"Originally the Liun's Den was actually this broken down 2-floor garage in Long Island," JusBlak, whose father owned the corresponding house, "it had a big hole in the ceiling, and several in the floor. We had to climb up in there 'cause the steps were rotted out." His voice drifts on as he begins to reminisce, " We used to have lyrical freestyle ciphers and smoke cypress. Every MC in Uniondale and Heapstead knew where it was.It was like a gataway. My pop' saying was 'I'd taher see ya'll smoke weed in here, that be on the street in trouble'."
Luz Wed's acceptance to AIU in Atlanta marked the beginning of the Den's migration. He began tapping into the current of the underground scene there and saw an opportunity for his crew to flourish. After finding a stable hustle and eventually leaving school, he decided that the time was right, and made the call for the rest of his family to join him. Brane was the first to come in 1996, followed by Ekundayo and his wife Maat Ra. As the foundation grew stronger more members arrived and the Liun's Den began to make its mark on Atlanta.
In five years their endeavors grow from just a notion, to several successful entrepreneural projects including the Liuns Lair - a loftspace which hosts some the hottest freestyle sessions in the city, Reason to be Vegan - a vegetarian catering company, and Prideland Records - their record label, among other ventures. But their determination and ingenuity alone would not go far without a strong lyrical edge.
What is that distingushes the Liun's Den from other crews on the mic? Ekundayo says: "We contribute an element of hard-core consciousness and spirituality...roots hip hop." Maat adds, "if you listened to KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, EPMD...from the early eighties, we're bringin that vibe back..." "We bring back blackness," continues Brane, "we ain't sellin our people short or misrepresenting them. But the main factor is the great number of MC's in our crew that actually know how to rip a mic."