When it comes to career longevity without selling out the original vision — and ultimately the core integrity — of your brand, no OG rappers have managed to continue rocking shit the way that way Sadat X (a third of Brand Nubian) and El Da Sensei of The Artifacts have. Longtime fixtures on the European scene, the two have been peers for years, but it wasn’t until three years ago that the two decided to bless longtime fans and deep-rooted Hip Hop heads with a joint LP titled XL.
https://youtu.be/2OzjbrZZZs8
“I’ve known X since the 90s and been a fan since day one,” El Da Sensei tells AAHH. “We have mutual friends as well … they all said ‘hey why don’t Y’all do an LP together that would be crazy.’ We agreed.“
With well over two decades in the game, El explains it’s his love of the sport of Hip Hop that keeps him dedicated to his craft. “I think we show longevity working with new producers and keeping a fresh sound; we’re not compromising to fit in,” he says of this collaboration. “We try to set trends rather than follow,” he adds.
“That keeps the fans inspired. We still love it and its also a job….gotta love what you do right?”
Their love is evident. A peruse of either of the rappers Instagram illustrates them living their best lives; from wine to merch, they’ve been able to endure through countless eras and trends since first rising to prominence with their respective crews.
“You have to love the craft and be a participant cant sit on the sidelines warming the bench,” he explains. “We have merch out there, continuous releases … you have to be working even more than before. There are so many outlets to use now. We can sell ourselves more than ever.”
“You have to be yourself … nobody can be me and X. So we push that still!”
When it came the delayed (but worth the wait) LP, El notes that every verse they laid made the cut. “Every song made it except for the one we leaked, ‘We Must Stand’ prod by 9th Wonder. We have a song on deck ready for the next single as a bonus, but everything made the final version,” he says.
Fans who have come expect feverish release schedules from the duo (individually) have lots to look forward to — in addition to a tour of the USA and one in Europe kicking off March 2019. “We definitely working on the next XL project immediately,” El says with a laugh. “I have about 4 albums ready to go on deck for the next 2 years … I’ve been busy.”
