KinFusion

A duo of James "Flip" Griffin and his cousin Lake "Dolla" Bates, Kinfusion was one of the few rap acts to break out of Detroit during the mid-'90s. Griffin and Bates formed the group while still in high school, and played various clubs and house parties around the area during the mid-'90s. After recording a three-track demo with local producer Art Forest, the pair took a bus to New York City armed only with 50 cassettes. After hooking up with Touchwood Records, Kinfusion signed a contract. The first single, "Crooked Green Papers" -- taken from the demo tape -- sold 15,000 copies through limited distribution. Debut album Da Unhatched Breed appeared in October 1997. ~ John Bush