Da Backwudz: Welcome To Atlanta...Again

By: Mark Lelinwalla

April 24, 2006

When it comes to Atlanta-based hip hop, an assortment of artists can be credited with educating fans on how the 404 gets down.

By now you’re probably feeling privileged because Ludacris and Jermaine Dupri graced us with their “Welcome To Atlanta” offering, while Outkast schooled us on how to be “So Fresh and So Clean” and Lil’ Jon stocked up on that “Crunk Juice.” You were probably even more gassed when T.I. and Young Jeezy let you in on a story of an Urban Legend with some Thug Motivation. Now, you know all about hip hop in Atlanta, right? Well, almost…

That’s because the next destination for hip hop heads - who were already open off a couple of pioneering ATLiens and survived the Trap Musik seeping out of Bankhead – is right ahead. Next stop: Da Backwudz of Decatur, Georgia.

For the first-cousin lyrical tandem of Big Marc and Sho Nuff - who have all kinds of hip hop fans currently chanting, “I Don’t Like The Look of It,” in unison - it has been a long, patient ride to reach the state they are in now.

“We’ve been a group officially since like 1997, so sheit, like nine years. Nine years,” says Sho Nuff when asked how long the duo had been collaborating for the drop of their debut album, Wood Work, due to hit stores April 18th.

“When we had the single, ‘You Gonna Love Me,’ a lot of labels were looking at us, but the sample couldn’t get cleared, so they basically turned their backs on us, stopped calling and stopped checking for us.”

Still, Da Backwudz remained persistent. The wordsmith twosome - who cites the likes of Curtis Mayfield and Sly and the Family Stones, as some of their prime musical inspirations - kept rhyming.

Despite not clearing the sample for their contagious “You Gonna Love Me” track, Sho Nuff and Big Marc felt confident that the song put them in position to catch the ears of someone, who would take a chance on their kaleidoscope of rhymes and sounds.

That person was none other than producing veteran Dallas Austin, who signed Da Backwudz to his Rowdy Records imprint in 2004. “Dallas, signed us without even the sample being cleared,” says Big Marc. “Then he made a call to Quincy Jones after he signed us and like a month later got that sampled cleared, so it worked out. It’s been a lot of struggle, man, but patience and prayer…the power of prayers, man.”

Austin, who has worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, TLC, Pink, Outkast and Boyz II Men, was so impressed with the direction Wood Work was taking, he allowed the cousins to continue being a major determining factor as far as production went on the album.

“When we got over here [signed to Rowdy Records], he let us be us,” says Sho Nuff. “He didn’t want to change the formula that we had going. He put his input in here and there, we did a couple of records with him and we came up on top. So, just having an opportunity to be out here and working with him is a blessing in itself.”

Aside from working with Austin, being in a hip hop hotbed like Atlanta also had its perks. Da Backwudz were able to bring in featured guests like Nas, Slim Thug, Big Gipp, Sleepy Brown, Sade, Killer Mike and even funk legend George Clinton, who has a long-lasting relationship with Austin, and happened to be in the same recording studio as the A-Town MC duo one magical night.

In addition to a stellar cast of collaborations, Da Backwudz were able to lock down production services from the likes of DJ Toomp, the man behind the boards on T.I.’s smash single, “What You Know” and The Execs, who are responsible for Da Backwudz infectious Oompa Loompa-laced, “I Don’t Like The Look of It.”

“The Execs – two new producers that we have– they’re very creative,” says Sho Nuff. “So, when we heard the beat we had to do it.”

With Wood Work, Da Backwudz promise more original, out-the-box concept songs, along with tackling important social issues as well.

In addition to reppin’ Decatur, Da Backwudz also hope to have the same impact other Atlanta artists like Outkast, T.I., Jeezy and Ludacris have had - and continue to have - on the rap game. “Big up to those cats. They doing their thing right now and I feel like the South is on top,” says Sho Nuff. “We really feel like hip hop is going back to what it used to be where you’re going to have to make songs that got substance and concepts to them.

“We bring a lot of versatility, dope lyrics and real issues. With Wood Work, we just cooked up a hot project.”

With that said, peace up, A-town down.

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