Militia, a production duo who met at the Mike Tyson bout where Tupac Shakur was shot and killed, began working together with the intention of uniting the fractured East and West Coast communities by recording tracks which combined the raw hardcore of New York with the funky bounce So-Cal is known for. Before meeting producer Emanuel Dean, Shawn "FMB" Billups had worked with the Luniz, while Dean worked production on Snoop Doggy Dogg's "Gin & Juice" and "What's My Name" as well as hits by the Dogg Pound and Korrupt. After the two were introduced by rapper Smooth 7, they recruited several rappers for the recording of their debut album, including Devious and Diz, who appeared on the first single "Burn." Militia's self-titled debut appeared on Red Ant in February 1998. ~ John Bush