Draft:N.B.S.

N.B.S.
Origin	Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, East Coast hip hop, underground hip hop
Years active	1999–present
Labels	NBS Entertainment, Big Bang, Traffic, Goon MuSick, Empire Music
Members	E'Flash (Imam Bilal-Firmin) V-Knuckles (Rahim Muhammad)

N.B.S. (an acronym for Natural Born Spitters) is an American hip hop duo based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The group consists of cousins E'Flash (Imam Bilal-Firmin) and V-Knuckles (Rahim Muhammad). They are noted for their contributions to the Boston underground hip hop scene, their extensive touring in Europe and Asia, and their community activism in the Greater Boston area.

History

Formation and Cambridge origins

E'Flash and V-Knuckles are cousins who share roots in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston but were raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. E'Flash grew up in the Taurus Apartments on Humboldt Ave, while V-Knuckles lived in the Madison Park Village townhomes. They attended historically black colleges and universities, with E'Flash graduating from Morris Brown College and V-Knuckles attending Howard University.

In the early 2000s, N.B.S. became a central fixture in the local Cambridge hip hop scene, often collaborating with contemporaries such as the Skitzofreniks and Millyz. They established early regional recognition through performances at venues like The Middle East and appearances on local college radio stations WERS and WBOT, where they connected with then-local DJ Statik Selektah.

Debut and critical reception (2003–2010)

The group released their debut album In Due Time in 2003, featuring early production from fellow Cambridge native J. Cardim. While the release was local, it established their reputation for "true school" lyricism. They gained wider attention with a series of mixtapes, including The Antidote and The Piff, which led to coverage in the Boston Herald, where they were praised for displaying "strength and unity" within the local scene.

In 2009, the group received national press coverage during the Henry Louis Gates Jr. arrest controversy. N.B.S. released music commentary on the event, which occurred in their hometown of Cambridge, and were interviewed by outlets such as The Oak Ridger regarding the racial dynamics of the city.

Their first major industry release, The Prelude (2010), was released via Big Bang Records. It was reviewed positively by RapReviews, which noted the group's "relentless flow" and ability to maintain a classic East Coast aesthetic without sounding dated.

International touring and collaborations (2011–present)

N.B.S. is distinct among independent Boston acts for their significant foothold in international markets. In 2012, their album The Dispensary secured physical distribution in Japan through Tower Records and Disk Union, covered by Japanese music outlet Natalie.mu.

The duo developed a long-standing partnership with the German production team Snowgoons, beginning with the track "B.O.S.T.O.N." on their 2007 mixtape Evolution (produced by member Sicknature). This relationship culminated in the collaborative album Trapped in America (2015), which received a special edition release in South Korea.

They were subsequently inducted into 100 Mad, the international collective founded by the group Onyx. This affiliation led to the "Mad Russian Tour" in 2017, where N.B.S. performed across Russia, including dates in Saint Petersburg and Moscow. They also toured China in 2017 alongside rapper Jackson Turner.

In 2020, they released Still Trapped in America with Snowgoons, continuing their exploration of sociopolitical themes. That same year, they released Lost in Budapest, an album recorded entirely with Hungarian producers, which was praised by local outlets for its "gritty, boom-bap aesthetic."

Activism and community work

Beyond their music career, E'Flash and V-Knuckles are prominent community figures in Cambridge and Roxbury. They have been featured in the Dorchester Reporter for their work with **The Hip Hop Transformation**, a youth development program at the Cambridge Community Center. E'Flash serves as the Program Director, teaching teens audio engineering, history, and conflict resolution through hip hop culture.

The duo was also highlighted in the Bay State Banner for their involvement in "Boston's Black Wall Street Remembered," an initiative honoring the legacy of economic prosperity in Roxbury. In 2019, they were signatories to a policy letter from the **Institute for Intellectual Property & Social Justice (IIPSJ)** regarding diversity in the Music Modernization Act.

Discography

Studio albums

• In Due Time (2003)
• The Prelude (2010)
• The Smokefest (2013)
• Budavets (with Scarcity Budapest) (2014)
• SwissVets: Hot Dogs to Swiss Francs (2014)
• Trapped in America (with Snowgoons) (2015)
• SwissVets 2 (2018)
• Still Trapped in America (with Snowgoons) (2020)
• Lost in Budapest (2020)
• SwissVets 3 (2022)

Selected guest appearances

N.B.S. has appeared on projects by notable hip hop artists and producers, including:

• Slaine – "Broken" from A World With No Skies (2011) and "Nothin' But Business" from The Boston Project (2013).
• Statik Selektah – "Get $ 2" from The Champs Are Here and "For The Better" from Concepts: Selektions (2011).
• 9th Wonder – "You Wanna" from The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 (2007).
• Onyx – "It's 100 Mad" from 100 Mad (2019).

References

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• American hip hop groups
• East Coast hip hop groups
• Musical groups from Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Underground hip hop groups
• Musical groups established in 1999