No rap group (save, perhaps, N.W.A) has stirred more controversy or provoked more heated debate than the 2 Live Crew. The furor over the graphic sexual content of their X-rated party rhymes -- specifically their 1989 album As Nasty as They Wanna Be -- was a major catalyst in making rap music a flash point for controversy and an easily visible... [+] Read More

No rap group (save, perhaps, N.W.A) has stirred more controversy or provoked more heated debate than the 2 Live Crew. The furor over the graphic sexual content of their X-rated party rhymes -- specifically their 1989 album As Nasty as They Wanna Be -- was a major catalyst in making rap music a flash point for controversy and an easily visible target for self-appointed moral guardians. The fierce attacks on the group's First Amendment rights put many of their defenders in an awkward position -- passionately supporting their freedom of speech on the one hand, but often finding little artistic merit in their music. And they were indeed crude and coarse, and frequently misogynistic by most standards; even if they fit squarely into a tradition of raunchy, sexually explicit black comedy (Redd Foxx, Rudy Ray Moore, Blowfly, etc.), many critics and intellectuals found their view of sex repellently juvenile, even ugly (and if they found it funny, it was hard to say so publicly). Despite (or, more likely, because of) that fact, the 2 Live Crew were fairly popular even before all the uproar and benefited greatly at first from all the publicity, although later on the novelty perhaps wore off due to overexposure. Regardless of whether one enjoys their sense of humor, to focus only on the controversy ignores the 2 Live Crew's musical contributions. They were responsible for popularizing the booming, hard-driving sound of Miami bass music, and they were the founding fathers of a populist, dance-oriented rap subgenre that relied on simple, explicit chants and up-tempo rump-shaking grooves, appropriately dubbed "booty rap."

Despite their inextricable link to Miami, the 2 Live Crew actually started out in California, with a membership of Fresh Kid Ice (born Chris Wong Won in Trinidad), DJ Mr. Mixx (born David Hobbs), and Amazing V. The trio released their debut single, "Revelation," in 1985 and its popularity in Florida led the group -- sans Amazing V -- to move to Miami, and after second single "What I Like," they were joined by Brother Marquis (born Mark Ross). They scored a record deal with local impresario Luke Skyywalker (born Luther Campbell in Miami), who initially served as their manager, and then joined the group as a performer and bandleader. With Campbell came a big part of the group's on-record taste for sleaze, and accordingly their 1986 debut album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, featured songs like "We Want Some Pussy" and "Throw the D" (as in dick). It became a word-of-mouth success, eventually going gold. Even at this early stage, obscenity was an issue; in 1987, a Florida record store clerk was acquitted of felony charges after selling the album to a 14-year-old girl. Campbell hit upon the idea of selling "clean" and "dirty" versions of the group's albums so that younger fans would have a less explicit alternative. 1987's Move Somethin' was the first album released in this format, and it became an even bigger underground hit than its predecessor thanks to notorious cuts like "One and One," an X-rated retelling of the Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night" (which established the Crew's penchant for blatantly copped samples). In 1988, a record store in Alabama was fined for selling a copy of Move Somethin' to an undercover cop (a conviction later overturned on appeal), setting the stage for the Crew's home state to declare war.

As Nasty as They Wanna Be was released in 1989 and became the group's biggest hit yet; the single "Me So Horny" even climbed into the Top 40 despite virtually nonexistent airplay. Word spread even farther about the group's unadulterated raunchiness, attracting the attention of the ultraconservative watchdog group the American Family Association, who weren't satisfied with the album's parental advisory warning sticker. AFA supporter Jack Thompson, a lawyer and religious activist, convinced Florida governor Bob Martinez to open an inquiry into whether As Nasty as They Wanna Be violated Florida obscenity laws. The state prosecutor determined that action had to be taken on the local, not state, level, and thus in early 1990 Broward County sheriff Nick Navarro obtained a copy of the album and secured a ruling from County Circuit Court Judge Mel Grossman that there was probable cause that the album was legally obscene. Navarro warned record stores around the county that selling the album might subject them to prosecution, and the 2 Live Crew filed suit alleging that Navarro had unconstitutionally overstepped his bounds. In June, District Court Judge Jose Gonzalez ruled that As Nasty as They Wanna Be was legally obscene, and therefore illegal to sell. Record retailer Charles Freeman was arrested two days later for selling the album to an undercover cop, and the three rapping members of the 2 Live Crew were arrested on obscenity charges for performing material from the record in a local club. They were acquitted a few months afterward, thanks in part to expert testimony from Duke professor Henry Louis Gates, and Freeman's conviction was later overturned on appeal.

Meanwhile, As Nasty as They Wanna Be had become the forbidden fruit of choice for teenage boys across the country, selling over two million copies. Several other incidents were reported around the country involving record store owners being arrested for selling the album. The publicity also attracted the attention of George Lucas, who successfully sued Campbell for trademark infringement over his stage and label name, Luke Skyywalker; he subsequently shortened both to Luke. Capitalizing on the media frenzy, Campbell struck a distribution deal with Atlantic and put together a semipolitical album called Banned in the U.S.A., after securing rights for the title track from Bruce Springsteen; it was billed to Luke Featuring 2 Live Crew. It sold like hotcakes on first release, and the title single became the group's second Top 40 hit. In 1991, the group released the first full-length live rap album ever, Live in Concert, as well as the official follow-up to As Nasty as They Wanna Be, Sports Weekend. They sold disappointingly, especially considering the group's recent notoriety, and proved to be the last albums they would record together as a quartet. To compound matters, Luke Records was successfully sued for 1,600,000 million dollars in royalties by MC Shy D.

In 1992, the Court of Appeals in Atlanta overturned Jose Gonzalez's ruling that As Nasty as They Wanna Be was legally obscene. At issue was Gonzalez's refusal to heed expert testimony (he'd pronounced himself fit to judge community standards of decency, since he'd lived in the community for 30 years), as well as the fact that the burden of proof of obscenity should have rested with Sheriff Navarro, who submitted nothing besides a copy of the album as evidence. The appeals court's decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the 2 Live Crew were drifting apart. Luke and Fresh Kid Ice both released solo albums (I Got Shit on My Mind and The Chinaman, respectively), and original Crew members Ice and Mr. Mixx teamed up as the Rock on Crew for Deal With This. Luke continued his solo career over the rest of the '90s.

In 1994, Luke, Fresh Kid Ice, and new rapper Verb (born Larry Dobson) regrouped as the New 2 Live Crew, issuing the album Back at Your Ass for the Nine-4. The same year, the group found itself back in court yet again, this time over a lawsuit by the publishers of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman." They charged 2 Live Crew with plagiarism for recording a parody of the song on As Clean as They Wanna Be, alleging that the reinterpretation tarnished the image of the original. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that parody constituted fair use and found in favor of the group. The New 2 Live Crew didn't last long as Luke chose to concentrate on his solo career. In 1995, Luke Records filed for bankruptcy, as Campbell was beset by creditors and expenses; both he and the remaining 2 Live Crew wound up on Lil' Joe, a label founded by his ex-business partner Joe Weinberger. In 1996, Fresh Kid Ice, Brother Marquis, and Mr. Mixx re-formed the 2 Live Crew without Campbell and released Shake a Lil' Somethin'. Brother Marquis departed afterward, and down to the two original California members, the 2 Live Crew issued The Real One in 1998. Luke, meanwhile, continued to record steadily, as well as releasing several compilation albums showcasing new South Florida talent. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

69 Boyz is one of the half-dozen bass-music production efforts headed by C.C. Lemonhead and Jay Ski (of Quad City DJ's and 95 South). The actual group, rappers Thill Van, Fast, Slow, and Rottweiler "Mike Mike," came together in Jacksonville, FL. After Lemonhead and Jay Ski hit triple-platinum with 1993's "Whoot (There It Is)" as 95 South, they... [+] Read More

69 Boyz is one of the half-dozen bass-music production efforts headed by C.C. Lemonhead and Jay Ski (of Quad City DJ's and 95 South). The actual group, rappers Thill Van, Fast, Slow, and Rottweiler "Mike Mike," came together in Jacksonville, FL. After Lemonhead and Jay Ski hit triple-platinum with 1993's "Whoot (There It Is)" as 95 South, they formed their own CeeJai Productions company and wrote and produced the single "Tootsee Roll" for 69 Boyz. The track hit the Top Ten of the R&B charts, and went double-platinum. The album 199Quad followed later that year, and also hit platinum. Second album The Wait Is Over followed in 1998 and 2069 arrived two years later. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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The bass pulsator Techmaster P.E.B. released his Miami bass and European techno first single, "Listen to the Music," in 1990. The resounding debut album, Bass Computer, followed in its wake the next year. Tracks like "Power Bass Ultra Mix," "Bassgasm," and "Bad Bass Mix" are fully capable of testing out any woofer set. Techmaster's bass musical... [+] Read More

The bass pulsator Techmaster P.E.B. released his Miami bass and European techno first single, "Listen to the Music," in 1990. The resounding debut album, Bass Computer, followed in its wake the next year. Tracks like "Power Bass Ultra Mix," "Bassgasm," and "Bad Bass Mix" are fully capable of testing out any woofer set. Techmaster's bass musical style has been compared to that of artists like Wrecks-N-Effect, Beat Dominator, Funkmaster Flex, and Positive K.

Working under the Newtown Music Group label, Techmaster released It Came From Outer Bass in 1993. Bassgasm, the album, hit the store shelves in 1995. It was three years before there was another solo recording, Bass Computer 2000, followed by Suburban X in the year 2000. During his career, Techmaster has worked on recordings with a number of rap and bass artists, including the Bass Outlaws, Def Bass Drew, Bass Boy, and the gold and platinum record selling DJ Magic Mike. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide [-] Hide

DJ Magic Mike, the breakthrough bass producer after 2 Live Crew, was the music's most crucial recording artist. An underground label impresario on the order of Master P, Mike's productions were much rougher than the slick Miami bass sound and pursued a gritty old-school vibe -- more akin to Ultramagnetic MC's than Luther Campbell -- long after... [+] Read More

DJ Magic Mike, the breakthrough bass producer after 2 Live Crew, was the music's most crucial recording artist. An underground label impresario on the order of Master P, Mike's productions were much rougher than the slick Miami bass sound and pursued a gritty old-school vibe -- more akin to Ultramagnetic MC's than Luther Campbell -- long after most hip-hop producers had gone pop in the late '90s.

The former Michael Hampton began his mixing career before he was even a teenager, spinning at a roller rink and selling mixtapes. By the age of 14, he was hosting a drive-time radio show in his native Orlando. He began concentrating on club work after finishing high school, and debuted on wax with 1987's "Boot the Booty" for Vision Records.

One year later, local promoter Tom Reich offered DJ Magic Mike a chance at a half-share in his own Cheetah Records if Mike's releases sold well. His first singles under the agreement, "Magic Mike Cutz the Record" and "Drop the Bass," both became big regional hits, sparking the release of his debut album, DJ Magic Mike and the Royal Posse in 1989. He took more of a guiding hand over his own instrumental productions for the follow-up, 1990's Bass Is the Name of the Game, and the album went gold despite its low vocal content. Mike's breakthrough LP, Ain't No Doubt About It, appeared in 1992, followed by the release of two LPs on the same day in late March; both Bass: The Final Frontier and This Is How It Should Be Done charted, and the former went gold. Although his recording schedule continued apace during the mid-'90s (and the number of his full-length releases climbed into the double digits), fewer of his LPs charted. Mike picked up the commercial slack with advertising appearances for Coca-Cola and Pioneer, and has also worked with Sir Mix-a-Lot, 2 Live Crew, MC Shy D, and Poison Clan. The new millennium saw Mike issue Magic's Kingdom and continue his output of mix albums. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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A compilation of alternate singles mixes from the solid bass production team, Best of Techno Bass Crew includes versions of favorites like "Bass Machine," "Bass Control," "Bass Fantasy" and "Love Theme from Bass Machine." ~ Keith Farley, All Music Guide

A compilation of alternate singles mixes from the solid bass production team, Best of Techno Bass Crew includes versions of favorites like "Bass Machine," "Bass Control," "Bass Fantasy" and "Love Theme from Bass Machine." ~ Keith Farley, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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