On this day in Hip Hop history, Brooklyn duo Heltah Skeltah, members of the revered New York supergroup Boot Camp Clik, released their groundbreaking debut album, Nocturnal.
The LP, which introduced the raw chemistry between Ruck (the late Sean Price) and Rock, was met with widespread critical praise and quickly cemented the pair as standout voices within the Boot Camp Clik collective. Chart-wise, Nocturnal made an impressive impact, climbing to #35 on the Billboard 200 and landing at #5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it the duo’s most commercially successful project to date.
The album’s gritty standout single, “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka,” featuring fellow Boot Camp affiliates OGC, became an underground hit and even crossed into mainstream territory, reaching #75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gaining traction overseas.
Nocturnal wasn’t just a moment for Heltah Skeltah; it was a defining entry in ’90s East Coast Hip Hop and a testament to the strength of the Duck Down movement.
Much respect to Rockness Monsta, the entire Boot Camp Clik and Duck Down family, and a heartfelt rest in power to the legendary Sean Price. Nocturnal remains a timeless pillar of that golden era.