Da Bush Babees

Da Bush Babees is an American group of underground hip-hop artists loosely affiliated with the Native Tongues. The members of the group originally performed under the stage names Babe-B-Face Kaos (later Lee Majors), Mister Man (later King Khaliyl) and Y-Tee (later Light).

The three grew up in Jamaica and Trinidad, where reggae strongly influenced their style. It was in 1992 in Brooklyn, New York, United States, where Mister Man first saw Kaos perform, that the group was formed. The two began collaborating, and after Mister Man suggested adding a reggae toaster, Y-Tee joined the group. After their early concert dates attracted major-label interest, the trio performed live office auditions and signed with Reprise three months after launching the group. Their first album, Ambushed (1994), featured production from Jay Matias, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Salaam Gibbs (later known as Salaam Remi) and the group itself, among others. Later releases included “Remember We” in 1995 and their 1996 second album Gravity, which was the group’s first underground and commercial success. Its lead single, “The Love Song”, was produced by Posdnous of De La Soul; that single also featured a then-unknown Mos Def singing the chorus, who also sang the chorus and rapped the third verse of the album’s seventh track, “S.O.S”.