24-7 Spyz
| 24-7 Spyz | |
|---|---|
| Origin | South Bronx, New York, United States |
| Genres | Alternative metal, hard rock, hardcore punk, funk metal,experimental rock, rap rock |
| Years active | 1986–1998 2003–present |
| Labels | In-Effect East West Records America Enemy What Are Records? The Gumbo Recording Company |
| Associated acts | Black Angus A.N.M. Blkvampires |
| Members | Jimi Hazel Rick Skatore Ronny Drayton Phillip "Fish" Fisher |
| Past members | P. Fluid Anthony Johnson Tony Lewis Matt Martin Kindu Phibes Tobias Ralph Mackie Jayson Jeff Brodnax Joel Maitoza Sekou Lumumba |
24-7 Spyz (pronounced "twenty-four-seven spies") are a band from the South Bronx, New York, formed in 1986, originally consisting of Jimi Hazel (real name, Wayne K. Richardson) (guitar), Rick Skatore (real name, Kenneth D. Lucas) (bass), Kindu Phibes (drums), and P. Fluid (real name, Peter Forrest) (vocals). The band is best known for mixing soul, funk, reggae, and R&B with heavy metal and hardcore punk. The fact that they are African Americans playing variations of heavy metal led critics to compare them to bands such as Living Colour and Bad Brains. Though they were pioneers in the fusion of these particular music styles, influencing many bands, they have never achieved substantial commercial success. After several lineup changes, the band broke up in 1998, but reformed in 2003 before releasing their first new album of original material in over a decade in 2006. As of October 2014, the lineup of the band includes Jimi Hazel, Rick Skatore, drummer Phillip "Fish" Fisher and guitarist Ronny Drayton.
Upon their formation in 1986, the band immediately earned a dedicated following in New York City due to the eclectic mix of their music. The band would switch gears from Motown and soul sounds with lush vocal harmonies to violent heavy metal and hardcore punk with ease, sometimes several times within the course of one song.
In 1988, In-Effect Records, a subsidiary of Relativity, signed the band, which, by now, included new drummer Anthony Johnson, and released their debut album, the genre-hopping Harder Than You, produced by Bob Musso and Jimi Hazel, in December 1988. The first single was a cover of the Kool & The Gang song "Jungle Boogie." Critics and fans took notice of the band's left-wing political stance and the unique sound of their tight-knit, high-energy music. The album sold just under 300,000 units due to non-stop touring worldwide and became an underground hit. It remains a pioneering classic in the rock/funk/hip hop genre made popular in later years by such bands as 311, Limp Bizkit, and Kid Rock. The video for "Jungle Boogie" was the first video on MTV to air on the specialty shows 120 Minutes, Yo! MTV Raps, Hard 60, and Headbanger's Ball.
...
Wikipedia