Black Moon - Enta Da Stage [2LP]

Composed of members Buckshot, 5ft, and DJ Evil Dee, Black Moon simultaneously kicked off and defined the rap renaissance of New York with the release of Enta Da Stage in 1993. Whereas plenty of earlier groups had spit rage-filled rhymes to tear down the world’s unjust establishments, no one had evoked brooding pathos or introspective anger quite like Black Moon. Underground hip-hop might have been dominated by the sunny sound of G-Funk when Enta Da Stage dropped, but from then on the scene turned to the dark side. Black Moon was rising.

Although Black Moon would go on to release three more albums – and its members would go on to greatness with Da Beatminerz, Boot Camp Klik, and various solo projects – Enta Da Stage remains the perfect distillation of tight lyrical menace, rowdy crew hooks, stripped down breaks, and deep basslines on all of its fourteen tracks. Although Enta Da Stage might stand in the shadow of East Coast albums such as Enter the Wu- Tang (36 Chambers), Illmatic, Liquid Swords, Ready to Die, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, and The Infamous, history will remember that Enta Da Stage preceded those releases. To understand Enta Da Stage is to understand the origin and the spirit of New York hip-hop once and for all.