7L & Esoteric formed in 1992 when Esoteric, the emcee of the group, deejayed a well respected Hip Hop show at a college radio station where he would also showcase his own material. 7L, a DJ / producer who listened to the show, contacted Esoteric in interest of collaborating. Through the two's interest in the often under-appreciated golden age of Hip Hop (1986-89), a bond was formed. Their first release, under the name God Complex, was named "one of the most innovative records of 1996" in the "Beatbox" section of CMJ. Receiving tremendous response from NY, LA, Canada, and Europe, 7L & Esoteric's label, Brick Records, moved onward, releasing the Rebel Alliance LP, a compilation showcasing talent from their native stomping grounds of Boston, MA.
Soon after this was released, a 7L & Esoteric 12" came out with their pre-released songs "Protocol" and "Be Alert" plus a bonus cut, "Touch the Mic." "Be Alert," was immediately deemed an underground classic in major cities all over the country due to it's innovative sampling of the 80's cartoon "Transformers," and brought them to the Stretch & Bobbito radio show in New York. However, it was "Protocol" that had it's lyrics quoted by The Source and labeled one of the top 5 Hip Hop songs of the 1990s by a major commercial radio station (.oo3bps) in Australia.
7L & Esoteric followed that up in 1998 with the chart topping "Def Rhymes" b/w "Headswell" & "Learn From the Druid," peaking at #1 in both Gavin and Hits. The single made quite an impact, getting press in Stress, The Source, Ego Trip, Rap Sheet and having Urb name them in the "Top 100 Next to Blow." The single got such a good response, that the group was nominated for a Boston Music Award in 1998-99.
The tremendous buzz from overseas led to 7L & Esoteric touring Europe twice in two years. The first time, with the Artifacts for a Fat Beats grand opening party in Amsterdam, and the second, a 30-day escapade with the Hieroglyphics, hitting various cities in England, Italy, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Switzerland, etc.
The duo's live show has drawn a lot of attention as well. Opening for acts such as Rakim, Redman, Busta Rhymes, Black Moon, Das Efx, Company Flow, Bahamadia, PMD, Ed OG, and the Lost Boyz, as well as headlining in small venues throughout New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, and all over New England. The group's high energy performances have left spectators in awe, especially when freestyle extraordinare Esoteric rhymes straight off the top of his head. DJ 7L has also been known to get open for the crowd, demonstrating his mastery of the turntables and has since put out a series of mixtapes as well.
The group's first full-length LP entitled "The Soul Purpose" released in the Summer of 2001 was an underground hit which appealed to hip hop fans all across the globe. The group was a part of the "True School Academics Tour" in early 2002, where they, along with other big Underground Hip Hop names toured Europe to display their skills. Just recently, 7L & Esoteric have returned from Denmark, doing some shows with hip hop heavyweights The Beatnuts.
The group released their second full-length album in the fall of 2003 entitled "Dangerous Connection". The album featured underground heavyweights like J-Live, Apathy, Stoupe, Kut Masta Kurt, and more. The group is currently in the studio working on their third full-length LP, "DC2: Bars of Death", which is tentatively set for a Spring of 2004 release date.
The two have recently left bostons Brick records to join BabyGrande records in New York. Along with other BabyGrande artists such as Jedi Mind Tricks they will contine to thrive and remain a large part of underground hip-hop.
Source: www.7l-esoteric.com
