From the fading SMPTE sound and the melancholic opening sax riff to “Wrong Side Of Da Tracks,” the Artifacts endeared fans with their backand-forth wordplay and honest rhyming, paying homage to an oft-forgotten aspect of Hip Hop culture: graffiti art. The New Jersey duo went on a mission of demolition as Tame One and El Da Sensei’s lyrical onslaught was perfectly paired with no holds barred production from some of the best boardsmiths of the day. Their aptly titled debut Between a Rock and a Hard Place (1994) symbolized both the blue-collar work ethic Tame and El put forth in their craft and a clever reference to “Brick City,” better known as Newark, NJ. This momentum carried over to their second (and final) album That’s Them (1997), which showed an ability to grow lyrically while maintaining a strong eye and ear on quality control.