Flyer courtesy: Oxygen

When Rakim announced plans to drop The Seventh Seal in November, I figured I’d take the opportunity to revive my “Forgotten L.I.” series by shining some light on lesser known rap figures from Rakim’s hometown of Wyandanch. November 17 has long since come and gone but, nevertheless, I bring you “Wyandanch Week.”

In addition to producing the God MC, the ‘Danch and neighboring North Babylon (which borders Wyandanch to the south) can also claim LL Cool J (who lived in North Babylon substantially longer than he did in Queens), Freddie Foxxx, Poetic of Gravediggaz fame and Groove B Chill among its local products. Wyandanch Day, an annual block party/BBQ/talent showcase in the tradition of Harlem Day, et. al that’s still held every June, has brought everyone from BDP to Ice Cube out to a small park in western Suffolk County.

Wyandanch Day 2008

Having grown up just across the tracks, I can tell you that Wyandanch’s reputation as a hip-hop mecca has always been far exceeded by its reputation as Long Island’s roughest town. Kid ‘N Play found out about Crimedanch the hard way when they were pelted with bottles and literally chased out of town in the midst of their 1987 Wyandanch Day appearance. It was nothing personal, the story goes: Wyandanch just wasn’t feelng synchronized dance moves and coordinated outfits, definitely not in the year of Paid in Full.

I’ll be posting ‘Danch-themed interviews and other content shortly but first I’d like to point out that the homey Oxygen and Dutch blog Old School Hip-Hop Tapes have given us the perfect jumping off point to start this conversation. As of this past weekend, this 1985 cassette recording of Rakim (when he still went by Kid Wizard); a pre-Juice Crew Biz Markie; and Chilly Dawg (a.k.a. actor Daryl “Chill” Mitchell) rocking at Wyandanch High School, is online for the first time.

Here, in a recent interview, Rakim and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell discuss their history and new projects: