“Perfection is perfected so I let ’em understand…”
Foesum is a pioneering hip hop group from Long Beach, California, known for their signature West Coast sound and deep roots in the culture. The group’s core members include DJ Glaze, MNMSTA, and the late T-Dubb. Their official debut album, Perfection, was released on October 22, 1996, through Penalty/Tommy Boy Records.
The story of Foesum begins a decade earlier, when DJ Glaze and MNMSTA formed a DJ crew called Perfection. Throughout the mid-to-late 1980s, they rocked school dances and house parties around the city. By 1989, the group had grown to over ten members. As their high school years came to a close, Glaze and MNMSTA decided to take things further and create their own hip hop record. With help from Travvy Trav—who helped to purchase a Roland 808 drum machine and introduced them to rapper Domino—they began recording music with just a 4-track recorder, two turntables, and the 808.
Soon after, Tender D (now known as Wayniac of The Twinz) joined the group through cousins T-Dubb and Travvy Trav. However, creative differences led to Domino’s departure, inspiring the group to create a diss track titled “Let ‘Em Understand Perfection”—featuring a young Snoop Doggy Dogg—for the Please Pass the Mic compilation. This track later became the source of Snoop’s iconic lyric on Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ But a G Thang”: “Perfection is perfected, so I let ’em understand.”
In 1991, the group connected with Big Wes and Suge Knight, then bodyguards for New Edition. Big Wes was launching Lockdown Records and took an interest in the group. Around this time, they rebranded from Perfection to Foesum (a stylized version of “foursome”), solidifying a lineup of DJ Glaze, MNMSTA, T-Dubb, and Wayniac. They recorded a full album at Solar Records, legendary home to acts like Babyface, Lakeside and The Whispers, but a major deal didn’t materialize.
In 1992, Wayniac was recruited by his childhood friend Warren G to help write for album Regulate…The G Funk Era. This led to the formation of The Twinz with his brother Trip Loc and a record deal with Def Jam. Meanwhile, Glaze, MNMSTA, and T-Dubb kept the Foesum name alive, honoring Travvy Trav—who had passed away in 1989—as the group’s spiritual fourth member.
By 1994, Foesum linked up with KDAY Mixmasters Tony G and Julio G via Kid Frost. At the time, Eazy-E tapped Julio G to host The Ruthless Radio Show on LA’s 92.3 The Beat. That exposure led to the group recording standout tracks like “Lil Somethin’ Somethin’” and “Listen to the Sound”, which caught the attention of both Eazy-E and New York music executive Kevin Mitchell. A deal with Big Beat/Atlantic Records followed in January 1995.
Their debut single, “Lil Somethin’ Somethin’”, dropped that summer and received major airplay on stations like Power 106, 92.3 The Beat, and KMEL, as well as national video rotation on The Box. Their full-length album Perfection was released in Fall 1996, and the group has remained active in the underground and independent hip hop scene ever since—recording solo projects, collaborating internationally, and touring globally.
In 2023, Foesum released a new music video for their classic track “In the Wind” from Perfection, reconnecting with fans and growing a new audience through their social media presence at @foesumofficial.
Tragically, in January 2024, founding member T-Dubb passed away unexpectedly. His legacy now lives on through the continued efforts of DJ Glaze and MNMSTA, who remain committed to honoring his memory. In February 2024, the group dropped International Collaborations—a compilation of songs with global artists and producers. Their highly anticipated new album, Two Thousand Twenty Foesum, is set for release later this year, marking a powerful new chapter in the legacy of one of Long Beach’s most influential hip hop groups.
