Cella Dwellas are an underground hip hop duo from Flatbush, Brooklyn,
consisting of emcees UG and Phantasm. The group is largely known
for their dark beats and excellent lyricism. In 2000, the duo shortened
their name simply to The Dwellas.
In 1994, the Cella Dwellas signed to prominent hip hop label Loud
Records, and released their debut single, "Land of the Lost" which
showcased Ug's lyrical skills, as he laid down a verse that is still
regarded as classic. The following year, the duo made one of their
earliest appearances on the Masta Ace Incorporated album Sittin'
on Chrome, featured on the track "4 Da Mind" which featured
Phantasm's version of a stellar verse. Also in 1995, the Dwellas
released a pair of singles, "Good Dwellas" and "Perfect
Match", which were the duo's only charting singles. "Land
of the Lost", a sequel to "Good Dwellas" and "Perfect
Match" were included on the duo's 1996 debut Realms 'N Reality.
The album was a moderate underground success, debuting at #160 on
the Billboard 200 album chart, #21 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart,
and #10 on the Heatseekers chart. The majority of the album was produced
by Nick Wiz, and also featured beats from DJ Megahurtz, The Bluez
Brothers and the duo themselves. The album received considerable
acclaim from both critics and underground fans, due to its unique
lyrical style and dark, atmospheric production. Allmusic writer Michael
Di Bella describes the album's style as a combination of "Dungeons
and Dragons-style role-playing games, horror flicks, slick, rugged
beats, and imaginative, often humorous lyrics", and called the
album "an exciting and bizarre ride through two warped intellects." [1]
UG and Phantasm returned in 2000 with their simplified title, The
Dwellas, and released their second album, The Last Shall Be First
through Loud Records. The album again featured production from Nick
Wiz, as well as star beat-makers like Large Professor, Ayatollah
and Rockwilder. Guests on the album included Large Professor, Inspectah
Deck, Cocoa Brovaz and Organized Konfusion. The album received moderate
reviews, but received little attention, failing to reach any Billboard
chart. The album's singles, "Stand Up", "Leakage" and "Game
of Death", all failed to reach any Billboard singles chart.
Allmusic once again praised the album. Writer Jon Azpiri stated that
the duo could "more than hold their own among hip-hop heavyweights" and "after
listening to The Last Shall Be First, it's clear that the Dwellas
have risen to another level." [2] The duo's only release since
The Last Shall Be First was a single titled "Who Killed the
Hip Hop", released in 2003. They have yet to release a third
album and are now considered defunct.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
Year Title Chart positions
U.S. Billboard 200 U.S. R&B
1996 Realms 'n Reality
* Released: March 26, 1996
* Label: Loud
160 21
2000 The Last Shall Be First
* Released: September 26, 2000
* Label: Loud
– –
[edit] Guest appearances
* "Lyricist Lounge" and "Cypha Session III - Has
Words" (from the Underground Airplay #3 compilation, 1994)
* "4 Da Mind" (from the Masta Ace Incorporated album Sittin' on Chrome,
1995)
* "Mad Hardcore" (from the Kaotic Styles single "Mad Hardcore",
1997)
* "Cranium (Remix)" (from the Gauge single "Cranium", 1998)
* "Menage a Trois" (from the Brixx album Everything Happens for a
Reason, 1999)
* "The Main Event" (from the Main One single "The Main Event",
1999)
* "The Introduction" (from the Ran Reed single "The Introduction",
1999)
* "Bring it to Me" (from the Gauge single "Bring it to Me",
2000)
* "Verbal Confrontation" (from the Main One single "Verbal Confrontation",
2001)
* "Lyrical Fight" (from the Saïan Supa Crew album X-Raisons,
2002)
* "Paris New York" (from the Rost album La Voix Du Peuple, 2004)
* "What Happenz" featuring U.G. (From IDEs album Force Fed",
2007)
* "Connect 4" featuring U.G. (from the Shabaam Sahdeeq album "Relentless",
2008)