Artifacts (group)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Newark, New Jersey , United States |
Key people | El Da Sensei, Tame One, DJ Kaos |
| Products | Hip hop music albums and singles |
The Artifacts was a Newark, New Jersey-based underground hip-hop ensemble composed of El Da Sensei, Tame One, and later joined by DJ Kaos. Their standout track is "Wrong Side of Da Tracks," accompanied by other notable songs such as "Easter," "C'Mon wit da Git Down," and "The Ultimate (You Know The Time)."
History
Frequently referred to as "The Brick City Kids," the Artifacts debuted with the album Between a Rock and a Hard Place on October 25, 1994. This record, highlighting themes related to b-boy culture and graffiti art, gained acclaim within underground hip-hop communities and featured production from Buckwild of the DITC and T-Ray from Soul Assassins. Their sophomore release, That's Them, arrived on April 15, 1997, continuing similar thematic elements but failing to achieve the same level of success as their first album. The group parted ways soon after this release.
Following the split, both Tame One and El Da Sensei embarked on solo ventures. In 2003, Tame One became part of the underground collective The Weathermen, collaborating with artists including Cage Kennylz, Camu Tao, Aesop Rock, and El-P. He also teamed up with Cage to form Leak Bros, releasing the album Waterworld. Later in 2009, Tame One joined forces with Del the Funky Homosapien for the project Parallel Uni-Verses. Meanwhile, El Da Sensei issued several solo albums and worked internationally with Poland’s The Returners in 2008 and New York’s The Immortals Project in 2009.
Reunion
During the August 2009 Rock Steady Crew Anniversary Weekend held in Newark, the Artifacts briefly reunited when El Da Sensei performed. Despite lingering tensions, Tame One was inspired to join in performing "Wrong Side of da Tracks" after recognizing its distinctive horn sample.
On August 2, 2010, at the Rock Steady Crew's 33rd Anniversary event, El Da Sensei, Tame One, and DJ Kaos officially appeared together as Artifacts, presenting both individual and collective works. They initiated work on a new album, with Tame One confirming their reunion in 2013.
After signing with Redefinition Records, Artifacts released fresh material following more than ten years via Redefinition’s official SoundCloud platform.
Their final album, No Expiration Date, produced by Buckwild, was issued in 2022. This release represents the last project completed during Tame One's lifetime.
Discography
| Album details |
|---|
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
|
That's Them
|
No Expiration Date (produced by Buckwild)
|