You all are Sean Price fans right? If you are, shout out to you as we are likely brothas from anotha motha because if you think Sean P is dope, we got the same taste of good hip hop. And if you’re not a Sean Price fan, that’s alright too… You just haven’t heard tracks from him most likely and even if you have, you probably haven’t taken the proper amount of time to listen to what he’s saying. Sean unfortunately isn’t here anymore but like many of the late, great rappers, he has left us his art to press rewind on. To know Sean Price, you must go back to his time as Ruck where he rapped with Rock to form the amazing duo, Heltah Skeltah. Heltah Skeltah were a part of the 90’s grimey NY boom bap crew known as the Boot Camp Cliq aka BCC who in total included, Heltah Skeltah, Black Moon, Smif-N-Wessun, and Da Originoo Gunn Clappaz aka O.G.C. I feel like the only way I can really kick off this article and introduce you to Sean Price, Heltah Skeltah, and the Boot Camp Clik is with the track “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka” which was from another sub-cliq out of the BCC crew consisting of Heltah Skeltah and OGC as they were collectively known as, The Fab 5.
Ruck and Rock sounded like grimacing menaces on the mic kinda how MOP sounded. But Heltah Skeltah were also groundbreaking touching on mental health at a time when not many approached the subject. Nowadays rappers wear their mental health on their sleeve but back in the 90s it wasn’t happening due to the stigma behind it. Here’s “Therapy” from Heltah Skeltah which is a laid back smooth track on the video which had a different beat from what was on the album. Go back and listen to both tracks. Both dope in their own right.
That Heltah Skeltah album from ‘96 titled Operation Lockdown is a classic. While this is a Sean Price focused article, I can’t stress enough how dope their debut project was and is so please… Go listen. And if you haven’t heard it in a minute, go listen. Heltah Skeltah split after the 2nd album dropped as Rock left Duck Down Records in pursuit of his solo career while Ruck aka Sean Price stayed with the crew. The Sean Price character was being built as Ruck laid low with features and even picking up some construction work to keep the funds coming in. Then, in 2005, the artist known as Sean Price debuted with his solo album, Monkey Barz. But Boot Camp Clik played this all so wisely as the debut Sean Price album was rolled out as part of the Triple Threat Campaign which also included the new Buckshot album with 9th Wonder, Chemistry and the new Smif-N-Wessun (aka Tek & Steele) project, Reloaded. Going back to 2005, I loved how the BCC was starting to work with NC producers like 9th Wonder and Khrysis to help evolve their sound. Sure, the Boot Camp Clik always had production with Da Beatminerz behind them but bringing in other newer producers was a great look to tap into new audiences.
And without further adieu, here’s Sean Price with some fire from his debut project, Monkey Barz.
I heard this album back in 2005 and Sean Price instantly made me think of MF Doom with bars that were… I don’t know… Relatable? Sean’s delivery along with what he was saying and the way he was saying it was fresh to me. Tracks like “Shake Down” with Steele and Starang Wondah were gold to me. The opening lines of the last verse from Sean Price had me laughing and pressing rewind over and over and over again. Just check this below without even listening to the track.
Now go listen to the track….
Sean Price was special on the mic but his personality was unique too. In a genre were bragging and boasting about money, cars, women, and jewels is the norm, Sean Price didn’t fit in that box. He more fit into the mold of MF Doom, Slug, Murs, and other underground hip hop emcees of the 00s who peeled back the curtain on who they really were. Hearing Sean Price and MF DOOM together on a track was fantastic and they didn’t let listeners down.
Sean was popping up on features all over the place and I don’t recall him having a wack verse. When you saw him on a track, you pressed play… then pressed rewind… then pressed play… then went to YouTube to see if there were any new visuals with him. He was captivating. You would hear him on a Statik Selektah track with Mac Miller and you had to see what they all were coming with. The Sean Price buzz in the underground rap scene was high.
Sean was dropping features… dropping mixtapes… reuniting with Rockness Monster… freestyling…. he was out in these underground hip hop streets.
There were tracks dropping all over the place… Some on mixtapes of his… some on mixtapes of others… some just dropping videos out of nowhere keeping your head spinning and seeing Sean P everywhere you looked… P!
and let’s not skip over the fact that his 2nd solo album dropped in 2006 and was fire as well. Jesus Price Supastar was filled with bars as usual, features from the Boot Camp Click, and even an amazing feature from Phonte of Little Brother. It only made sense to get Phonte in the mix since P was already working with his NC brethren on the boards with 9th Wonder and Khrysis. “Let it be Known” is true emceeing from Sean P and Phonte Coleman.
Sean working with The Alchemist? Without a doubt… “Bar-Barian” was wild and if Sean was still alive, I could see him and ALC with a whole album together. Or maybe they would have been like ALC and Boldy with album after album… Could you imagine Sean on features with Griselda though? It absolutely would have been happening if Sean never left us.
Sean Price’s music was timeless and whenever I go on a Sean P binge I’m reminded of how consistently dope he was. Whether it be with Heltah Skeltah or his solo work, he just seemed like he was your homie who was always down to kick it and keep you laughing.
Sean P’s passing in 2015 was so sad. He died in his sleep at the young age of 43 and left the world way too soon. He left the rap world on top of his game as he was always himself on the mic which helped him stand apart from most of the game. I still remember where I was when I heard the sad news because Sean’s passing rocked me. It rocked the hip hop world because he was one of the best rappers to ever bless the mic. If you don’t believe me, just give these tracks above a play. Give these tracks below a spin and you know you can’t deny it. Sean Price was that guy on the mic. Sean P will never leave my headphones and he should always be close by anytime you listen to rap music. RIP P… You a legend!