2-4 Family
Encyclopedia
2-4 Family was a rap
/hip hop
group
, that formed in Germany
in the late 1990s. The original line-up consisted of Jo O'Meara, Jay Dogg, Joseph Jazz and Essence Woods.
in 1989 and became friends. They were both DJs, but decided that Dogg would be the DJ and Jazz would be the rapper. As a duo, they entered many talent competitions. When visiting Germany
in 1997, they came across Essence Woods at a party. Jo O'Meara
was a friend of Woods, so the four of them formed the group 2-4 Family in 1998.
. 2-4 Family also joined with other vocalists to release a cover version of Wham!
's famous single "Last Christmas
" under the moniker Rap Allstars.
Shortly after this, O'Meara successfully auditioned to become a part of the soon to be created pop group S Club 7
and left 2-4 Family, leaving the group with three members. Parklane Music received a demo of "Killing Me Softly", recorded by a girl named Joanna Biscardine. She soon joined the group, and 2-4 Family released their second single, "Lean on Me" in January 1999. It peaked at #9 on the Viva Top 100, and #69 on the UK Singles Chart
.
Two months later, 2-4 Family released their final album, Family Business, which peaked at #54 on the Viva Top 100. The album had twelve tracks, including various mixes of some of the songs. The final single by 2-4 Family was released in mid 1999. The single was called "Take Me Home".
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
/hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, that formed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the late 1990s. The original line-up consisted of Jo O'Meara, Jay Dogg, Joseph Jazz and Essence Woods.
History
Jay Dogg and Joseph Jazz met each other in the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1989 and became friends. They were both DJs, but decided that Dogg would be the DJ and Jazz would be the rapper. As a duo, they entered many talent competitions. When visiting Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1997, they came across Essence Woods at a party. Jo O'Meara
Jo O'Meara
Joanne Valda O'Meara is an English singer-songwriter, television personality and actress. Formerly one of the lead singers of pop group S Club, she launched a solo single after the group's split in 2003, which cut short the production of a proposed album following an appearance on Celebrity Big...
was a friend of Woods, so the four of them formed the group 2-4 Family in 1998.
Career
2-4 Family released their first single, "Stay", in mid 1998. The song featured lead female vocals from O'Meara, and rapping from the other three members. It peaked at #8 on the Viva Top 100. They released their album Family Business in March 1999. Along with other vocalists, 2-4 Family recorded "Hand in Hand for Children- Children of the World". A week after that had been released, "Stay" was re-released for ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. 2-4 Family also joined with other vocalists to release a cover version of Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
's famous single "Last Christmas
Last Christmas
"Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984, on a double A-side with "Everything She Wants". It was written by George Michael, one half of the duo...
" under the moniker Rap Allstars.
Shortly after this, O'Meara successfully auditioned to become a part of the soon to be created pop group S Club 7
S Club 7
S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, were a pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, consisting of members Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, de facto lead singer Jo O'Meara, Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens. The group rose to fame by starring in their...
and left 2-4 Family, leaving the group with three members. Parklane Music received a demo of "Killing Me Softly", recorded by a girl named Joanna Biscardine. She soon joined the group, and 2-4 Family released their second single, "Lean on Me" in January 1999. It peaked at #9 on the Viva Top 100, and #69 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Two months later, 2-4 Family released their final album, Family Business, which peaked at #54 on the Viva Top 100. The album had twelve tracks, including various mixes of some of the songs. The final single by 2-4 Family was released in mid 1999. The single was called "Take Me Home".