Gucci Crew II
Encyclopedia
The Gucci Crew II was a Miami Bass
group popular between 1986 and 1994. The group was made up of MC V and TFS (aka 240 Shorty), along with Disco Rick, who was their DJ early on.
's "Rock the Bells", and much like Gigolo Tony's 1986 hit, it utilized The Smurfs
' theme song as the hook. The track was produced by Amos Larkins II in late 1986, making it a regional hit in early 1987.
's debut album. The success was only heightened as the campy single, "Sally, that Girl", caught fire outside of Florida that same year, which over time proved to be their signature song.
's "La Di Da Di", which went against Disco Rick's wishes. As a result, Rick left the unit to form "The Dogs", and Gucci Crew suddenly found themselves without a DJ and producer.
, but had produced national hits for Gucci Crew's label mates L'trimm
the previous year, which led L'trimm to a licensing deal with Atlantic Records
. In a maximum effort promotional campaign, Hot Productions bought time for an interview on B.E.T.'s "Rap City" video show for both L'trimm and Gucci Crew. Despite all the effort, "Everybody Wants Some" failed to impress Gucci Crew's core audience, and it also failed to attract new fans. Tensions between the group and the label came to a boil.
, but again failed to gain attention. It was the group's next single, "Booty Shake", that became a club anthem in the south eastern United States 1990/1991 and gained the act a whole new fanbase for a brief period.
In December 2007, MC V(bka) Gucci was shot 6 times in the back and killed in Americus, Georgia. He was buried in Ocala, Florida. Disco Rick was the only former Gucci Crew II member that attended his funeral.
Miami bass
Miami bass , is a type of hip hop music, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle...
group popular between 1986 and 1994. The group was made up of MC V and TFS (aka 240 Shorty), along with Disco Rick, who was their DJ early on.
Debut Single: Gucci Bass
Their first song, "Gucci Bass", was inspired by LL Cool JLL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
's "Rock the Bells", and much like Gigolo Tony's 1986 hit, it utilized The Smurfs
The Smurfs
The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centred on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo on October 23, 1958...
' theme song as the hook. The track was produced by Amos Larkins II in late 1986, making it a regional hit in early 1987.
Debut Album: So Def, So Fresh, So Stupid
As Amos went into semi-retirement for a few years, Disco Rick assumed the role of producer. They released the album "So Def, So Fresh, So Stupid" in 1987, which became a hugely successful album locally on the heels of 2 Live Crew2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
's debut album. The success was only heightened as the campy single, "Sally, that Girl", caught fire outside of Florida that same year, which over time proved to be their signature song.
What Time is It? Gucci Time
In 1988, the trio released "What Time is It? Gucci Time" and was quickly embraced by the emerging car audio bass market. Tensions arose as the final version of the album featured a parody of Doug E. FreshDoug E. Fresh
Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
's "La Di Da Di", which went against Disco Rick's wishes. As a result, Rick left the unit to form "The Dogs", and Gucci Crew suddenly found themselves without a DJ and producer.
Everybody Wants Some
As a duo, Gucci Crew began work on their third album, "Everybody Wants Some" in 1989, utilizing Hot Productions' in house producer, Larry Davis. Davis had not only been a member of the highly successful Disco-Funk group Instant FunkInstant Funk
Instant Funk were a 1970s disco band, best known for their disco classic, "I Got My Mind Made Up ".-History:Instant Funk came out of New Jersey consisting of Raymond Earl, Scotty Miller and guitarist Kim Miller. The group was then called The Music Machine and they were very successful as a back-up...
, but had produced national hits for Gucci Crew's label mates L'trimm
L'Trimm
L'Trimm was a Miami Bass hip-hop duo composed of Lady Tigra and Bunny D, two women from Kendall, Florida...
the previous year, which led L'trimm to a licensing deal with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. In a maximum effort promotional campaign, Hot Productions bought time for an interview on B.E.T.'s "Rap City" video show for both L'trimm and Gucci Crew. Despite all the effort, "Everybody Wants Some" failed to impress Gucci Crew's core audience, and it also failed to attract new fans. Tensions between the group and the label came to a boil.
G4
The following year, Gucci Crew hired a new DJ and producer named Hollywood, and released their fourth and final album, "G4". The initial single, "Pushin'", received airplay on Yo! MTV RapsYo! MTV Raps
Yo! MTV Raps was a two-hour American television music video program, which ran from August 1988 to August 1995 through its original Yo! MTV Raps name and later by Yo! . The program was the first hip hop music show on the network, based on the original MTV Europe show, aired one year earlier. The U.S...
, but again failed to gain attention. It was the group's next single, "Booty Shake", that became a club anthem in the south eastern United States 1990/1991 and gained the act a whole new fanbase for a brief period.
The Final Days
By the end of 1991, the Miami Bass scene went through a complete makeover. 2 Live Crew had officially announced their breakup, sample clearance issues halted productions for many groups, and a couple breakthrough hits had changed the focus of the music to higher tempos for "booty shake" contests. It took until 1994 for any new material to come out under the Gucci Crew moniker. The two singles released did meet the new standards for the Miami Bass scene, although the act now only featured 240 Shorty and the singles failed to gain any substantial attention. The label closed out Gucci Crew's contract by funding no new productions, maximizing their existing catalog by releasing a greatest hits compilation later that year.In December 2007, MC V(bka) Gucci was shot 6 times in the back and killed in Americus, Georgia. He was buried in Ocala, Florida. Disco Rick was the only former Gucci Crew II member that attended his funeral.