DVS Mindz
Beginnings
DVS Mindz was a seminal rap music group from Topeka, Kansas. DVS Mindz stands for Dope Versatile Styles Manifested IN a Direction to Zucceed. The group opened for a number of notable acts during this time, including Run DMC, Wu Tang Clan, Sugarhill Gang, Redman, De La Soul, Digital Underground, and Goodie Mob.
DVS Mindz formed in 1993 when rappers Str8jakkett and Killa The Hun, who met in middle school, began collaborating on music. D.O.P.E. signed on a few months later and the trio debuted Nov. 4, 1993, at a Topeka talent show.[1]
The group's original sound owed major influence to hardcore East Coast rap groups such as the Wu Tang Clan, as well as old-school rap acts such as Erik B and Rakim. The trio began recording and performing in earnest, eventually landing two tracks on a 1998 compilation CD entitled "I.C.U.: The Revival." The tracks were "No Coast" and "Real MCs," both of which underscored the group's lyrical prowess. Through numerous shows in the Topeka, Lawrence, and Kansas City areas, DVS Mindz was becoming a popular live attraction.
1137 The group eventually recruited two more members who solidified the group's classic lineup, DJ Kuttaculus and a young MC named DL. The group took refuge in a dilapidated house at 1137 N. Sawyer in Topeka, Kansas. Unable to afford utilities, the group paid for just enough electricity to run their recording gear. During this time, the group bonded and wrote a number of its most popular songs.
In December, 1999, the group opened for U-God, an affiliate of the Wu-Tang Clan, at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas. The group caught the eye of local music journalist Geoff Harkness, who subsequently wrote a rave review of the group, which was published in the local newspaper, the Lawrence Journal-World. Harkness wrote an extensive article about the group a few months later, which appeared on the cover of a local music weekly.
In May, 2000, the group released its debut album, "Million Doller Broke Niggaz," which contained tracks that dated back as far as 1994. The album spawned two popular songs, "Niggaz" and "Tired of Talking,"
Controversey
"There are two schools of thought on the Mindz: those who think DVS Mindz is the area's tightest rap group and those who think their rhymes are unoriginal and their beats add nothing to the songs. There's some merit to both arguments."
http://www.restaurants.lawrence.com/news/2000/dec/21/a_puzzle/
http://www.pitch.com/2001-03-29/music/mindz-control&page=184