Made Men

Made Men was a group composed of three longtime Boston rappers. Benzino and Antonio Twice Thou had performed together in the controversial gangsta rap crew Almighty RSO since 1986. Third member Cool Gzus had also been part of another early and influential Boston rap group, TDS Crew. Made Men lasted from about 1997 to 2002. Their first appearance was on DJ Clue’s first studio album (“The Professional, 1998), and their last on a Daz Dillinger compilation ("Who Ride wit Us Vol. 1”, 2001). Made Men both benefited and suffered from its relationship to The Source magazine through Benzino, in that the group was able to make connections, but also opened itself to criticism of favored treatment. The creation and reception of the group’s main release, “Classic Limited Edition”, is emblematic of this dynamic.

Other achievements include a now-obscure second release, “Black Friday”, and the Boston-centered anthem “Holla Back (Holla Boston)”, credited to the closely related production group Hangmen 3. A more tawdry aspect of the legacy is related to beefing with the Ruff Ryders at a joint concert at the Fleet Center. Benzino’s later feud with Paul Pierce and Eminem would overshadow the Made Men effort almost completely. Still, the coming together of these three Boston stalwarts produced some memorable tracks: the reputation covers up some decent music by the standard of its day, which suggested the coming rise of Southern rap.

All three are still somewhat active– if very rarely– in the Boston hip hop scene they helped inaugurate in the early 1980s.