Gravediggaz HHV Records 3 Items

The Rap Supergroup from the East Coast

When the Gravediggaz were formed in 1991, the New York quartet was already a supergroup: in addition to MCs Frukwan and Too Poetic, the group included Wu-Tang legend RZA and De La Soul producer Prince Paul, two pioneers of the 90s sound. The premise of the project was bloody Horrorcore that didn’t shy away from extravagant brutal fantasies and, in its dark style, redefined hardcore hip-hop. Their first album, 6 Feet Deep, became an absolute classic of the genre – Prince Paul’s desolate, sometimes eerie beats formed the basis for lyrics that, in addition to brutality, relied on black humor and often took a satirical tone. At the same time, the album served as an outlet for the frustration of the four members, who felt underrepresented in the 90s hip-hop scene and saw too much artistic compromise around them: “Frustrated, mentally aggravated / To be the rebel that society created.” The group came together in the early ‘90s when each of the four was at a low point: while RZA’s search for a new label remained unsuccessful at first, Prince Paul’s work with De La Soul came to an end, plunging him into a crisis. Inspired by his melancholic beats, the four agreed on the name Gravediggaz and created a concept around it, with each member adopting an alter ego: Prince Paul became The Undertaker, RZA became The RZArector, Too Poetic became The Grym Reaper, and Frukwan became The Gatekeeper.

Uncensored Violence

6 Feet Deep was created under the simplest conditions, and some of the tracks were recorded on cassette recorders at The Undertaker’s home. They originally wanted to name their debut album Niggamortis, but this proved too daring – and some of their lyrics also needed to be rewritten to make them more accessible. Nevertheless, the album was celebrated in 1994 like few others, redefining New York street rap. Tracks like Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide and 1-800 Suicide made waves on the East Coast with their uncensored violence, making the group respected pioneers of a new direction in hip-hop: “Critics say go to hell, I say yeah / Stupid motherfucker, I´m already there.” Influences here came not only from hip-hop but also from heavy metal, as heard on Diary of a Madman, and with features including Killah Priest and Shabazz the Disciple, the album also featured notable underground guests. For the successor, The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel, RZArector took over the reins for the beats – less aggressive this time, but socially critical. The Gravediggaz presented themselves in a new light: “Life is ugly and life is beautiful at times / We’re expressin’ both sides of that.”

From Dark Fantasies to Reality

Tragically, The Grym Reaper died in 2001 from cancer, and The Undertaker and The RZArector had already left the crew by then. Nevertheless, in the same year, another album, Nightmare in A-Minor, was released, which still contained material from The Grym Reaper. DJ Diamond J joined as a new member, and on familiar fatal beats, the dark fantasies of the past became reality: The Grym Reaper processed his illness in the lyrics, and it also touched on the reality of the two remaining rappers as followers of the religious movement Five Percent Nation, which was widespread among MCs on the East Coast. The Gatekeeper continued to release some tracks under the name Gravediggaz, but the horrorcore magic of the early days was gone. Instead, 6 Feet Deep weighs heavily – a masterpiece that still sets the bar high in the genre and infiltrates hip-hop to this day: "I’m in ya dreams, ya thoughts, yo, everywhere you walk / When you speak that’s the Gravedigga talk