With a deadly one-two punch comprised of Madchild’s sneering bars and the ultra-fresh flows of Prevail, Swollen Members became monsters of Canadian rap. The core duo formed the group in the ’90s and were quickly welcomed into the American rap/breaking franchise Rock Steady Crew. They dropped their debut, Balance, in 1999, arriving like a bomb with swaggering tracks like “Lady Venom” that established an in-your-face attitude and a shadowy sound. In 2001, they found greater commercial success with Bad Dreams, which went platinum in Canada on the strength of punchy jams like “Fuel Injected”, which featured frequent collaborator Moka Only. Along with producer Rob The Viking, Moka became an official Member for 2002’s Monsters In the Closet, which featured a poppier vibe, highlighted on the pumping single “Steppin Thru” and “Breath”, which featured vocals by Nelly Furtado. The group’s lasting legacy has been their aggressive sound and old-school craftsmanship, setting dizzying raps front and centre on 2003’s piano-driven “Watch This” or 2006’s scratch-laden head-nodder “Too Hot”. Despite personal trials, Swollen Members have endured for more than two decades to make top-tier hip-hop, and tracks like 2014’s “Brand New Day”—a sun-kissed celebration of perseverance—testify to that.