Andre Adams released two albums under the stage name Dre Dog: The New Jim Jones in 1993 and I Hate You With a Passion in 1995. In 1998, Adams changed his stage name to Andre Nickatina, and released the albums Cocaine Raps and Raven in My Eyes, which were released independently under Dogday Records. Unlike his albums released under the name Dre Dog, Cocaine Raps had deeper production values. Raven in My Eyes was noted for emphasizing sequencers and keyboards that buzz and whine over live instrumentation. That year, he founded his own record label, Fillmoe Coleman. Soon afterwards, his following three albums, Tears of a Clown, Daiquiri Factory: Cocaine Raps, Vol. 2 and These R the Tales made him more well-known in the West Coast underground rap scene.