In later interviews, founding member Lorenzo (Laurence Knopf, later called Mr Shylok) told the press the name had referred to the collective's ideal of "brotherhood between races".
[10] A full-page piece in The Independent newspaper[11] was the starting point for intense international media interest focused on the racial angle rather than the music.
Framed as 'Jewish political protest rap' the Brotherhood were pursued by The New York Times, Def II's 'Reportage', NBC News, and other major media outlets.
Within months, it was also widely reported that major American and UK labels rapidly despatched A&R men to live shows or directly to Bite It!
The furore reached the stage where statements were issued to the press: "The fact that The Brotherhood are white and happen to be Jewish is an irrelevant point, we hope people listen to the music and think this is a good track”[12][13][14][15][16][17][excessive citations] While revenues from the US hip-hop scene dwarfed its UK underground cousin, the Brotherhood refused media appearances and deals which they felt were irrelevant to the music.
That's the bottom line.” There were concerns that involvement with larger players would detract from the music, plus reinforce the anti-Semitic stereotype that “Jews run the media”.
NME hailed it as “out one of the UK's finest hip hop singles ever… With its snarling, snorting brass riffs and swaggering drum thunder”.
[23][25] On the flip side was ‘Break It Down', "a downtempo shuffler, with mad metal-like guitars arc cut up samples overlaid with scratch patterns" and 'Hit The Funk', "a slow fat and funky tune that again displays their inimitable rhyme skills".
At this point, Lorenzo changed his moniker to Mr Shylok and the band once again had a multi-cultural line up (mixed race, black and white).
[1] An untitled white label was released in 1993, followed by another 12 tracks on The Brotherhood XXII EP featuring the singles "IMightSmokeASpliffButIWon'tSniff" and "Beats R Ruff N Rugged".
super like my man Jim Bowen]";[32] "To a backdrop of dirty blues scratches and samples they add a hard core B-line and rhymes guaranteed to make you think".
was well received in the press as "a rougher affair with a L.O.T.U scratch" and vocals that again drew the now inevitable comparisons to both House of Pain and Cypress Hill.
I mean this is something we’ve been going on about for a long time now and we’ll keep on about it.”[35] The band kept references strictly homegrown, as one journalist noted, "They're happy to be out about being British.
[36] In 1995 the band signed to Virgin, with whom they released a 12" EP, Alphabetical Response, the same year, accompanied by a music video shot in mainly in black and white.
[36] The video features the band members rapping often in silhouette or side lit, with superimposed frames and graphics in a composition that achieves a stark noir feel.
NME described "Alphabetical Response" as a track "where a Speak and Spell Machine and eerie childlike synths weave through hotstepping beats".
[37][38] Lyrically the album had an undeniable UK feel, "amid smoky loops and beats" with "a sumptuous blunted groove".
[36] Mr Dexter cited a chance meeting with Johnny Rotten at an anti-apartheid rally ten years earlier as instrumental in keeping the sound real.
The band won a Black Music Award for Best Rap Act while the cover art[40] for Elementalz by Dave McKeen received widespread artistic acclaim.
Their next management company was headed by Neil Easterby, from the prominent NY hip hop & urban label Profile Records.
These including a typical 'fry up' café meal, the dirty graffiti covered underground trains & buses, imposing dark subways and grimy streets.
At the end of 2016 Germany based label Underground United in conjunction with Naked Ape Records released another one of the 1998 album tracks, "The Return".