El-Amin after
converting to Islam (born
Tekomin B. Williams on June 3, 1973) better known by his
stage name Tek, is an
American rapper, famous as a member of the duo
Smif-N-Wessun, and the
Hip Hop collective
Boot Camp Clik. Tek debuted on
Black Moon's 1993 album
Enta Da Stage with his rhyming partner
Steele. In 1994,
Smif-N-Wessun released their debut single
"Bucktown", which became a
Billboard Hot 100 hit, and gave
Brooklyn the nickname "Bucktown, home of the original gun clappers".
Smif-N-Wessun dropped their debut album
Dah Shinin' in early 1995, a release that is now hailed as a classic underground Hip Hop album. Later in 1995, the duo was sued by the
Smith & Wesson firearms company, forcing them to change their name of
Smif-N-Wessun to the
Cocoa Brovaz. Tek recorded a group album with the
Boot Camp Clik in 1997,
For the People, then followed in 1998 with a
Cocoa Brovaz album,
The Rude Awakening. Though not as widely heralded as their debut, the album received moderate sales, led by the single
"Black Trump". After Tek's label
Duck Down Records was dropped from their
Priority Records distribution deal, the Cocoa Brovaz released a single titled
"Super Brooklyn", utilizing a sample from
Super Mario Bros. The attention received from the single landed them a record deal with popular independent label
Rawkus Records. The duo never released an album on the label, and they returned home to
Duck Down Records to record another
Boot Camp Clik album in 2002,
The Chosen Few. In 2005, the Cocoa Brovaz returned with the name
Smif-N-Wessun and released their third album
Smif 'N' Wessun: Reloaded. Later that year, Tek released a street album titled
It Is What It Is. Tek and the
Boot Camp Clik released their third group album,
The Last Stand, on July 18, 2006. Tek's voice appears in the cartoon Three Thug Mice
http://threethugmice.com (2008)