Today In Hip Hop History: Smif N Wessun Dropped Their Debut Album ‘Dah Shinin’ 31 Years Ago
On this date in 1995, Steele and Tek, better known as Smif-N-Wessun, released their debut album Dah Shinin through the ultra indie Wreck Records imprint, adding another crucial brick to the foundation of Brooklyn Hip Hop and the growing legacy of the Boot Camp Clik.
Dah Shinin was more than just a debut. It marked the second full length statement from the Boot Camp Clik movement, following Black Moon’s Enta Da Stage, and further expanded the universe that had already begun to take shape. Where Enta Da Stage introduced the sound and the raw energy, Dah Shinin widened the lens, spotlighting more voices, more crews, and more of the collective’s gritty Brooklyn ethos.
Tracks like “Cession at da Doghillee” and “Sound Bwoy Bureill” played a major role in that expansion. Those records formally introduced the world to Heltah Skeltah, including the late Sean Price, along with the Originoo Gunn Clappaz, completing what would become one of the most revered rap collectives of the 1990s. This was street rap rooted in camaraderie, competition, and shared vision, not industry polish.
Production from Da Beatminerz gave the album its unmistakable atmosphere. Dusty drums, murky basslines, and jazz influenced textures created a sonic backdrop that felt lived in. The Roy Ayers’ “Ubiquity” inspired aesthetic suggested by the album cover was not just visual. It lived inside the beats and bled into the verses, giving Dah Shinin a moody, soulful tension that separated it from the rest of the era’s releases.
While the album never reached gold status, its impact has never been measured in sales. Dah Shinin is one of those records that defines a moment, a sound, and a mindset. It represents a time when Brooklyn rap was unapologetically raw, fiercely independent, and deeply collaborative. Nearly three decades later, its influence still echoes through underground Hip Hop and stands as a reminder of how movements are built, one uncompromising album at a time.