Mood Ruff
Encyclopedia
Mood Ruff was a conscious hip-hop group hailing from Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
. The group consisted of Odario, Spitz, Breakz, and ICQRI. Their final album I Do My Own Stunts, which was released in 2005, contained their first hit, "Rocketship".
Toronto
and there were all of nine people there, five of which were from Winnipeg," says Odario about one of their very first live shows. They also toured with punk and funk bands.
They eventually started to gain an underground fan base all throughout Canada. In 1997 they started their own record label, Slo-Coach Records, and released their albums through this label. Also in 1997, the group founded the Peg City Holla Festival. This festival, which is held every summer, hosts a venue for hip-hop groups from Winnipeg. The festival has also had appearances by Ali Shaheed Muhammad
from A Tribe Called Quest
.
Their first hit was a single called 'No Hooks' which received heavy rotation on Canada's Much Music video station and gained them national awareness. Their first album, Night.Live.Types, was released in 1999. This album was followed closely by their second album, Politic Different. Both albums received positive reviews and did reasonably well in regards to album sales. Their third album, Antarctica (Cold, Cold World), was released in 2002. This album featured ICQRI, the group's first DJ and the newest member of Mood Ruff. The album again received positive reviews, but was unable to achieve any large commercial success.
Their fourth and latest album, I Do My Own Stunts, was released in 2005. For this album, Mood Ruff introduced yet another new member, Breakz. I Do My Own Stunts continued the streak of critically acclaimed albums, and it also contained their first commercially successful single, "Rocketship".
The group broke up following I Do My Own Stunts. Odario is currently recording with Grand Analog
.
Born in a small village in Guyana, Odario or Garfield Williams is the second half of the founding duo. Along with his Mood Ruff obligations, he keeps very busy. He has appeared in over 15 films, and also leads a rock and roll group called Grand Analog.
Kevin Williams, Odario’s younger brother, joined the group before the release of Antarctica (Cold, Cold World). He goes by the name ICQRI, and is the group’s resident DJ. He also has many side projects; he has worked in several films as a stunt performer.
Breakz is the newest member of Mood Ruff. He appeared on their latest album, I Do My Own Stunts.
Mood Ruff has a number of influences, both from hip-hop and from many other genres. Their music is noticeably influenced by the "golden age
" of hip-hop artists like A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One
, and Public Enemy, who they once opened for. Fellow Canadian artist K-os
also has influenced their sound. The group has said that while on the road they listen to other hip hop artists such as De La Soul
and Common. Aside from hip-hop they also have said to be influenced by The Hives
and 1980’s pop. Odario has even admitted that Joni Mitchell
is one of his favorite Canadian artists.
Rocketship is the fourth song on the album I Do My Own Stunts, and the group’s first commercial hit. The single has an upbeat and jazz infused style which focuses on the group’s love of girls and beats. The song features a sample from KRS-One’s song "MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know" from his self-titled album KRS-One
. The song received several awards and nominations, including being named CBC Radio 3
’s top Canadian track of 2005. Also the recording won a Western Canada Music Award in 2006 for Best Rap Recording. The song also achieved regular air time on Much Vibe, MTV Canada, and Much Music.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The group consisted of Odario, Spitz, Breakz, and ICQRI. Their final album I Do My Own Stunts, which was released in 2005, contained their first hit, "Rocketship".
History
Mood Ruff’s founding members, Odario and Spitz, met at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg. In the early 1990s the two members started recording their first demos on a karaoke machine in Spitz’s basement. They first started playing their music live in 1994, in small clubs around Toronto. “We were playing at this club called the 360 inToronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and there were all of nine people there, five of which were from Winnipeg," says Odario about one of their very first live shows. They also toured with punk and funk bands.
They eventually started to gain an underground fan base all throughout Canada. In 1997 they started their own record label, Slo-Coach Records, and released their albums through this label. Also in 1997, the group founded the Peg City Holla Festival. This festival, which is held every summer, hosts a venue for hip-hop groups from Winnipeg. The festival has also had appearances by Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, producer who enjoyed a great deal of fame as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the group released five studio albums from 1990 to 1998....
from A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
.
Their first hit was a single called 'No Hooks' which received heavy rotation on Canada's Much Music video station and gained them national awareness. Their first album, Night.Live.Types, was released in 1999. This album was followed closely by their second album, Politic Different. Both albums received positive reviews and did reasonably well in regards to album sales. Their third album, Antarctica (Cold, Cold World), was released in 2002. This album featured ICQRI, the group's first DJ and the newest member of Mood Ruff. The album again received positive reviews, but was unable to achieve any large commercial success.
Their fourth and latest album, I Do My Own Stunts, was released in 2005. For this album, Mood Ruff introduced yet another new member, Breakz. I Do My Own Stunts continued the streak of critically acclaimed albums, and it also contained their first commercially successful single, "Rocketship".
The group broke up following I Do My Own Stunts. Odario is currently recording with Grand Analog
Grand Analog
Grand Analog is a Canadian hip hop band, formed in 2006 and fronted by Odario Williams. The group was conceived as a project combining R&B, jazz, reggae and rock influences into a hip hop style performed mainly on live instruments instead of digital electronics....
.
Members
Spitz, also known as Eli Epp, one of the two founding members of the group, was a child of a military family. During his childhood, himself and his three younger brothers moved to a different city every four years. He started out as a graffiti artist but has never divulged his tag name.Born in a small village in Guyana, Odario or Garfield Williams is the second half of the founding duo. Along with his Mood Ruff obligations, he keeps very busy. He has appeared in over 15 films, and also leads a rock and roll group called Grand Analog.
Kevin Williams, Odario’s younger brother, joined the group before the release of Antarctica (Cold, Cold World). He goes by the name ICQRI, and is the group’s resident DJ. He also has many side projects; he has worked in several films as a stunt performer.
Breakz is the newest member of Mood Ruff. He appeared on their latest album, I Do My Own Stunts.
Influences
Mood Ruff has a number of influences, both from hip-hop and from many other genres. Their music is noticeably influenced by the "golden age
Golden age hip hop
Hip hop's "golden age" is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop—usually cited as being a period varying in time frames during the 1980s and 1990s said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. There were strong themes of Afrocentricity and political...
" of hip-hop artists like A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, and Public Enemy, who they once opened for. Fellow Canadian artist K-os
K-os
Kevin Brereton , better known by his stage name k-os , is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer...
also has influenced their sound. The group has said that while on the road they listen to other hip hop artists such as De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
and Common. Aside from hip-hop they also have said to be influenced by The Hives
The Hives
The Hives are a Swedish garage rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the "greatest hits" album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song "Hate to Say I Told...
and 1980’s pop. Odario has even admitted that Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
is one of his favorite Canadian artists.
Rocketship
Rocketship is the fourth song on the album I Do My Own Stunts, and the group’s first commercial hit. The single has an upbeat and jazz infused style which focuses on the group’s love of girls and beats. The song features a sample from KRS-One’s song "MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know" from his self-titled album KRS-One
KRS-One (album)
KRS-One is the second album released by hip hop artist KRS-One under his own name. The album was originally meant to be titled Hip-Hop Vs. Rap, as can be seen in the early The Source's and Rap Pages reviews, which also reveals that a few tracks were scrapped at last minute in addition to the change...
. The song received several awards and nominations, including being named CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...
’s top Canadian track of 2005. Also the recording won a Western Canada Music Award in 2006 for Best Rap Recording. The song also achieved regular air time on Much Vibe, MTV Canada, and Much Music.
Discography
- Night.Life.Types (1999)
- Politic Different (2000)
- Antarctica (Cold Cold World) (2002)
- I Do My Own Stunts (2005)
See also
- Canadian hip hopCanadian hip hopThe Canadian hip hop scene was first established in the 1980s. Through a variety of factors, it developed much more slowly than Canada's popular rock music scene, and apart from a short-lived burst of mainstream popularity from 1989 to 1991, it remained largely an underground phenomenon until the...
- Music of CanadaMusic of CanadaThe music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...