✅ In 1993, Crucial Conflict was still years away from their breakout hit “Hay,” but they were already making serious noise on the underground Chicago circuit. What most fans don’t know is that their first recordings were done on cassette through a tiny West Side basement studio run by producer Wildstyle, who later became the group’s in-house beatmaker. According to a 1996 interview in Rap Sheet, the group was developing a fast-paced, harmonized style inspired by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, but with deeper roots in Chicago’s juke, footwork, and blues scenes. The original lineup was even slightly different, with some early sessions rumored to include verses from local artists who didn’t make the final cut when they signed with Universal. ✅ A rarely confirmed rumor, supported by DJ Geno from Chicago’s old WGCI radio staff, says that Crucial Conflict recorded an unreleased EP in 1993 titled Mad Conflict, featuring early versions of “Desperado” and “Ride the Rodeo” before they were polished for The Final Tic. These early demos were passed around on dubbed tapes in high schools across the West Side and South Side and even made it into the hands of Twista, who gave the group props publicly at a 1994 open mic at the Cotton Club. Some of these tapes reportedly still exist in collector circles, making them one of the most valuable lost gems in Chicago hip hop history. Sources: Rap Sheet Magazine (1996 Crucial Conflict interview) DJ Geno interview on Vocalo Radio (2018) WGCI Radio Archives (1993 playlist reports) The Final Tic Liner Notes (1996, Universal Records) Chicago Hip Hop Oral History Project (University of Chicago, 2005) #CrucialConflict #Chicago #HipHop #1993Rap #WestSideChicago