Seattle’s Sportn’ Life Records publicly launched in 2002 with this historic twelve-inch release. Trivia fact, the undulating Sportn’ Life logo was designed by none other than Bean One. This is a monster record! The two songs are top notch, which is no surprise because both beats here come courtesy of Seattle legend Vitamin D.

Side A is “We Are” by Last Men Standin. The group consisted of two rappers, Fleeta Partee, and Jamal “Hectik” Henderson. “From a G to a key, it’s about to get to cracking as soon as I count to three,” begins this hot track. Hectik is a little more laid back in his delivery, while Fleeta’s voice is higher and his lines are served with a little more heat. The two MCs complement each other well, seamlessly combining two different vibes. Unfortunately this was the only single released by Last Men Standin, but fans can still follow Hectik and Fleeta in their solo work.

“You Need A Thug,” by Danger is the B-side. Under the song title, his alternate name “D.black” is printed in parentheses. D Black’s dad is Captain Crunch from Emerald Street Boys, one of the first rap groups in Seattle. “You Need A Thug” is basic yet effective, and even at a very young age, D Black had an uncanny grasp of how to put a catchy verse together. He seems like he is just hanging out with you in a car or on the couch, but the wordplay and delivery is all professional stagecraft.

The year after this single, the label dropped The Sport-N-Life Compilation Vol 1 with classic tracks from stars like Fatal Lucciauno, Silent Lambs, Candidt, Narcotik, and many others. Both members of Last Men Standin had cuts on the 2003 compilation, Hectik gave us “Haters,” and Partee dropped “Sincerely Yours.” In the years that followed, Sportn’ Life became one of the most successful Seattle rap record labels ever, truly a force to be reckoned with. Written by Novocaine132