Darkroom Familia
Darkroom Familia: Northern California Chicano rap collective formed in 1988, known for Homicide Kings and the all-Spanish Los Traficantes… Matan Mi Gente.
Origins
Darkroom Familia is a Chicano rap collective with members from across Northern California; AllMusic places it in Hayward, near Oakland. Founding member Duke has said he, Crooked and Sir Dyno put out their first recordings in 1988, at 16. The name came from the garage studio the members built, which stayed dark for lack of a light fixture.
Selling it themselves
With major labels uninterested in gangsta rap acts, the members took their tapes to record stores personally, and their following grew by word of mouth, the same independent route the Bay's Black artists were taking. Releases came out on the group's own Darkroom Studios and on labels including Dogday, Brown Power, Explicit Entertainment and Sumo Records.
A prolific run
Darkroom became one of rap's most prolific crews, releasing group albums, solo records and side projects such as Temporary Insanity, Los Traficantes, Connected and Brown Area. AllMusic counts eight albums between 1999 and 2001 alone, including Veteranos, Homicide Kings, Smile Now Cry Later and Men of Honor, plus the compilation Barrio Classics 88-98. Los Traficantes... Matan Mi Gente is cited as one of the first all-Spanish rap albums.
The familia
Members and affiliates over the years include Sir Dyno, Crooked, Duke, Oso, J-Loc, Dub, A.L.G., K.I.D., Young D, Young G and Lil' Sapo. The group has kept releasing music through Darkroom Studios, including That Was Then This Is Now in 2023.
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