Supreme Being Unit - The First Great Pyramid

Tracks

		Track Name	Length
	1	Sometimes I Amaze Myself	04:16
	2	Freestyles and Fistfights	03:09
	3	A Word of Caution	02:26
	4	All Inside Your Head	04:22
	5	Psychokinetic Forces	02:55
	6	Heavy Rotation	03:25
	7	Unpredictable	02:53
	8	Complicated But Simple	02:55
	9	Sudden Death Overtime	03:35

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Information/Write-up

Supreme Being Unit – The First Great Pyramid (1996)
An Underground Canadian Hip-Hop Rarity That Laid the Foundation for a Movement

In the mid-90s, Canadian hip-hop was still finding its footing, with only a handful of artists making waves outside of their local scenes. Among those carving out a path was Supreme Being Unit (SBU), an Ottawa-based rap collective consisting of Mindbender (Sheldon “Shaun” Fraser) and Conspiracy. Their 1996 debut album, The First Great Pyramid, recorded in the basement studios of Ottawa’s hip-hop underground, remains a hidden gem—one of those records that resonates deeply with those who were there but remains an obscurity to the wider public.

DIY Ethos and Early Canadian Hip-Hop Hustle
The album was recorded in summer 1996 after Mindbender and Conspiracy had moved from Edmonton to Toronto and then settled in Ottawa. With little industry infrastructure in place, their approach was entirely independent, working alongside producer Kelron Magnanimous (of Stylasaurus Rex fame), who introduced them to beat-making on the Roland W-30 sampler. Much of the album was created at Library Park, a legendary Ottawa community space where beats were sequenced, lyrics were crafted, and ideas were exchanged.

SBU’s early hustle exemplifies the DIY grind of 90s Canadian hip-hop. At a time when very few artists were independently manufacturing tapes, the group self-funded and distributed The First Great Pyramid, pressing 100 cassette copies (without cover art) just in time for their opening set at an Xzibit and Alkaholiks concert. The manufacturing process was so rushed that a mix-up resulted in some copies containing a completely different album—a now-legendary mishap that only added to the mystique surrounding the release.

The Sound: Gritty, Raw, and Unapologetically Experimental
Musically, The First Great Pyramid is a raw, lo-fi snapshot of mid-90s Canadian underground hip-hop. Tracks like "Psychokinetic Forces," "Heavy Rotation," and "Sudden Death Overtime" (Mindbender’s contributions) showcase a cerebral, poetic approach to lyricism, while "All Inside Your Head" (by Conspiracy) and "Beast of Burden" (by Kelron) offer glimpses into the broader collective’s creative vision.

The beats are rugged and sample-heavy, pulling from jazz, soul, and eerie cinematic loops, a signature of 90s indie rap production. Though unpolished, the raw energy is undeniable—reflecting an era when Canadian hip-hop artists had to operate outside of the industry machine, crafting their sound in isolation from the dominant scenes in the U.S.

Legacy and Cult Status
While The First Great Pyramid made minimal impact outside of Ottawa, Quebec, and select circles in Toronto, it became a cult classic among collectors. The album received minor radio play on local college stations, including The Blunted Dummies Show, but lacked the promotion necessary to break out further. However, SBU’s follow-up album, Mental Reverse/Spiritual Rebirth (1999), proved to be a game-changer, gaining recognition as far as Florida, Amsterdam, and Japan.

A limited reissue in 2002 (just five hand-numbered copies) reinforced the album’s rarity, with Mindbender himself unaware that these reissues were circulating online until much later. This scarcity has only fueled its mythos, making it one of the most sought-after underground Canadian hip-hop releases.

Final Verdict
The First Great Pyramid is a raw, unfiltered look into the earliest days of one of Canada’s most unique hip-hop voices. It’s an album that embodies the DIY spirit of independent hip-hop in the 90s—flawed, imperfect, but undeniably authentic. While Mental Reverse/Spiritual Rebirth put Supreme Being Unit on the global map, their debut remains a precious artifact of Canadian hip-hop history, capturing a moment in time when young artists were building a movement from the ground up.

For fans of rare, underground hip-hop and collectors of lost Canadian rap tapes, The First Great Pyramid is an essential, if elusive, piece of the puzzle.

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