Heartless Crew
Encyclopedia
Heartless Crew were a British
UK garage
sound system
from London
, that consisted of three members MC's Bushkin, Mighty Moe and DJ Fonti. Mighty Moe started out as a hip-hop
DJ
. His parents are from the Middle-East. Bushkin and Fonti have West Indian
backgrounds.
It was established in 1992 when the trio
met at Holloway Boys School. Their inspiration was taken from Buju Banton
, R Kelly, Shabba
, Det
and Brockie
. They started off playing house parties and small clubs, moving through to a residency at Chimes night club in Hackney
in 1996.
By 1998, they had joined the pirate radio
station
, Mission 90.6 FM, pioneering a mix of R&B
, hip-hop, jungle
and dancehall
derived sounds, taking its cues straight from the Jamaican sound system tradition, while adding fresh and modern elements from UK garage
. In 2002 they signed to BBC 1Xtra, where they presented their Sunday evening programme. They also released a debut compilation album
, Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1
, closely followed by their debut single
, "The Heartless Theme aka 'The Superglue Riddim'". The single reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart
in May 2002. The music video for "The Heartless Theme aka 'The Superglue Riddim'" was directed
by Andy Hylton. They left 1Xtra in 2006.
It was announced on 1 January 2011 that the Heartless Crew have now split up, and will pursue solo careers whilst still remaining friends.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
UK garage
UK garage
UK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
sound system
Sound system (DJ)
A sound system is a group of DJs and engineers contributing and working together as one, playing and producing music.-Origin:The sound system concept originated in the 1950s in Kingston, Jamaica. DJs would load up a truck with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers to set up street parties...
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, that consisted of three members MC's Bushkin, Mighty Moe and DJ Fonti. Mighty Moe started out as a 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...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. His parents are from the Middle-East. Bushkin and Fonti have West Indian
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
backgrounds.
It was established in 1992 when the trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
met at Holloway Boys School. Their inspiration was taken from Buju Banton
Buju Banton
Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
, R Kelly, Shabba
Shabba Ranks
Shabba Ranks is a Jamaican dancehall musician.He was one of the most popular dancehall artists of his generation. He was also one of the first Jamaican deejays to gain worldwide acceptance, and recognition for his 'slack' lyrical expressions and content, when "ridin' di riddim"...
, Det
DET
DET or Det may refer to:* Detroit, Michigan** The Detroit Tigers, a baseball team in the MLB** The Detroit Lions, a football team in the NFL** The Detroit Red Wings, a hockey team in the NHL** The Detroit Pistons, a basketball team in the NBA...
and Brockie
Brockie
Brockie may refer to:*"Brockie", a nickname for Peter Brock*Bob Brockie*Dave Rockie, a performer who plays in Oderus Urungus*Dave Brockie Experience*Jenny Brockie*Jeremy Brockie*Vince Brockie...
. They started off playing house parties and small clubs, moving through to a residency at Chimes night club in Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
in 1996.
By 1998, they had joined the pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
, Mission 90.6 FM, pioneering a mix of R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, hip-hop, jungle
Oldschool jungle
Jungle is a genre of electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including breakbeat hardcore, and reggae/dub/dancehall. There is debate as to whether jungle is a separate genre from drum and bass as many use the terms interchangeably...
and dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
derived sounds, taking its cues straight from the Jamaican sound system tradition, while adding fresh and modern elements from UK garage
UK garage
UK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
. In 2002 they signed to BBC 1Xtra, where they presented their Sunday evening programme. They also released a debut compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1
Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1
Heartless Crew Presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1 is a compilation album by Heartless Crew released in 2002 featuring the MC members of Heartless Crew toasting on several of the tracks.- Disc: 1 :...
, closely followed by their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "The Heartless Theme aka 'The Superglue Riddim'". The single reached number 21 in 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 ...
in May 2002. The music video for "The Heartless Theme aka 'The Superglue Riddim'" was directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Andy Hylton. They left 1Xtra in 2006.
It was announced on 1 January 2011 that the Heartless Crew have now split up, and will pursue solo careers whilst still remaining friends.
Albums
- Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1Heartless Crew Presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1 is a compilation album by Heartless Crew released in 2002 featuring the MC members of Heartless Crew toasting on several of the tracks.- Disc: 1 :...
(May 2002) - UK Compilation Album Chart #10