Giving up a list of names is pretty boring in our eyes, especially when you consider how many artists, past and present, have helped to shape our sound. So here are a few records that we feel contributed significantly to the Twelve Original Players in terms of beats and rhymes :
The DOC-“No-one Can Do It Better”, Big Daddy Kane- “It’s A Big Daddy Thing”, Mad Skillz- “From Where???!!”, Intelligent Hoodlum- “Intelligent Hoodlum”, Caveman- “Positive Reaction”, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo- “Wanted Dead or Alive”, Ice Cube- “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted”, Katch 22- “Dark Tales of Two Cities”, Outlaw Posse- “My Afro’s on Fire”, Lewis Parker- “Masquerades and Silhouettes”, The Creators- “The Weight”, Show and AG- “Goodfellas”, Organized Konfusion- “Stress: The Extinction Agenda”, EPMD- “Business As Usual”, Cappo- “Spaz The World”, Gangstarr- “Daily Operation”.
... plus PLENTY more! We haven't included any non hip-hop artists on purpose, as we don't want to give up too many sample sources!
Twelve Original Players consists of brothers Dean E James and Don J and they’re aiming to bring their own range of flavour to the hip-hop scene. Although, both of them are producers and MC’s in their own right, Dean holds it down on the MPC with the percussive firepower as Don laces the chops and loops with his rapid-fire, psychedelic slanguage. Both crew members have been floating around the Midlands hip-hop scene for well over a decade, as regulars at the open mic slots at the Medicine Bar in Digbeth on Thursday nights and support slots for the likes of Moorish Delta 7 and Jurassic 5.
Dean E James used to spit bars under the moniker ACE-1 (Always Creatively Evolving), sharing mic time with the likes of Juice Aleem (New Flesh), Mad Flow and Charles Moopowe (MSI Asylum) on the Chocolate City freestyle tapes. Due to genetics, Dean was always going to be digging in the crates and with a new friendship formed with that infamous loop villain Pritt (now known as Key Figures) the loop lust was stronger than ever! The moniker soon evolved to that of Joe Maximus, when the creative focus moved to production with the purchase of his own beat making equipment back in 1997. A cassette only EP, “Tangents” swiftly followed, garnering positive press from the likes of HHC, Muzik and Trace magazines. After this, Dean returned to the wordplay in collaboration with D-Lo in 1999, for two tracks on the hard hitting “Schism” LP by Fraudulent Movements. Relocation to Edinburgh and a change in production equipment has attributed to a decade long hiatus for this man’s finely crafted melodies, but with a reinvigorated love of the music, Dean’s ready for the takeover.
Don J has been writing and incinerating microphones for over fifteen years: not surprising since he was copping Big Daddy Kane and The DOC albums when he was eight years old! Known to fill an A4 pad in a matter of days with his own brand of witty social commentary and spacey battle banter, he has long immersed himself in the purist form of hip-hop. Surprisingly low key, Don has only emerged for the public’s pleasure on his own self released, “DOOM J” CD in 2006. As the name suggests all the beats are Metal Fingerz instrumentals and follows in the footsteps of many D90 classics that Don has compiled based on the work of one specific producer. Unrelenting in flow and constantly developing concepts and styles to test himself and defeat the competition, Don J is the perfect foil to Dean’s sample based constructions.
You can catch the Twelve Original Players in Key Figures’ latest beat battle movie, “King Of The Beats 2”, the intro to which you can check out on this page or on the King Of The Beats MySpace page.
haha mate i can't remember the last time i went for a proper dig, i just been havin to rinse what i got in them crates, still limitin yourself can be a good thing.. still been knockin out some nice stuff! i hope lifes good in the burgh.
safe man thanks.. glad u like it! it's an old beat on it but like what those guys did on it. loads of fresh stuff comin soon! all good here, still lackin funds tho, fuck the £20, i'm gonna have to get goin on some £1 diggin missions.. haha good stuff i been missin here too! respect on the top friends place btw!
Hi Dean A quick hello to you. I hope everything is good with you. Good to see your family photos on your page. What's been happening recently. Take care & keep in touch Keith
yes yes, how you doing man! thanks for the support bro! looking forward to the cypher man, need some luck with me that night, have you seen the line up? lol nah should be good man. ive joined the louisden forum so well catch up soon, peace.
Same here, im not too sure if im gona enter this week, ideas abit half-hearted. ill see if i come up with something, got a wedding to go to at the weekend aswel so i doubt it!
Thanks man, wanted to wait for the vid before i upped it but prosyne have got so much ish goin on i think we'll be waiting a while! Thanks again for the props dude
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