Slum Brothers

Infobox musical artist |

Name = The Slum Brothers
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Bronx, New York
Genre = Hip hop
Years_active = 1988 – present
Label = Suicide Records, Michu, Scientific Records
Associated_acts = The Slum Brothers, M.D.S Production, Scienz of Life
Current_members = Reggie Regg
Kool Joe (deceased)

The Slum Brothers is an influential hip hop group that consists of Reggie Regg (rapper), Kool Joe from Bronx, New York and Don Q from New Jersey.

Background

Born Reginald (Reggie Regg) Dempsey and Joseph "Kool Joe" Fryson from The South Bronx and Jamaica, Queens, New York, signed their first deal with universal recordings and at that time dropped his first singles, including "I'm a Pro" featuring Joseph "Kool Joe" Fryson and "The Party's Jumpin'" featuring lamont "Chubby L" Shephard but due to creative differences was never released. During the Production of these singles, the group was called M.D.S. Productions. The Slum Brothers soon signed with the New Jersey based label with CEO Kenneth Hughes and dropped several underground classics including "Ghetto Talk" and "I Gotta Be Me". The album received critical acclaim and started bidding war. Having creative differences with many of the larger labels, Reggie Reg decided to produce his own label, "Suicide Records" in 1996. The acclaimed singles include "Sure Shot" and "Six Million MC's" distributed by BigDaddy distribution. These titles became an instant hit, and The Slum Brothers became a household name from the US to UK and Japan. Major labels began to bid again, determined to deal with The Slum Brothers again. After declining many major label deals, The Slum Brothers had dropped "Regular Niggas" and "Stop Frontin", which took off and sold thousands becoming another underground classic. Kool Joe had than dropped "Fool's Paradise" soon after. After becoming established, Suicide Records signed super producer Winston (Don Q) Clements, known for producing underground legends such as "Wil Pak", "Scienz of Life", and "Chill Lounge".

The group was founded in 1991 by Reggie Regg and Cool Joe, his best friend, after the original name "Gentlemen Required" which did not make the final cut as the group's name. Although the duo started much earlier than this, this was the actual time the group had an official name and label. With small demo tapes and a couple of unreleased records, The Slum Brothers independently made the label "suicide records" with the hit singles "Sure Shot" and "1 million MC's" in 1994. Surprisingly enough, the independent label was growing successful off of this, with a spark of interest blazing overseas. With its release, there was no doubt that Reggie Regg had to come with more of his comedic punchlines and lyrical skill with the influential and clever rhymes from Cool Joe.Joseph "Kool Joe" Fryson unexpectably died forcing Reggie Regg to fold his label and to be never heard from again.

In 1995, the duo released another song titled "stop frontin" aimed at the east-west coast scene and to the other rappers who posed as something they weren't. The 12" vinyl is extremeley rare among collectors and was one of the original songs that pioneered the east-west coast battles. Later that same year, "regular niggas" was also released and, like all of the other singles was explosive overseas and was influential in the underground hip hop scene. The duo released these singles on Scientific Records. A record album was put out called "Just Regular Niggers" in 1999, but was taken off the shelves for creative, sampling, and legal issues. Very few albums were currently in circulation because of this, and few of the record albums that had been purchased from fans were autographed by Reggie Reg in a signing in New York.

The last song to be made by the slum brothers was "fool's paradise" on Michu Records before upsettingly leaving hip hop's scene of lyrical skill and influential raps.