who are not marketed properly have this attitude with their former labels. While Poetic was just beginning his formal hip hop career in 1987–89, Brainstorm was attending college at the State University of New York at Farmingdale, Long Island, where he was the roommate of Brooklyn's own Super DJ Richie Rich (who had been in Third Base, Clark Kent's Supermen, and the movie Juice). The college-based MC-DJ party collective called The Group Home Posse was loosely formed with Brainstorm and DJ Richie Rich to include his childhood friend The DJ-Rapper J.A.T. (Thomas Allen James), DJ Nike, Diamond Jay AKA "Americas Favorite DJ" (EPMD, Gravediggaz, Beyoncé Knowles), and Diamond Shell (Biz Markie's brother) – all of whom attended Farmingdale University between 1987 and 1989. The university was host to many hip hop artists as visitors for parties and to do shows like Rakim, EPMD, Producer-Super DJ Clark Kent, and Biz Markie. After Brainstorm finished his college run in 1989, he took time to learn many aspects of the music business and attempted to record a solo demo with Marcy Projects' Rapper-Producer The JAZ (Big Jaz, mentor of Jay-Z), and was found in many rap circles with Long Island's KMD and other "conscious" MCs of the time, but in 1989 he and Poetic mutually decided to pair up with a hardcore lyrical edge, original word play, and acute metaphors, after many collaborations between them since 1985. Thus, Da Bruthas G.R.Y.M. was born shortly after Too Poetic's deal with DNA/Tommy Boy had soured. The energy and high chemistry between these true by-blood brothers at the time was, simply put, natural. The 1989–92 years In the first Bruthas G.R.Y.M. era (c. 1989–1992), the brothers Poetic (Brother One) and Brainstorm (Brother Two) garnered much respect on the underground hip hop scene of New York – whose "dubs" from underground radio shows were boasting lyrics beyond what was known at the time. Their first official demo featured the underground bangers "Bruthas G.R.Y.M.", "Circle-Circle-Dot-Dot", the politically charged "Popcorn" and "Livin' In Hell (Had To Survive)", the name-calling "Turtle Soup", and a neighborhood favorite, the battle rhymes of "GRYMnastics". The demo featured production mastering by Nate "NATO" Tinsley, their in-house producer Semi-Automatic (Pedro Sims, Mr. Semi, Gravediggaz), and the brothers themselves. After blazing underground radio and live shows around New York City with their lyrics and knowledge of self-based content, they were listed in The Source magazine as