By Matthew M. Burke
Special to the Reporter

Boston is the place to be these days. The Red Sox and the New England Patriots are in championship form. Hollywood has taken a particular interest in the city as well, with Martin Scorsese's The Departed and Ben Affleck's Gone Baby, Gone putting a new spotlight on the town.

The hip-hop industry is a different beast altogether. Only a handful of acts from Boston have ever generated national buzz. Even fewer have attained or been able to sustain superstardom.

Insiders complain that the city's hip-hop scene is fragmented by the lack of support from fellow artists. There are huge peaks and valleys in both visibility and new product. Meanwhile, Boston artists have watched as New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, Detroit, and even New Orleans, have all had a turn in the mainstream national spotlight.

Above, l-r: Jaysaun, Edo G and Slaine. Photo courtesy of Garrity Management

Special Teamz, a super-group of sorts comprised of three of Boston's finest emcees - including two with Dorchester roots - hopes that their debut album "Stereotypez" will mark a breakthrough. A recent article in XXL Magazine, one upcoming in The Source, and a song featured in the film Gone Baby, Gone, suggest that they may be on to something.

According to the group, Boston's recent explosion of exposure has definitely helped.

"What's helping Special Teamz in particular is the fact that Boston is one of the premier cities in the world right now," said Dorchester emcee Jaysaun, still hoarse from a performance the previous evening in which the group opened up for Common at UMass-Boston. "I think in a sense we are already kind of like Boston's go-to-guys, Boston's mascots as far as hip-hop goes. We always were in a particular vein, but maybe not as big nationally as we should be, but hell yea, I'd love to be the one who brings [hip-hop prominence to the City of Boston]."

Special Teamz is comprised of Slaine, Edo G, and Jaysaun. DJ JayCeeOh mans the wheels of steel.

Slaine is a deep, yet intense, hardcore rapper who hails from South Boston. He was born in Dorchester spending time between Lower Mills and Adams Corner. His MySpace site lists his hometown as South Boston-Roslindale.

The imposing Irishman has spent a considerable amount of time in New York the past few years where he honed his skills and perfected his crass yet intricate lyrical style, which seems possessed at times, and is focused on street crime, drugs, and sex. He came back to Boston and he has been on the rise ever since, releasing several acclaimed mix tapes.

Slaine moonlights as a member of La Coka Nostra, a hardcore rap group which also features the members of House of Pain and Ill Bill from Non Phixion. Recently, he played the gun-toting, drug-dealing "Bubba Rogowski" in the film Gone Baby, Gone.

One of his songs was in the movie, as was one of Special Teamz'.

"Movies like that aren't blockbuster movies," Slaine said of his acting debut. He said that Gone Baby, Gone has grossed a "modest" $16 million thus far. "It's drama. But it was well reviewed and definitely well received. I hope it leads to some more acting for me."

Edo G, or Ed O.G. as he was called in the late 80s and early 90s, is a Roxbury based hip-hop legend best known for the 1991 hit "I Gotta Have It," by his group Da Bulldogs.

Edo has a distinct voice and an intelligent old school nature. However, he can cuss and rap with the air of self confidence to hang with some of the younger artists today. In the early 90s, he was number one on the Billboard charts and Yo! Mtv Raps countdown at the same time, going gold. He is the only Boston hip-hop artist to ever do so.

Jaysaun hails from Connecticut but came to Dorchester when he was 12. He grew up in Uphams Corner, getting into hip-hop music through an older cousin who was in a group called Inner Circle Posse with DJ Premier in Texas.

He is half black and half Jewish, a lineage he said exposed him to stereotypes at an early age.

Jaysaun raps with a swagger that is unrivaled. Lyrically, he is advanced and runs laps around most emcees using mental imagery and metaphors. He can be both aggressive and introspective.

Years ago he was a part of the Gang Starr stable and more recently the frontman of the Kreators. He sold close to 10,000 copies of the Boston anthem "Home," and has been nominated for three Boston Music Awards, not to mention rotation on MTV.

Special Teamz, formerly known as the Last Word, was founded by Edo and Jaysaun in 2000; the pair has known each other since the '80s.

The group has always been a trio but twice had to replace their third member, finally settling on Slaine after the Southie wordslayer impressed while recording a track with Jaysaun, who arrived at the studio with Edo, in 2004.

It was trial by fire for the group as they tested their newest member and their chemistry on the road during a 2005 European tour.

According to Edo, the three emcees got along together perfectly. He added that they are all equally driven and committed to the group.

"It's been great, man," Edo said of the current three year run with the new Special Teamz lineup. "Those guys are wild. Once the [European tour] worked out, everything else just fell into place."

Last year, the group released a self-titled mixtape that sold over 8,000 copies internationally. Soon after, the trio turned down a deal, and a good amount of money, with local label Mass Appeal, which offered distribution through Fontana/Universal, when it became clear to them that the label didn't have their best interests at heart.

The group first talked to Brooklyn-based Duck Down after label heads heard that Special Teamz mixtape was a top seller in Boston while they were passing through last year. A concrete deal didn't materialize until after they toured with Duck Down artist Sean Price in Canada. The Duck Down heavyweight then lobbied the label to sign the group, their only artists from outside of New York.

According to Slaine, Special Teamz represents three generations of hip-hop, and features the best Boston emcees from each era. In the studio, there is very little structure, Edo added. They pick out the best beats and simply spit their best rhymes, pushing one another harder and further.

All three agree that they are not motivated to preach, but some tracks on their debut definitely send a message. "Race Riot" talks about the City's dark history of racism, and how hip-hop has helped bring the races together, including Special Teamz, whose members are white, black, and mixed.

"It kind of brings out a different aspect of our styles when we work together," said Slaine. "I don't think that there is really a message that we have as far as preaching to people on how they should be. I think its more just bridging the gaps between different genres of hip-hop, different styles of hip-hop, and different neighborhoods in the city. It just kind of happened the way it happened."

Stereotypez is a Boston masterpiece and an eclectic blend of old school boom-bap with today's emphasis on sharp and poignant lyrical prowess, most of which was recorded right here in Dorchester. It is a coming out party for the group nationally as much as it is for the Boston hip-hop scene.

The record has old school flavor and is even funny at times, inviting people of all shapes, sizes, and races to laugh at the different stereotypes found in society today while listening to the title track. At the same time, the record is gritty, reminiscent of modern hip-hop.

Some of the stronger tracks on the record include the Young Cee produced braggadocio track "Three Kingz," which features the ageless Edo G tactfully explaining why he is still the Mayor of Boston hip-hop as he craftfully declares his superiority. Jaysaun shows why he is probably the most underrated emcee on the East Coast with introspective and dagger filled verbiage on "Fallen Angels," which was featured in Gone Baby, Gone, and Slaine exhibits why he is the next big thing with a moving verse on "Story of My Life."

The biggest departure for the group is the bonus track, entitled "Gun in My Hand," which features a hook by Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, one of Slaine's close friends. None of the three emcees seem out of place on the song, and the track will no doubt open them up to a whole new audience of fans.

Look for Special Teamz album "Stereotypez" in stores, online, and on tour this winter.