In December 2003 an Urban Legend was born in a basement of a small town home in the Hawthorne H.U.D. Housing place in Independence, Missouri. The idea of a label that refused to compromise and "fit the format" was birthed from the now synonymous group known as Cryptik! In January 2004 the company became solidified and Mental-E Challyngd Records became a driving force in the Kansas City underground scene. MCR quickly certified it's self by aquiring the power punk trio known as Fightin 4 Friday in February of 2004 and releasing thier debut album "Thursday 11:59 P.M." in May of 2004.
Following up on the quickly building momentum they brought in recording artist Cykosomatik officially in June and immediately paired him with Cryptik. Then releasing the original "Shortbus Sampler" which became the most sought after and stolen cd in Kansas City for 2004. They began a massive slew of live shows and appearances throughout the summer of '04. In mid summer yet another act was added to the growing roster when black metal act Vivisection jumped aboard the fastly moving short bus!
In August Vivisection released a self titled album on thier new label! With a huge title wave of interest the company than picked up local artist Hyper Sniper, his producer Killjoy a Kasnas native at the time residing in San Diego, California and Nickoteen from Wichita, Ks. and began works on a new project involving the three new artists. Come fall MCR decided to capitolize on its's popularity to give back to the community and began working with Charity groups around the area under the name "Halfwitz 4 Humanity".
The company booked it's first annual Charity Ball in November in association with Toys 4 Tots. All though due to the dieing Kansas City club circuit the show was cancelled the artists who showed still performed for the die hard fans in a rain soaked parking lot in Downtown KC and helped give alot of childeren a Christmas!
January 2005 The label brought aboard yet another act! A trio of young aspiring artists who were influenced themselves by Mental-E Challyngd known as The Wellfare Boyz. The trio recorded thier first track in the MCR studio and debut in the middle of Cryptik's headlining set at the Valentine's Day Massacre show in Kearny, Missouri. With the exception of street promotions and a few major hit downloads from The Wellfare Boyz the early part of 2005 was quiet.
Cryptik and Cykosomatik finally both hitting the studio for thier highly anticipated and longly awaited albums. Hyper Sniper and Killjoy branching off due to differences with roster members, and F4F constantly performing live not much came from the label until June!
In June Cryptik imerged releasing the Sewer Sweetz Sampler in promotion for thier forth coming album. Finally on July 5th. 2005, Cryptik emerged with thier full length release entitled Sewer Soundz! The following month was spent promoting the new album, and on September 11th. the debut album from Cykosomatik entitled The World Inside of My Mind was released! Unfortunately due to a deployment of activeduty in the Marine Crops. Cykosomatik was MIA and this album was only a marginal success.
In November Halfwitz 4 Humanity held it's second annual Charity Ball again in association with Toys 4 Tots. Due to the feuding between the two now rival companies most of the roster abandoned bus leaving only Mista Havocc of Cryptik and The Wellfare Boyz to keep the shortbus on the road! Havocc enlisted the help of local artist Sinister in early Spring 2006 just as parenting company C.F.C Entertainment Incorporated picked up MCR.
Havocc shedding the ties of Cryptik along side the Wellfare Boyz and Sinister also landed a management conract through D/C Management and were kept busy throughout the year. Releasing slews of samplers and internet downloads the now skeleton crew kept the momentum strong until Havocc's contract under the company expired. Havocc shed the name and while keeping in with the label began back on his solo path forming his own label also on CFC!
In January 2007 the shortbus began to regroup. Building it's self around Sinister and The Wellfare Boyz, the label brought on long time aquaintance Diablos, the first lady of Mental-E Challyngd Records Inacents, and the duo Syko Sikk! It began the new business year in May and had many of it's artists featured on the C.F.C sampler Rize of an Empire. It then in June 2007 released the long awaited sequal to the original Shortbus Sampler entitled Shortbus Sampler 2:Bak Two Skool and embodying the new cast as the new breed or new class.Unfortunately due to a failure in new management and a resurgance of the feud between the company and ex-label members the newly found breate of life was limited to these samplers and a back catalog of random internet singles and rarities. The label came to a silence in the public eye June 12, 2007..... Now in 2009, after adding a four bottle Nos system a turbo blower and some other overhauls after a year and a half get ready....... THE SHORTBUS RIDEZ AGAIN!!!!!!
© ® 2003-2010 Mental-E Challyngd Records. Mental-E Challyngd Records and all Names and likenesses are officially registered properties of Crime Family Communications, Inc. All unauthorized duplications are a violation of applicable laws.