Tracks:

A1 C U Around (Marco Version) 
A2 Run Up On You
A3 Spaghetti & Biscuits
A4 C U Around Original Version) 

B1 Switchblade
B2 Universal Language
B3 Simple Fact
B4 Tamika

 

LISTEN TO SNIPPETS HERE

 

Peep this interview with Coolout Chris from Spalaney's:

 

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on the Southside of Chicago Englewood 52 and Peoria.  After 4th grade my mom moved our family to the suburbs for better schools and to keep us out of gangs where we lived. 

 

What are your earliest memories of the culture?

I remember when Hard times came out by Run DMC, I was blown away 
by their cadence, pass back delivery, and commentary about inner city life over a dope beat.

 

Who did you learn about the culture from? An older relative? School? Round the way? 

I learned about the culture through my older brother DJ Chill.  He would spin house parties in our neighborhood  and I would tag along carrying his records and meeting different b-boys, emcees, and graff artists.

 

What was the scene like in Chicago when you were coming up? 

Super dope!  We had some of the most diverse hip-hop groups around.   Cats from the Southside didn’t rock like some of the emcee’s out West and on the Northside of the city.  The difference in styles is what made Chicago in my opinion stand out from other cities. 

 

When did you start mcing? 

I started off as a DJ first in ‘82, then I became a B-boy in ‘84 when Beat Street came out.  Then in ‘85 when L.L Cool J came out with “Radio” I was inspired by his lyricism to become an emcee.

 

How did you meet the other members of Spalaney's?  

I knew Cordell (Riff-Raff) and Casey (Snap) from the neighborhood and we would always see each other 
in passing, either on the block or in school. Cordell and I would work on songs after school at my house.  I would make the beat and he was the emcee.  One day we decided to enter the High School talent show,  at the time Snap was a backup dancer with Jerome, I was the D.J and Riff-Raff was the lead emcee.  
We ended up winning 2nd place in the talent show and that spawned the beginning of Spalaney’s.  Shortly after we had a battle against an up and coming emcee named Tony Baines from Bolingbrook,  at our friend Marc “2 Eaze” smith’s studio. It was crazy because it was like Tony was battling all 3  of us at the same time.  The battle went on for hours, mom disses and all.  After that battle, we decided to become a quartet, and Spalaney’s was officially a group of 4 emcees. 

 

When did you first start recording as a group? 

We started recording as a group in ‘92.  A few weeks after the infamous battle at 2 Eaze’s studio we  decided to enter a rap battle at the Taste entertainment center on the Southside.  So we had to quickly  create a demo tape to submit to enter the battle.  We only needed 2 songs, but we ended up recording  like 10 new songs in a week.  Spalaneys won the rap battle and our prize was some cash and a single deal  with a West Coast independent label. 

 

Did you do shows? Just in MI or around the country? 

We did shows everywhere from Chicago, L.A, Iowa, and Minneapolis.  We were in high demand in the  90’s from performing at Prince’s Glam Slam ‘95 all the way to performing at a label showcase for  Sylvia Rhone from Giant Warner Brothers.  We toured with DJ Quik and Twista as well as performed 
at several venues throughout Chicago. 

 

Were you pushing demos for a deal? 
Oh yeah!   We auditioned for Russell Simmons over speakerphone from our managers office. Went to L.A several times  for label showcases, Near record deals with Giant Warner Brothers, Jive records, and Tony and I were  in negotiations for a publishing deal with EMI.  We were really making moves, but could never get over the hump. 

 

How did you meet Danny Leake? 

After severing ties with our former manager , we found a new management team, We Jamm productions.   They were R&B producers, but they knew all the right people and had real solid connections.  Lamar, Johnny, and Eric were super cool and well known in the industry.  They decided to put us back 
in the studio to record a new demo.  They had money so we were always in the best situations, best studios, hotels, etc.  I remember it  like it was yesterday, we came to C.R.C studios and We Jamm told us that our studio engineer was Stevie Wonder’s right hand sound man.  We were all surprised that Stevie Wonder’s engineer would even consider working with a rap group.  Those sessions were very memorable, as Danny 
made sure our mixes were tight and that our vocal performances were inline with the feel of the music.  He taught us a lot about how to get the best out of our sessions.        

 

LISTEN TO SNIPPETS HERE