By 1997 my crew Reelaktz was building a decent reputation all the way back to Dallas, basically for our digital and live sets over the years and an occasional demo. I was seeing a little light for my performance, freestyle/battle and writing ability with Reelaktz… local write-ups, random props given, shows at least once a month, even with The Roots, Jungle Brothers, Camp Lo (how 90's is that?)… even a memorable on-stage battle with Tash (Alkaholiks), where I prevailed as the dopest and drunkest.

So my first conversation with Nick, on the handicap ramp outside the "House of Phat Beats" show at KVRX, wasn't that big of a deal. I knew he was a younger dj and student who had a radio show, maybe some mixtapes or something. I remembered him being behind us listening to records, maybe even cutting a little, during our set at South by Southwest. But I drank like a college student, so I wasn't so concerned.

Yet he said something that permanently stuck in my head. After giving me some encouraging feedback, he was like "I can't wait to get some Bavu vinyl. That'll be so ill…" or something along those lines. I held a straight face, but it kinda hyped me up that night. Then I crossed the stage in May and moved back to Dallas.

By '98, Nick was near graduation, and his rep had made it up I-35 to D-Town. His "B-Side" radio show was popular. His mixtapes were distributed worldwide and selling. He'd earned plenty of battle and industry stripes. Nick and X-man -- his radio partner and a dude I remembered paying dues with -- had formed Five Finger Records and made a successful international run with the "Long Distance" 12-inch by Prince Poetry of Organized Konfusion and QB. Five Finger planned to feature HeadKrack on its second release, and they called me when it wasn't working out.

Russell of K-Otix, an up-and-coming indie Houston crew, was picked to produce my stuff, but I preferred Nick's bonus tracks on the beat tape they sent. Then, like the HeadKrack project, my Five Finger release never happened, but Nick kept in touch. Months later he sent me more beats to choose a track for the "Reconstruction" Texas hip-hop compilation on his new label, Crowd Control Records. When I got my second tape, the first beat on it became the "Listeners" instrumental by the weekend.

Vocal recordings for "Reconstruction" were nearly complete when Nick and I met mentally. Something to the tune of "we've got mutual respect, great communication, big talent, big dreams and serious minds… we should go ahead and drop a 12-inch in anticipation of the Gavin Seminar 2000 in San Francisco."

And that's how Soundscape was formed. Plus we'd already recorded "Die In Your Sleep" and "Truth", even "The Wordsmith" featuring Tray God, to beef up the "Reconstruction" album. Now we're both enthused. Nick's never been in a group, and he wants a crack at applying his independent label experience as an adult. I feel overdue for a release, reputations don't pay the bills and it's my first crack at solo work and performing with a veteran turntablist. So we're giving it the old college try.