In the early part of the 1990s, uberproducer Dallas Austin paired Jamal up with Malik Edwards, a fellow teenage wannabe rapper, and formed the duo Illegal, a team that lasted for the duration of exactly one project, 1993's The Untold Truth, released on Rowdy Records. Although that project spawned a couple of singles that one could potential trick themselves into remembering were once considered semi-popular in some circles, Illegal was short-lived for a reason, as both Jamal and Malik, who disbanded amicably, ran toward greener solo-artist pastures as soon as fucking possible.