das EFX in 1997; from left to right: Skoob, Krazy Drayz | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Petersburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1988–present[1] |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Hit Squad |
| Members | Dray Skoob |
| Website | "Krazy Drayz".Facebook.com. |
Das EFX is an Americanhip hop duo.[2] It consists ofemceesDray (also known asKrazy Drayz, bornAndre Weston, September 9, 1970) andSkoob (also known asBooks andBoogie Bang, bornWilliam "Willie" Hines, November 27, 1970).[2] They named themselves "DAS" standing for "Dray and Skoob" and "EFX" meaning "effects". They rose to popularity in the early 1990s due to the duo'sstream of consciousness lyrical delivery, which became one of the most influential lyrical styles in rap music at the time;[1] as well as their affiliation withEPMD'sHit Squad. Their style combined intricate rhymes, sometimes mixed with made up words (especially ending with "-iggedy"), delivered with a fast-paced flow and numerouspop culture and hip hop culture references.[2]
Skoob hails fromBrooklyn,New York City, while Dray hails fromTeaneck, New Jersey. The duo met atVirginia State University in 1988 and began performing together.[2] Das EFX caught the attention of EPMD at a local talent show where, despite losing the competition, they did well enough to convince EPMD to sign them to a recording contract.[2] The duo gained critical and commercial fame with the release of their landmark debut albumDead Serious,[2] which highlighted their unusual rapping style (which they nicknamed "sewage").
Dead Serious wentplatinum and its lead single, "They Want EFX," (which contains samples fromJames Brown's "Blind Man Can See It" andMalcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals") reached the top ten on theU.S.BillboardR&Bchart, the Top 40 on theBillboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on theHot Rap Tracks chart. Follow-up singles "Mic Checka" and "Straight Out the Sewer" did not chart on the Hot 100, but reached No. 1 and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, respectively.
The duo also made a guest appearance on the remix ofIce Cube's smash hit single "Check Yo Self". The song reached No. 20 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Rap Tracks chart. The track peaked at #36 on theUK Singles Chart in August 1993 and sold over one million copies in the U.S.[3]
As their career progressed, Das EFX's once-distinctive and unique lyrical delivery was imitated by several other artists and became more commonplace.[2] Derailed by the popularity of their own style, the duo slowed down their fast-paced flow, eliminated theiggedysuffix and downplayed theircartoonish content on their second album,Straight Up Sewaside.[2]
Around the time of their third albumHold It Down (which was far less commercially successful than their debut release), Das EFX found themselves caught in the middle ofEPMD's ugly breakup. They ended up siding with PMD (Parrish Smith), and it led to a three-year absence from recording. They returned in 1998 with the albumGeneration EFX[2] and followed up in 2003 with the albumHow We Do.
After a hiatus, the group went on an international tour with DJ Rondevu in 2006. In 2007, Krazy Drayz appeared on the East Coast remix ofNas' "Where Are They Now", alongside eleven other old-school rap artists:Dres,Monie Love,Chip Fu,Positive K, EST ofThree Times Dope,Father MC, DoItAll ofLords of the Underground,DJ Spinderella,Rob Base, Mike G. of theJungle Brothers, and Redhead Kingpin.
Das EFX toured the globe again in 2010. They reissuedHow We Do under the alternate titleOld School Throwback onSpotify and other streaming services in 2015; both versions of the album featuredSean Paul on a song “The Memories Remain” which deals with the death of Skoob’s father.
Krazy Drayz released a solo albumShowtime in 2012. It features Dres,Black Rob,Smif-N-Wessun, andFredro Starr. As of 2022, Drayz’s most recent releases are collaborations with Ben Shorr, Phil Da Beat, DJ Tricky, and Kool Taj The Gr8, plus a 2019posse cut coordinated by theSnowgoons that also featured PMD,A.G.,El Da Sensei,Edo G, Outloud ofBlahzay Blahzay,Craig G,Smoothe Da Hustler, andMr. Cheeks. Skoob has not performed original material on record sinceMarco Polo’s remix of his solo song “How Can I Get Down”, which appeared in 2013.
Das EFX continues to record and perform to a smaller, yet very devoted,cult following.
From the time of their debut in 1992 to 1993, several elements of their style were adopted by other hip-hop artists, includingLords of the Underground,Fu-Schnickens,Kris Kross,Common and even, to a lesser extent,Public Enemy. The 1996BLACKstreet song "No Diggity", with "diggity" meaning "doubt", bears a title phonetically identical to the track "No Diggedy" on DAS EFX's 1995 releaseHold It Down.[2]
ComedianDave Chappelle has made numerous references to Das EFX's unique style and lyrics in sketches of his popularChappelle's Show. In one sketch, a teenage Chappelle tells his girlfriend, "I riggity-realize that I liggity-love you." In another, Chappelle asPresident Bush announced that a country named "Riggity-Row" will join theCoalition of the willing. In yet another sketch, Chappelle as anews presenter announces the opening lyrics of "They Want EFX" as aspecial report.
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