Today in Hip-Hop: Black Moon Drop ‘Enta Da Stage’ Album

On this day, Oct. 19, in hip-hop history...

1993: During hip-hop's golden age, artist independence was not considered an against-the-grain rarity but more an ode to the underground. In 1992, Boot Camp Clik affiliates Buckshot, 5 ft and DJ Evil Dee veered off from the supergroup to nurture their hardcore East Coast sound as trio Black Moon, an acronym for 'Brothers who Lyrically Act and Combine Kickin Music Out On Nations.' The result was their 1993 debut album, Enta Da Stage.

Propelled by the Billboard-charting singles 'Who Got Da Props?" and "I Got Cha Opin" Black Moon tapped into the gritty gangsta rap sound that was prospering on airwaves at the time. Enta Da Stage peaked at No. 33 on the Top U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and though it was overshadowed by other East Coast albums like Nas' Illmatic and Wu-Tang Clan's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Black Moon's debut goes down in hip-hop history as a major factor in the resurgence of East Coast rap.

40 Hip-Hop Albums Turning 20 in 2016