I’m going to front load this article by apologizing for not posting about either brother’s passing last week. There were unforeseen complications with family that prevented me from posting in a timely fashion. I did not want to let another week go by without sharing the news though, and now that things have settled down (slightly) in my own life, I can put more focus on RapReviews related matters again.

junclassic and Glennis Brown are both important figures in rap history, regardless of “household name” status with a mainstream audience. For real though — you shouldn’t give a fuck if your co-worker or second cousin knows who they are and neither do I. They made contributions to hip-hop music and culture that should be acknowledged and respected. Let’s start with junclassic (pronounced June). If the name rang a bell it may be due to the Monsta Island Czars, a seminal rap collective associated with the late MF DOOM, who participated in it as a producer and emcee under his King Geedorah moniker. Their reign on top was short like leprechauns, producing one group album in 2003 before everyone moved on to solo efforts.

It was as a soloist that jun found the most success, with well over a dozen albums to his name since the mid 2000’s. In pro wrestling fandom you hear the terms “good hand” or “solid worker” to describe someone you can always count on. They may not be the featured attraction, but they can share the same bill with the bigger stars, and they aren’t going fuck shit up for everybody else. For me listening to jun was like putting on a comfortable pair of slippers. His laid back New York flow always put me at ease. He “kept it moving like Halley’s Comet” and never came off like an egotistical asshole with a chip on his shoulder. There’s a horrible irony to his passing on November 3rd this year. jun self-described as “a caretaker” for people like his own mother, and though I don’t know his cause of death, it feels like someone should have been taking care of him too. I’m going to miss him.

We also need to talk about Glennis Brown from Twin Hype, a group whose contributions to rap I still remember fondly from my teenage years. It’s no secret that both then and now record labels looked for marketable gimmicks first and talent second. Twin Hype had both. Glennis and Lennis Brown were born on the same day — September 2nd, 1969 — and their interest in rap meant these legit twins had a passion to make it in the music industry. Once they linked up with deejay King Shameek (Jose Matos) they found a formula for success with songs like “Do It to the Crowd.” Pairing their deep Rakim/Kane-like vocals with dance-able hip house beats made them an instant hit. “Shameek, let’s house this crowd!”

Glennis was known as Sly, Lennis was known as Slick, and the energy of tracks like “Nothin’ Could Save Ya” was known as SICK. They encouraged girls to “dance until your hair weaves fall out” and with the pulsing bass of the track it was a likely outcome. “Double Barrel” marked the end of their commercial success with Profile Records though, at which point things got weird. My own review of their album had to be updated multiple times due to a confusing mix of both rumor and fact, and thankfully it was their own deejay Shameek who helped clear it up. Long story short — the Brown brothers saw their career derailed by an upstate bid for armed robbery. Whether they were guilty or took a plea bargain to avoid an even worse outcome doesn’t change the fact that the rap game had completely changed by the time they came home.

Like junclassic, Glennis Brown passed away on November 3rd, and just like him the exact cause of death is unmentioned. It’s also irrelevant really. My purpose here is to remember that both men made music that was woven into the fabric of my life, and for some of you reading the same may be true. If you’re unfamiliar with them I encourage you to listen to the embedded video clips for as long as they exist, and find their music elsewhere online if they suddenly become unavailable. Thankfully jun has a Bandcamp page where I suspect his music will be available in perpetuity, and since Shameek is still repping for the twins to this day, he will probably ensure their catalogue remains available too. Remember these brothers and their passion to make and share hip-hop with the world. R.I.P.