Heltah Skeltah

Biography

Heltah Skeltah first showed up on Smif-N-Wessun's 1995 record Dah Shinin', lending verses to "Wontime", "Cession at da Doghillee", and "Let's Git It On". That same year, they teamed up with Boot Camp Clik member O.G.C. to create the Fab 5, a nod to the Beatles, and dropped the unexpected hit "Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka". Within that group, Rock and Sean Price stood out for their natural charisma and tight chemistry. The pair put out their debut album Nocturnal in June 1996, featuring "Leflah" plus the singles "Operation Lock Down" and "Therapy". It moved over 250,000 copies in the U.S. and earned a reputation as a classic for its raw, basement-style production and sharp lyrics. In 1997, they joined the whole Boot Camp for a group album, then followed up in 1998 with their second LP, Magnum Force. The lead single "I Ain't Havin' That" borrowed from A Tribe Called Quest's "Hot Sex" and lifted its chorus from Redman's 1996 track "Pick it Up", landing on the Hot 100. But the album got knocked for being lighter in tone, and Price and Rock grew frustrated with weak sales, leading to a split. Rock ran into issues with Duck Down Records, left the label, and signed to DJ Lethal's Lethal Records, planning a solo project called Planet Rock. That label folded, and the album vanished. Sean Price stuck with the Boot Camp for their 2002 release The Chosen Few. Heltah Skeltah got back together in 2005, showing up on Sean Price's solo album Monkey Barz and Smif-N-Wessun's Smif 'N' Wessun: Reloaded. They kept working with the Boot Camp for the group's third album The Last Stand, which came out in July 2006. The duo released their third album together, D.I.R.T. (Da Incredible Rap Team), on September 30, 2008. Sean Price died in his sleep on August 8, 2015, at 43 years old. Rock had a solo track called "I Am Rock" that never made it onto any Heltah Skeltah records but got featured in EA video games like NFL Street 2, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Madden NFL Arcade, EA Sports UFC 2, and the "Legends" update of the 2015 Need for Speed remake. Rockness Monsta put out a solo album in 2022 titled Ether Rocks, with appearances from Ron Brows, Frankie Storm, Method Man, and Ruste Juxx.