By: SoundSlam
Published: Oct. 11, 2005 - New York, NY

Duck Down has become an established brand name since its 1992 inception. However, we are in a day and age where Hip Hop brand names straddling more than one playing field is commonplace, such as dual music and clothing companies operating under one essential guise, such as represented by G-Unit, Roc-A-Fella (RocaWear), Def Jam, and others. Still, many are unfamiliar with the Duck Down Entaprizez music, label operations, video production, industry connections, street team promotions and so on.

Allow SoundSlam to introduce the longtime Hip Hop move-makers known as Duck Down and the Boot Camp Clik courtesy of “Duck Down Week.” Each day this week, a new interview and album review from the famed label and crew will be updated to pay homage to what they have accomplished in the past and how they are not merely forgotten names in this Hip Hop game, but still active and noteworthy players. This summer alone has served as a breeding ground for keeping their brand name bubbling as they have released their own ‘trilogy’ with strong records from Sean Price, a collaboration between Buckshot and producer extraordinaire, 9th Wonder, and the duo known as Tek-N-Steele. But before all of this, the groundwork had to be laid. Here is a brief run-down of some of the Duck Down and Boot Camp Clik highlights.

Two young individuals constructed the idea to develop a record label that would release quality Hip Hop music and combine it with strong promotional activities and business moves. Those two young individuals were Buckshot and Dru Ha and the year it came to fruition was 1992. Riding on the hopeful successes of Buckshot’s group, Black Moon, the Duck Down record label took its first steps. Luckily, that project, Enta Da Stage, garnered a lot of buzz in the streets and industry about the group, whom also included producer/DJ Evil Dee and emcee, 5 ft. Over the next year, Dru Ha and Buckshot would position themselves well enough to sign another act. Smif-N-Wessun were that act, as the duo of Brooklyn emcees found a home at Duck Down and would release their debut album, Dah Shinin’ on Nervous Records. Before long, they would even make it on the Mary J. Blige remix of “I Love You,” which provided the group and label and strong push since Blige was at the height of her career. Unfortunately, only a few years later, the Smif-N-Wessun name required a cease-and-desist court order due to marketing issues and the legendary gun company. They would reinvent themselves as the Cocoa Brovaz, and later reside as simply, Tek-N-Steele.

Emcee’s Ruck and Rock would also join Duck Down in 1994 under the rap name, Heltah Skeltah, as well as the Originoo Gunn Clappaz, comprised of Top Dog, Louieville Sluggah, and Starang Wondah. From this point on, the ultimate core of the Boot Camp Clik was in full force and total working order.

Duck Down was represented on a soundtrack song for Spike Lee’s “Crooklyn,” and shortly thereafter Tupac Shakur flew Buckshot and the Cocoa Brovaz out to his home in California to release the album, One Nation, where the Duck Down artists worked with the Dogg Pound, Melle Mel, Greg Nice, the Outlawz and others. Due to Tupac’s untimely death and label issues, the album still has not been released in full. And after Heltah Skeltah make some noise on the Rhyme & Reason soundtrack with the song “Uni 4-orm” with Ras Kass and Cannibus, the Boot Camp Clik make a full line-up debut album entitled For Da People. This record would introduce the newest signees, The Representativz, and that summer the BCC would be involved in a 45 city “Stop The Violence” tour. Other notable engagements involved working with the r&b star, Aaliyah, as well as Masta Ace, Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and many others.

The additions to the crew’s list of on-goings could potentially drag on for an indefinite period, but the fundamental message from all this information is that Duck Down Entaprizez and the Boot Camp Clik are not has-been’s. This calendar year saw the release of Sean Price’s long-awaited Monkey Barz to critical acclaim by many industry tastemakers and fans alike. Following that, the second installment to Duck Down’s ‘trilogy’ found the BDI Thug emcee, Buckshot, and super-producer 9th Wonder, teaming up for a perfectly coined title, Chemistry. 9th’s soulful production and Buckshot’s calm, monotone flow concluded with yet more much-deserved hype and attention for the label. Lastly, Tek-N-Steele, known previously to the rap world as both Smif-N-Wessun and the Cocoa Brovaz, found their way back to the main stage with their highly anticipated release, Reloaded.

Interviews with Sean Price, Buckshot, and Tek-N-Steele will be aired each day this week as well as the reviews of the three aforementioned ‘trilogy’ releases in honor of Duck Down Records’ accomplishments. Be sure to come back to SoundSlam.com each day this week for updated material on this crew and visit http://www.duckdown.com for additional information.