After the Boot Camp Clik released back-to-back classic LP’s by Black Moon and Smif-N-Wessun, the Bucktown clique’s next two groups (Heltah Skeltah and Originoo Gunn Clappaz) came together to form The Fabulous Five before they each dropped their own albums. Heltah Skeltah’s Ruck and Rock along with O.G.C.’s Starang Wondah, Louieville Sluggah, and Top Dog formed a ferocious Rap-Team, and with their own unique styles, individual flows and deliveries, this super-group made for yet another Duck Down smash.

In 1995, a year before Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. released their classic débuts “Nocturnal” and “Da Storm” respectively, The Fabulous Five aka The Fab 5 released their one and only single and both tracks were brilliant…

As the poster for the single stated; “Ruck Da Irrashunul, Da Rockness Monsta, Mr. Strang, Top Dog, and Louieville Sluggah” joined forces to continue the underground sounds of the B.C.C., and this 12” single kept fans of the B.C.C. wanting more. The poster or advert for the single incorrectly announced the second track as “Leflah Leflour Eshkoshka” but regardless, “Blah” (produced by Tone) and “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka” (produced by Baby Paul) were two fantastic songs that were played almost constantly on underground Hip-Hop radio shows. The B-side track “Leflah” even made it to the charts and garnered the group a little success, but unfortunately nothing more came of it.

“Leflah” was then featured in Heltah Skeltah‘s first LP but “Blah” was never added to any album. The dread-locked Brooklyn five-piece then made another track titled “Dirtiest Players In The Game” in 1999 (as part of O.G.C.’s second album) and this was supposed to be an appetiser before a complete album.

The Fab 5’s full-length studio album was confirmed by a few sleeve notes in various other Boot Camp Clik releases. Liner notes and promotional items stated that this LP would either be titled “Without The Freddy” or “Simply Fabulous” but unfortunately it never came to fruition. With Rock temporarily leaving the B.C.C. to pursue a solo career in 2000, Starang Wondah getting locked up for 18 months in 2010 (for drug possession), and finally Ruck aka Sean Price passing away in 2015, this long-awaited album will now unfortunately never happen. One thing is certain though, if this quintet recorded and released this album in the 90’s, regardless of the title, it would indeed have been…

Simply Fabulous.