FRESH VETZ

Fresh Vetz, the underground New York rap duo that prides itself on making rap music that harkens back to the Golden Era, consider Gang Starr one of the best rap groups of all time. So they were stunned when DJ Premier, one half of Gang Starr, named Fresh Vetz’s latest album, “Fresh 2 Def,” as an honorable mention for his Top 25 Albums of 2011.

The call-out came on DJ Premier’s radio show, “Live From HeadQCourterz,” on SiriusXM satellite radio.

“I knew that he knew about us and that he liked what we were doing, but I didn’t expect that,” says Dashah of Fresh Vetz. “That came from left field.”

For DJ Pause, the other member of the group, the recognition carried special significance. “Being a DJ and a producer, Premier is like my idol,” he says. “For him to say that unexpectedly was just an amazing feeling, having it come from his voice that we made one of his favorite albums, one that we did all on our own and as independent as can be, I still have a high from that.”




One listen to “Fresh 2 Def” and it’s clear why Premier is a fan. Such selections as “Dope Addictz” and “Move The Crowd” contain the type of boom-bap production and lyrical gymnastics that fit in well with gritty underground New York rap.

It’s a musical recipe that has earned Fresh Vetz extensive love on the Internet and in New York’s independent rap scene. But DJ Premier’s validation came with the added weight of his place in rap history.

“With Premier, he never changed his style,” DJ Pause explains. “He always kept it true to hip-hop, and he’s a successful artist so it gave motivation to me to just be me and for Fresh Vetz to just be us and not be worried about what everybody else is doing. That’s kind of what Gang Starr represented.”

For Fresh Vetz, its boast-heavy and drum-driven material is a natural outgrowth of its love for rap music and hip-hop culture. “We’re so into music,” Dashah says. “Our formula is going to keep getting better every time we come out. Groups like Gang Starr, Wu-Tang Clan -- they’ve been in the game so long and that longevity is what we’re after. We look up to them and we’re basically trying to carry the torch for the road that they paved for us.” - REDBULLUSA

Second Fresh Vetz video makes its way on MTV - MTV.com

check the vetz out on NBC NEW YORK! - NBC NEW YORK

Honorable Mentions: Fresh Vetz “Fresh 2 Def”, Pharoahe Monch “W.A.R.”, Raekwon “Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang”, Rasheed Chappell “Future Before Nostalgia”, Sadat X “No Features”, Showbiz & KRS-One “Godsville”, Skyzoo “The Great Debater”, The Regiment “The Panic Button”, The Roots “Undun”. - 2DopeBoyz

This is dope. From Long Island MC/Production duo Dashah and DJ Pause off their upcoming project, Fresh 2 Def, due out December 6th. Visual by Creative Control.
- NahRight

Don’t sleep on this track from the Fresh Vetz - XXL Magazine

NY emcee/producer duo Fresh Vetz (Dashah and producer DJ Pause) are bring boom bap back with retro flavors of Big Apple hip-hop on their recent release "It's Like That." The duo is currently prepping their album Fresh 2 Def which is sure to spark some more welcome nostalgia on wax. It's good to hear this brand of rap playing a strong hand once again with the likes of The Source mag's current Unsigned Hype selection Action Bronson and other notable new mic checka's such as Maffew Ragazino and Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire making noise for the new New York. - THE SOURCE MAGAZINE

Fresh off the success of “Veteranz Day” with more than 3,000 total downloads, the hip hop duo from Long Island, NY has secured a nice distribution deal with Redline and is ready to drop their next album, “Fresh 2 Def“. I was lucky enough to catch up with them via e-mail to pick their brains a little and find out more about this up-and-coming hip hop gem that is Fresh Vetz.

What’s up Fresh Vetz?! For the people who are not hip to it, tell us who Fresh Vetz is.
Pause: Fresh Vetz consist of two members: Dashah (MC) and DJ Pause (DJ/Producer).

Where did you guys meet? How long have you two been on this grind together?
Pause: We first met each other in high school. We’ve been working together since 1999.
Dashah: I remember being at Pause’s house, in his room recording joints, making mad noise, those were the days; it was fun.

What was the moment when both of you realized, “we need to form a group together”?
Pause: In 08', Dashah started doing a bunch of shows and had me DJ for him. At that time I was doing a lot of production for him and recording most of his joints. Our chemistry on stage was so good that we decided to form a group.
Dashah: Also around that time, I had “Rap Burglar 2? out, a project that was hosted by the X-ecutioners. It started getting a lot of buzz on the internet which led to me getting a lot of those shows with them. I would just call Pause like, “Yo, come DJ for me tomorrow,” after a few times of doing that and just banging out tracks together, it was just bound to happen.

You dropped Veteranz Day in late 2010 and now you have a new project coming up. Tell me about how it differs and goals that were set out in putting together this new project.
D: With VDAY, we wanted to basically themed the project out with army-related samples and stuff like that to really give it that camouflage feel. A lot of the production on there was hard and direct but effective, which why we pulled it off. With Fresh 2 Def we want to get back to the essence of hip hop, and just make music dope and fresh again while maintaining our artistic integrity. It’s gonna be a lot of performance-style songs on this one. From a lyrical standpoint, I’m just killing everything that Pause gives me.
P: The new project is called Fresh 2 Def; this project has its own direction, just as Veteranz Day did. Fresh 2 Def is just dope beats and fresh rhymes. It’s our same style, just with a fresh twist to it.

What made you guys feel you had to go back to the essence of hip hop to figure out where you were headed as a group?
P: Basically Fresh Vetz represents the new with the old. We have a deep appreciation for old school hip hop and 90’s hip hop. You can hear it in our music we just add a new twist to it and carry on tradition.
D: To kind of segway on that, if you look at our name Fresh Vetz, it literally translates to old and new. I always tell people Fresh is the lifestyle, the constant evolution and growth, and Vetz is the music and our way of always reminding ourselves of where we came from and how long we’ve been at this. You always have to pay homage to the past to understand the future.

Pause, how did you approach the production with this album?
P: At first it was a challenge because instead of just grabbing a hot sample, I had to really dig hard to find what I was looking for. It’s a lot of funk and chopped up drum breaks. Plus I started using some old school tactics by sampling from multiple records, not just one.

Tell me about a notable artist you’ve shared the stage with in the past?
D: We did a show with the X-Ecutioners at the Knitting Factory in 08, that was crazy! R.I.P. Roc Raida.
P: We recently shared the stage with Large Professor. That was dope to see him rock, you can just see that he still has a lot of love for the game. I’m a big fan of his production.

What are some advice you can give to up-and-coming artists who are starting out in the game?
D: Stay true to your craft, love what you do and be passionate about it. most importantly, work hard!!!!!!!
P: To new artists, just be yourself and stay consistent. But also know there’s a whole lot more to this then just making a few songs.

In a day and age when hip hop is not anymore defined by one sound, do you find it hard to stay relevant?
P: I don’t find it hard to stay relevant. If you compared us to most of the music on the radio right now, then I would say yes, but for the fans that like that real hip hop, we’re relevant to them.
D: Not at all. Its tons of dope hip hop out right now. It [just] may not be all over the radio but its there. We’ll always be relevant as long as the word hip hop exists.

What artists are in your personal music rotation right now?
D: Money Makin Jam Boys, Nas, Wu, I like Adele, Beastie Boys, Pac Div, that new Rae album, and of course Fresh Vetz!
P: Camp Lo and Pete Rock, Ghostface’s Apollo Kidz, Raekwon’s Shaolin vs Wu Tang, Money Makin Jam Boys, and Diamond District.
- URB Magazine

Fresh Vetz single "Move The Crowd" on HOT 97 (radio rip). Fresh 2 Def in stores oct 4th 2011 - HOT 97

This New York based rapper/producer duo is looking to bring the birthplace of hip-hop back to it’s golden age with hard-hitting beats and rhymes… - XXL Magazine

Hard Hatz on MTV - MTV.com

FRESH VETZ on MTV's The Wrap up! - MTV.UK.com

know the ledge featured in Bangers on XXLMAG.COM - XXL Magazine

The Big Apple might have faltered in recent years when it comes to being the leader of the pack Hip-Hop-wise, but that doesn’t mean that the greatest city in the world stopped breeding top thoroughbred MC’s from its stables (AKA the five boroughs).

Right now one of its studs has been steadily making his way around the track, while lapping others in the process.

With his latest project Rap Burglar 2.5, Long Island MC Dashah comes into a game, which is heavily suffocated by repetitiveness, and stands out more than Kim Kardashian in the middle of Harlem wearing a pair of booty shorts.

Getting the seal of approval from Ill Insanity (formerly known as the X-Ecutioners), Rap Burglar 2.5 is filled with the recognizable sounds that once flowed through the city in its heyday.

Starting from the beginning, Dashah follows a scratch-oriented intro by Ill Insanity with Hip-Hop morsels like ‘Return Of The Rap Burglar,’ and the piano-driven ‘Thought Y’all Knew.’

On ‘Inkaholik pt. 3,’ Dashah goes into the lost art of concept rhyming, and refers to his pen as his girlfriend, “I’m a keep going as long was I’m with her/she stand out/even more when she glitter/last dude she was with used to hit her/chokin’ her when he writin’/his breath reek of liquor/I’m the one that gives her orgasms/she gotta strong back/its getting’ more spasms/she’s more than a plastic vixen/she been in the hands of mathematicians.”

From there, he shows off his descriptive storytelling ability on songs like ‘Karma,’ ‘The Promoter,’ ‘Sittin On The Train,’ ‘Reflection (remix),’ and the personal growing pains of ‘Fly Away’; while getting back into full MC attack mode on ‘Above The Clouds,’ ‘360,’ and, ‘My Notebook.’

Throughout an album which has 19 tracks, it’s nearly impossibly finding a song not worthy of listening to from start to finish.

Another point is the fact that the project is stamped with a parental advisory warning, but swears are almost nonexistent on the album; as Dashah opts to go with the trillions of words the English language has to offer—as opposed to recycling the same 4-5 curses that flood the majority of other artists’ albums.

The bulk of Hip-Hop may not live in New York anymore, but with Dashah’s Rap Burglar 2.5, hopefully she’ll starting looking for vacancies and move back home some time in the future, and if she does, its because lyrical landlords like Dashah are offering more than adequate housing…

Rating: 4.0 - IHIPHOP.COM

Deejays have often had some of the best ears for what truly deft rapping ought to sound like. From Premier to Toomp to Quik, this has been proven true by how these mixmasters bring the best out of top emcees. X-Ecutionerz founder Rob Swift was instrumental in working with acts like Akinyele and Large Professor [click to read] in the early ‘90s, and after evolving into deejay trio Ill Insanity, sought out Long Island emcee Dashah to complement the scratches. Initially released in the third quarter of 2008, this digital-only gem has been subsequently updated, stamped as Rap Burglar 2.5, and given all the more is the one of the most nostalgic, digestible storytellers you’ve probably never heard of.

From the same Wyandanch region of Long Island that spawned luminaries like Rakim [click to read] and Erick Sermon [click to read], Dashah has a ‘90s approach to his writing and delivery. “Thought Y’all Knew” carries a syncopated flow as rhythmic as the beat, as the force-fed words warn, “I’m in the kitchen, pushin’ something harder than crack.” Like the top ‘90s New York emcees, Dashah refuses to be soft, and still manages to counter the drug-dealing topics of present-day. “The Promoter” uses the vivid and liquid storytelling styles of Masta Ace [click to read] and Nas with a twist at the end, a la Common’s [click to read] “Testify.” This is smarter rap than the norm. “My Notebook” aligns closely with Nas’ “Book Of Rhymes” [click to read], to explore the lyricist’s toolkit. Although the subject matter may be a weathered road, Dashah and his production don’t reinvent the wheel, but accommodate the fan that still believes rap’s best years lived over a decade ago.

Strangely, Rob Swift, Total Eclipse and Ill Insanity keeps a distance (“Above The Clouds” aside) from the album’s production – although presenting the project. Instead, Natural Diggers and DJ Pause hold rank. Switzerland’s Diggers crew contributed a bulk of the bonus tracks, having placed “Reflection” and “Thought Y’all Knew” on the first edition. The latter reworks the same “Recognize” sample used by Premier with The L.O.X., but with new scratch choruses assembled by Nas, Wu and others. DJ Pause’s “Coulda Woulda Shoulda” and “Sittin’ On The Train” remind us why vocal Soul sampling was hot in the first place, with a sound a bit more Hi-Tek [click to read] than Heatmakerz. Dashah’s lyrics don’t ignore contemporary times or references, and still manage to feel dusty. The beats do just the same.

If there’s anything Rap Burglar 2.5 is actually stealing, it’s everything conservative Hip Hop fans enjoyed about the mid-‘90s. This is not “Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt and Doggystyle in one” (so said The Game), but a simple reminder that lyrical integrity, the art of storytelling and beats built upon great sample records of yesteryear are all still possible. At a time where new rappers are flooding your hard drive with “see if it sticks” content, Dashah is the best emcee out of Long Island in years, with a winning “don’t go to them, let them come to you” approach. - HIPHOPDX.COM

Brooklyn’s Dashah Rap Burglar 2.5 is an expanded, special edition to his Rap Burglar effort that dropped late last year. Containing four additional songs, 2.5 is really more of a reminder to those who missed the Rap Burglar sequel the first time around. Dropping lines such as “King is back here is another classic for you bastards” should be a clear indication at the type of confidence and his opinion of ungrateful fans. This latest installment by the Inkaholic can be summed up in one word: hunger. Whether he is rhyming about Biggie’s version of a Mac 10 (his pen), creating a narrative about a shady Promoter, or recalling the all of his obstacles as a reminder to never give up, Dashah form fits each and every beat to create a unique approach to each every track that “this is for real people, not for haters”. Recognizing that his abiltties are just as strong as anyone in the limelight (“You know I rhyme iller, I am just lacking the fame.”), Dashah’s Rap Burglar 2.5 embodies a classic flow accompanied with throwback scratches and more contemporary production that will have you agreeing that his flow is like a 9mili that will “blow out half of your brain” - URB MAGAZINE

Kuts: “He got a real conscious flow. The beat is sick. I think that he’s definitely one of them artists that a lot of people would gravitate toward and really rock with. I feel like some people really would say we need more MCs like this. That’s the type of vibe I got when I listened to his record.” - XXLMAG.COM

Hailing from Long Island, and the same neighborhood as Rakim and Erick Sermon comes Dashah – one of the most slept-on emcees in rap music. His records show off his slick New York dialect, and his forceful delivery and vivid story-telling ability are comparable to the best in the game. If you’re a fan of true, head-nod, boom-bap Hip-Hop, you certainly need his latest disc (”The Rap Burglar 2.5″) in your system. Don’t say we didn’t tell you.

myspace.com/Dashah - YRB Magazine

It’s time for another free download. Instead of a new Hip-Hop Disciples (coming soon), check out Dashah, hailing from Strong Island. Featuring original tracks from Jake One, Lokken Load, and Chris Warrior, Rap Burglar shows why Dashah could take the game like a Parker Brother’s thief.

- HipHopgame.com

From New York to Japan, the Hip Hop range is stretching far for the emcee Dashah. Impressed with the way of life and how people live it, Dashah uses everyday lessons to teach his audience through his music. Some artists don’t place an emphasis on having a hard work ethic while others over do it like a nine-to-five, either way Dashah has found the perfect blend and is having a blast.

The former Ill Insanity member is pushing his latest effort Rap Burglar 3 and is very excited about the albums positive public progression. This is the next installment in the Rap Burglar series and if the demand continues to climax another addition could be easily on the way. Dashah sits back to give DX his two cents of knowledge towards his current musical journey.

Exceeding Expectations: "So far the expectations have been incredible the feedback has been sort of overwhelming because I didn’t expect it to take off the way that it did. I had two more volumes [of Rap Burgular] before [volume three] but the last one was like critically-acclaimed and a lot of people called it a classic so I just decided to jump into the lab and add another part to the series. This really might not even be the final part to the series because if the fans want another one then we have to give it to them. For now it’s going really really well it’s been incredible."

Strengths And Loyalty: "My strengths lyrically are that I think I have a wide range of writing I can pretty much touch on any subject because I’m a writer first and foremost. I think that is what it is: I tell a lot of stories. That’s what I’m known for is my ability to paint pictures when I write. I’m a real visual artist and I like for people to see what I’m describing in my rhymes just as much as they hear them. I want people to be able to visualize what’s going through my head when I’m writing. I think that one of my strengths as far as being creative. I just try and touch on different topics and keep them interesting and not corny. "

In The Zone: "When I’m in the studio me and DJ Pause just go through the samples and start building a track. We just go into our Rainman stage and usually by the time he’s done building the track than I'm finished writing the song. Sometime I will just hear the track and just zone out to it. It’s different ways that I put a song together it’s kind of hard to explain. If I hear the beat and I like it I write to it and create a picture for it. Sometimes I will have a song title in my head already and I’ll bring it to Pause and tell him about it and make the beat and do what we gotta do with it. For the most part it’s all fun it’s not really work to us it’s just what we do naturally."

Obstacles: "I would say probably the Internet. The sales have went down and people just aren’t buying music anymore. The climate of music has changed. The way to get the music out there now is really by downloading music which is why the last project Rap Burglar 2.5 and Rap Burglar 2 were so easily fulfilled but with this one I decided to do it free because if no one knows you than no one will download your music. No one is going to go spend $10 dollars on a record by a guy they’ve never heard of. Now I probably could start selling my music but on this project I’m more concerned with the promotion and getting exposure. The downloading just kills the industry but in that same breath it kind of helped a lot of artist by giving them ways to get their music out there. You don’t even need a record label now because you can just throw your project out there on the Internet. That gives people all the way from Germany to Switzerland a chance to hear your music, these are fans that you may have thought that you never ever could get but you did just by putting the link up to your project for downloading. The whole thing is like a double edged sword because it hurt and helped. To me that’s been the biggest challenge but if you can get past that then you’re good."

Lingering Thoughts: "Just keep supporting real Hip Hop. The game has been at a standstill; no one is really putting out good music anymore so I’m going to do my best to make sure that I put out real music from the heart. My music will always be honest I may experiment with it and sometime I will get it right and sometimes I will get it wrong but it will be honest. I’m going to continuous bring raw music out the way it’s supposed to be. New York has been down for a minute I mean it’s gotten a little bit better but it’s time for us to rise up and start supporting each other. We’re going to just keep hitting people over the head with music and that’s just what it is. I want to thank HipHopDX for always showing love and supporting my music." - HIPHOPDX.COM

Dashah is looking to bring of revival of the New York scene. The talented emcee first garnered attention after his affiliate with world famous DJ crew Ill Insanity aka The X-Ecutioners. His work began to speak for itself as his Rap Burglar 2.5 album received critical acclaim from a variety of reviews. Now a part of the duo Fresh Vetz with DJ Pause, Dashah is on his way to make a major impact on game. We spoke with him about how he linked up with Ill Insanity, the formation of Fresh Vetz and his recent release Rap Burglar 3[download]. Hit the jump to learn more about Dashah.

Introduce yourself:

Dashah of the hip hop duo FRESH VETZ.

Where You Reppin?

New York!! Period!

Main musical inspirations:

The universe and the people in it. Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, Nas, KRS-One, Black Thought, Big Pun, Elzhi from Slum Village and Sean Price. As far as newer spitters, I would have to say my dude Lupe Fiasco is one of the most complex wordiest dudes out right now! I like J.Cole too, I think He’s Ill! The kid Cory Gunz is dope, basically anybody that’s’ lyrical with a message in they rhymes and don’t rely on swagger to win people over. I rock with the MCs, not Rappers!

Current projects readers should be aware of:

Rap Burglar 3: The Final Apprentice

Previous work that readers should know about:

Rap Burglar 2.5 (2009), Vet Status (2009), Ill Insanitys Ground Xero (2008) Fat Beats

Were you surprised by the success & critical acclaim of Rap Burglar 2.5?

I wouldn’t say I was surprised, it was more so a sense of relief that people finally took notice to what I can do a MC. I been on the scene grinding for a long time and with RB2 and RB.25, people was just able to put a face with the name.

How did the Ill Insanity/X-Ecutioners connection come about?

Back in 2007 I was working with Grammy Nominated producer Matt Stein who did work on the X-Ecutioners album “Revolutions”. So one day we’re going through beats and I came across this one joint I was really digging. He asked me “you know DJ Total Eclipse??” I’m like “Do I? Hell yeah he’s one of my favorite DJs!!!” He told me they produced that together beat together but never did anything with it. I took it home, wrote it, came back the next day and knocked it out. like week later I get a message from Total Eclipse on myspace saying how much he loved the track and he wanted to holla at me about it. He dropped his number, I called him, we instantly clicked, and the rest is history. That song ended up being called “Decorated Vets” and they used it for the “Ground Xero” album that came out on Fat Beats in 2008.

What’s your current situation with Ill Insanity now?

Those are my dudes for life! Being on their album was my first international release, they gave me my shot and for that I’m forever grateful! I’m probably the tightest with Total Eclipse out of all of them because he’s the one that brought me into the fold. That’s like the older brother I never had, we holla at each other all the time. Same goes for Rob Swift and Precision, those are my dudes, whenever I see them its nothing but love and respect!! I’ll always be connected with them somehow, and I don’t mind. I mean me and DJ Pause grew up watching them in the DMC battles and all that, who would’ve thought years later I’d be rockin Shows with them, let alone be on their album and vice versa, It’s crazy how the universe works sometimes!

How did you link up with DJ Pause and form the Fresh Vetz?

Man,I’ve know Pause for half of my life, we grew up together! Thats my brother! Back in Junior High and High School I was always doing music, releasing little tapes around the neighborhood and stuff, and He always was DJ’ing. So he knew of me and I knew of him, but really started kicking it and recording together like 10 or 11 years ago. We use to record songs at his house in his room making all kinds of noise, and his parents never cared. In 2008 I started really getting active with doing shows in New York City. I needed DJ so I asked him to start rocking with me cause were already recording together anyway. The first big show we did was with the X-ecutioners at the Knitting Factory, we didn’t even rehearse or anything, we just did it and the response was incredible! In 2009 we was like fuck it, we been rocking so much together we should just start a group, and so FRESH VETZ was born.

What’s the difference between your solo work & your work as a duo with DJ Pause?

There’s really no difference in the music, FRESH VETZ is the brand, the foundation of what we’re building. I’m still Dashah the artist but FVZ is the team. It’s like Wu-tang, when they came in as group and then they all started establishing their own identities, but it’s still Wu-tang all day! We’re doing the same thing, we want to move how they moved and take over this rap shit!

Why did you decide to release Rap Burglar 3 for free?

Internet man. Sales of albums are at an all time low, nobody buying CDs unless you’re a - KEVINNOTTINGHAM.COM

If you haven’t heard of Dashah, you may have heard of Fresh Vetz. And if you haven’t heard of either, now you have. Dashah the MC just released a solo album with HipHopDX and is ready to take the hip hop game by storm so take a listen to the track below and stay tuned for his music video coming soon. - URB MAGAZINE