Runaway Slavewas a breakout LP in 1992 for Showbiz and A.G., the Bronx duo whose crew, D.I.T.C. was commanding NY underground rap with dark, expertly sourced samples and tremendous lyricalfire powerfrom Fat Joe, Big L, and Lord Finesse, respectfully.Runaway Slavessingle Soul Clap (originally released on a previous EP) remains a favorite that has taken a life of its own in subsequent decades through word-of-mouth, compilations, and mixtapes. The duo further solidified D.I.T.C.s consistent reign as Bronx stalwarts with equal acumen for production and rhymes but also emerged as a standout sub-component within the crew. The project melded as a perfect marriage between Showbizs production and A.G.s exuberantly visual verses.

While Soul Clap went on to become an informal classic, other singles formally did quite well in 1993. Bounce Ta Thisfeaturing an especially thoughtful verse by Dres of Black Sheep)charted at No. 15 on theHot Rap Singleschart as did Fat Pockets which peaked at No. 8. Despite the albums rough, boom-bap aesthetic, it surprisingly also penetrated theTop R&B Chartsat No. 78. While it surely deserved chart attention, its the grimier cuts that provided the connective tissue that made it initially stunning and ultimately timeless.

The monstrous posse cut Represent featuring top-form, menacing D.I.T.C personnel; Lord Finesse and Big L DeShawn alsoappearson the track as does A.G. Other notable D.I.T.C. Diamond D drops in on the fittingly titled Still Diggin.

Runaway Slaveis a sonorous whirlwind ofout-for-selfstreet strength, shifty imagery, and sharp punchlines.