Cella Dwellas

The CDs first created a buzz with the single "Land of the Lost" which originally appeared on Nudder Budders, a Loud Records sampler in 1994. The duo was originally thought to be a part of the burgeoning mid-'90s horrorcore sound popularized by groups like the Gravediggaz. However, the horrorcore-esque "Land of the Lost" was just the tip of the iceberg for the Flatbush, Brooklyn, duo. In early 1996, Ug and Phantasm dropped their debut LP Realms N' Reality, a swooping phantasmagoric album that wove hardcore New York hip-hop seamlessly with a Saturday morning adventure cartoon-feel. The CDs' style combines Dungeons and Dragons-style role-playing games, horror flicks, slick, rugged beats, and imaginative, often humorous lyrics. Realms and Reality was an exciting and bizarre ride through two warped intellects. The tandem then vanished for almost four years, returning as simply the Dwellas in 2000 with Last Shall Be First. ~ Michael Di Bella