The Ghetto Chilldren
“B-Self” & “Vitamin D”
Rappers, Producers, DJs
They walked away from a major record deal to do it their own way. Meet B-Self and Vitamin D of Ghetto Chilldren, the duo from Garfield High who ignited the future of NW hip-hop.
While grunge dominated Seattle’s headlines, they stayed rooted in their own rhythm, building jazz-soaked beats and spitting sharp rhymes that spoke to the soul of their Central District neighborhood.
Their commitment to artistic independence led them to forge Tribal Productions in 1994. Compilations like Untranslated Prescriptions and Do the Math were foundational to the scene and captured the spirit of an entire movement.
Their legacy still echoes today. Artists like Macklemore and Physics credit them as a defining influence. Ghetto Chilldren are more than pioneers. They’re the reason a generation of MCs picked up the mic.
Photo by Rachel Crick at Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center
Transcript
Okay, this is B. Self from Ghetto Children. This is for as many weirdos as possible. The audio recording of my story for the coffee table book, Take One.
Mike Clark is a Seattle hip hop stalwart. He's always championed local music from his work in record stores to Flavor Magazine to KC Mu, Rap Attack, and a number of other roles he's played along the way. This all made him a key contact for industry people outside of Seattle. He was a mentor to me and even got us a demo deal with Geffen Records back in 1994.
So anyway, one day Mike calls me up and says, "Hey, you want to go hang out with the Fugees today?" I said, "Sure." So we went to meet them. They were doing a car show out at Northgate Mall, which is gone now. The Kraken hockey team built a training center there.
Anyway, we went to meet the Fugees and I was really underwhelmed though. You know, Wyclef and Prozz were disinterested at best, making forays into outright asshole ness from time to time. But Lauryn Hill was very affable and an easygoing person who seemed to really be enjoying herself. I know that's a reverse image of what people may say now, but to me, she was dope.
They finished the car show thing and they said they were hungry. So I suggested we go to Ezell's, which is in my neighborhood, to which Prozz said, "Why would I want to go there?" You know, or some shit like that. So I just ignored dude for the rest of the time. But Lauryn Hill was glad to go there. They all ordered food, but as Prozz and Wyclef sat on the bus, Lauryn went to meet with the fans across the street at Garfield, which is the school that I went to. And she even battled neighborhood rappers. You know, it was just pretty dope.