Cella Dwellas are an underground rap duo from Flatbush, Brooklyn, consisting of emcees UG and Phantasm. In 2000, the duo shortened their name simply to The Dwellas.
In 1994, the Cella Dwellas signed to prominent hip hop label Loud Records, and released their debut single, “Land of the Lost”. The following year, the duo made one of their earliest appearances on the Masta Ace Incorporated album Sittin’ on Chrome, featured on the track “4 Da Mind”. Also in 1995, the Dwellas released a pair of singles, “Good Dwellas” and “Perfect Match”, which were the duo’s only charting singles. “Land of the Lost”, a sequel to “Good Dwellas” and “Perfect Match” were included on the duo’s 1996 debut Realms ‘N Reality. The album was a moderate underground success, debuting at #160 on the Billboard 200 album chart, #21 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and #10 on the Heatseekers chart. The majority of the album was produced by Nick Wiz, and also featured beats from DJ Megahurtz, The Bluez Brothers and the duo themselves. The album received considerable acclaim from both critics and underground fans, due to its unique lyrical style and dark, atmospheric production. All Music Guide writer Michael Di Bella describes the album’s style as a combination of “Dungeons and Dragons-style role-playing games, horror flicks, slick, rugged beats, and imaginative, often humorous lyrics”, and called the album “an exciting and bizarre ride through two warped intellects.” [1]
UG and Phantasm returned in 2000 with their simplified title, The Dwellas, and released their sophomore album, The Last Shall Be First through Loud Records. The album again featured production from Nick Wiz, as well as star beat-makers like Large Professor, Ayatollah and Rockwilder. Guests on the album included Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, Cocoa Brovaz and Organized Konfusion. The album received moderate reviews, but received little attention, failing to reach any Billboard chart. The album’s singles, “Stand Up”, “Leakage” and “Game of Death”, all failed to reach any Billboard singles chart. All Music Guide once again praised the album. Writer Jon Azpiri stated that the duo could “more than hold their own among hip-hop heavyweights” and “after listening to The Last Shall Be First, it’s clear that the Dwellas have risen to another level.” [2] The duo’s only release since The Last Shall Be First was a single titled “Who Killed the Hip Hop”, released in 2003. They have yet to release a third album.
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