Photo By: AHorsewithNoName
Years before Jean Grae gave us underground gems like Attack of the Attacking Things, This Week, Hurricane Jean or her genius collaboration with 9th Wonder, she was making a name for herself with her mid 90’s crew, Natural Resource along with Ocean and DJ Aggie. During this era, she went by What What and at times, by her government, Tsidi Ibrahim. Some of y’all may remember their strongest cut, (Negro League) Baseball put out independently on a 12″ by Ekapa RPM Records in 1996, which, interestingly enough, was a label owned by Jean’s father, Abdullah Ibrahim, a legendary South African jazz musician. Natural Resource followed the Negro League Baseball single with 1997’s I Love This World which also contained a remix to Bum Deal, released on Makin’ Records. Unfortunately for the group, this was the last 12″ they put out, altogether, only two singles were ever released.
Despite the slim pickings from this unexplored crew, they’re a great time capsule for underground heads and Jean Grae fans alike, where til this day, Jean continues to destroy mics, “bubbling undergound like a soda beneath some broken rubble.” Props to TwelveInchers for the original uploads.
DOWNLOAD: Negro League Baseball
DOWNLOAD: Bum Deal (rmx)
DOWNLOAD: They Lied
DOWNLOAD: I Love This World
DOWNLOAD: They Lied (rmx)
