Da Beatminerz

Da Beatminerz are a hip-hop production crew from Brooklyn, New York, and are known for their dark, gritty sound that is very popular with the underground hip-hop scene. The crew, originally comprised of brothers Mr. Walt and DJ Evil Dee, formed in 1992, making their producing debut with Evil Dee's group Black Moon, on their debut single "Who Got Da Props?". They produced the entirety of Black Moon's acclaimed debut Enta Da Stage in 1993, then continued production work with Black Moon's Buckshot and his crew Boot Camp Clik. In 1995, along with their third official member Baby Paul, they produced the entirety of Smif-N-Wessun's debut album Dah Shinin'. They continued work with fellow Boot Camp members Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. in 1996, contributing multiple beats for their respective debuts, Nocturnal and Da Storm. In the late '90s, Da Beatminerz expanded their client list, producing for popular hip hop artists like Afu-Ra, Black Star, De La Soul, Eminem, Flipmode Squad, M.O.P., Mic Geronimo and O.C.. By 2001, the crew expanded to five members, with producers Rich Blak and Chocolate Ty joining Baby Paul, Evil Dee and Mr. Walt. That year, they released their debut album, Brace 4 Impak, on popular independent label Rawkus Records, featuring guest appearances from Royce Da 5'9", Black Moon, Ras Kass, Diamond D, Cocoa Brovaz, Pete Rock, Talib Kweli, Freddie Foxxx, Jean Grae and Naughty By Nature. The album's lead single "Take That" became a rap hit in 2001, hitting the Top 5 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. By 2004, the crew narrowed back to its original members, Evil Dee and Mr. Walt, and the duo released their second album, Fully Loaded w/ Statik, on Copter Records. In the new millennium, they have crafted beats for artists like Akrobatik, Big Daddy Kane, Black Moon, Boot Camp Clik, Craig G, Dilated Peoples, Jean Grae, KRS-One, Naughty By Nature, Smif-N-Wessun and Wordsworth.