Smif-n-Wessun (aka Cocoa Brovaz) is a hip hop duo consisting of members Tek and Steele. Smif-n-Wessun comprise one-fourth of the Brownsville, Brooklyn supergroup Boot Camp Clik, with Buckshot, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. Both members are known for their Jamaican Patois during their raps, which was more evident during the earlier stages of their career. this powerful tandem got their start on Black Moon's classic debut, Enta Da Stage, in 1993. Rudeboy MCs Tek and General Steele made their presence felt on the cuts "U Da Man" and "Black Smif N' Wessun." In early 1994, the crew scored a massive underground hit with "Bucktown," a reference to their violence-plagued Bedford-Stuyvesant stomping grounds and "home of the original gun clappas."
Their debut LP, Dah Shinin', followed soon thereafter, unleashing more heavy artillery from the military-minded BCC. With a canvas of dark, gluttonous beats provided by the gifted Beatminerz production squad, the duo expanded the limits of harsh sounding, neck-snapping hip-hop by adding a melodic element. The crew released their album during the heyday of one of the '90s most influential independent hip-hop labels, Nervous Wreck Records, which many other indies (Rawkus) have patterned themselves around. Their name alone implies violence, but the weaponry they deploy is also of the verbal variety. Tek and Steele both possess signature flows, the former a bit more straight-laced while the latter showcases West Indian influences. Dah Shinin' was a focused album with a sharp compacted sound that still contained depth, albeit strictly from the dark side.
