Smif-n-Wessun

Smif-N-Wessun
Steele (left) and Tek
Background information
Also known as	Cocoa Brovaz, Tek-N-Steele, Mr. Rippa, Mr. Vicksta
Origin	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Duck Down
Associated acts	Boot Camp Clik, Black Moon, Heltah Skeltah, O.G.C., Tupac Shakur, Pete Rock, Ken Ring, Sido, Mary J. Blige
Members	Tek Steele

Smif-N-Wessun (a.k.a. Cocoa Brovaz) is a hip hop duo consisting of members Tek (Tekomin Williams) and Steele (Darrell Yates). Smif-N-Wessun comprise one quarter of the Brownsville, Brooklyn supergroup Boot Camp Clik, with Buckshot, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. Both members are known for their Jamaican Patois during their raps, which was more evident during the earlier stages of their career.

The duo debuted on Black Moon's 1993 album Enta da Stage, appearing on the tracks "Blac Smif-N-Wessun" and "U Da Man". They released their first single "Bucktown" b/w "Let's Git It On" in early 1994. "Bucktown" became an underground smash, and gave the group considerable hype for their debut album, Dah Shinin', released in January 1995. The album debuted in the top 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and went on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States. Along with "Bucktown," the album featured the singles "Wrekonize" b/w "Sound Bwoy Bureill" and "Wontime" b/w "Stand Strong." Dah Shinin became an influential album in the hardcore New York City hip hop scene of the mid-1990s, and is considered a rap classic. Soon after the release of their debut, Smif-N-Wessun were sued with a cease and desist order over their group name by the Smith & Wesson firearms company. To avoid the lawsuit, they decided to change their name to the Cocoa Brovaz in 1996. In 1996, Smif-N-Wessun and the Boot Camp Clik flew to Los Angeles to collaborate and record an album with Death Row Records artist, Makaveli. The album was titled "One Nation." 2Pac planned to release it with two discs, one titled "WestCoast" and the other titled "EastCoast." Fat Joe was supposed to fly to L.A. but never turned up. Boot Camp Clik, Snoop Dogg, Outlawz, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Wu-Tang Clan, Luniz, Kokane, Spice 1 and others were also going to be featured on the album.