Chino XL used to be in a rap group called Gravitation. They were featured on the song “Waiting To Exhale,” from Chino’s 1996 debut album, Here To Save You All:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr6tVbUEtAE
Chino XL is light skinned, which is why he refers to himself as “yellow.” The term High Yellow or Yellow is a derogatory term that refers to mixed Black people who are light skinned and have a yellowish skin tone.
PNB Nation was a 1980’s/1990’s urban clothing company that was started by a group of graffiti artists in NYC. Artifacts recognized their contribution to Hip Hop fashion and decided to give them a shoutout.
Artifacts are not only talented with the rhymes but they’re also talented when it comes to graffiti. Whether it’s with the sketchbook aka blackbook
or with the spray paint
A “toy” is an inexperienced graffiti artist who sucks at graf and often times will bite another artist’s style. Tame One is lashing out against all the toys who try to make a name for themselves by stealing his style and repping graffiti crews that they aren’t affiliated with. For that, a toy would catch a beatdown.
Everlast isn’t a gangster like Al Capone or the fictional mafia family from The Godfather, the Corleones. However, his “hits” come from his ability to make and sell music records.
Slaine was born and raised in the town of Dorchester, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was born in the 1970’s, during a turbulent time in Boston’s history (Boston’s racially charged busing riots). He grew up with bad elements in his neighborhood and made many enemies.
