DAS EFX has always been among the handful of groups willing to cross the line. They´ve also been veterans of the rap scene long enough now to know that the line keeps changing. After the myriad of copy cat groups exploded on the scene, chasing the effect of their ground breaking debut album, Dead Serious, they put the hype on pause for their follow-up record, the underground tonic of Straight Up Sewaside, then Hold it Down and Generation Efx. The slanguage geniuses have moved on to new forms of dialect and wordplay, and for the first time work with outside collaborators on the hip hop opus.

In a way, DAS EFX has been "holding it down" from the start, establishing their foothold as rap´s premier innovators with 1992´s Dead Serious. Their ability to elongate phrases with made-up syllables became one of the most imitated styles of the year.

The platinum-plus album thrust them in the international spotlight as hip hop poets of the first order, a long climb from their Virginia State dorms, where both rappers majored in English. Skoob originally hails from the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, Dray was born in Teaneck New Jersey, but both credit venturing away from urban rap circles as one of the keys to their originality. "Being away from everything made us develop our own style," says Dray. Their inventiveness did not go unnoticed for long. Honing their craft at college, they eventually entered a rap contest judged by EPMD.

They didn´t win, but impressed Parrish so much he took their phone number. A recording contract soon followed, and the duo left school for what would ultimately be rap history. The two admit, however, that part of "holding shit down" is fending off the desire to always try and top yourself. There are certain expectations that come from being on the cutting edge, and Skoob points out the duo has a better handle on that now. "As far as being innovative, there are always going to be groups doing something new. No doubt a lot of people grabbed on to certain aspects of DAS EFX, but we write what we want to write and try now not to get that concerned about it." The more relaxed attitude has also opened up the door for outside producers to work with them. Some of the biggest names in hip hop have expressed an interest in collaborating with the two since their debut album.