Y Society

by Cyril CordorFormed in 2007, Y Society are a collaborative effort between Boston rapper Insight and Washington, D.C., DJ/producer Damu the Fudgemunk. Each of the two had earned his keep on the independent hip-hop scene -- Insight as a longstanding mainstay in Boston's rap underground and member of Electric Company, and Damu as the DJ for 2006 underground breakout Panacea -- but with their debut, Travel at Your Own Pace (2007), this MC/DJ partnership stood out among the resurgence of back-to-basics hip-hop groups cropping up throughout the 2000s. Though Y Society were a trans-coastal collaboration, the album mirrored the old-school aesthetic known to come out of Boston from artists like Mr. Lif and Edan, but Damu employed more funky twists and smooth soul textures for Insight's keen mind and versatile mike abilities.