Biography
Hailing from New York City, the ensemble 24-7 Spyz fuses funk grooves with heavy metal force, layering lyrics heavy with social messages atop relentless drive. Emerging in the early 1990s amid a surge of alternative acts that freely crossed stylistic boundaries, the band secured major-label deals and issued several well-received albums, among them Strength in Numbers in 1992. Persistent personnel shifts prompted repeated splits and reunions across subsequent decades, yet the core creative approach endured, surfacing again on the 2019 release The Soundtrack to the Innermost Galaxy.
Guitarist Jimi Hazel—whose stage name nods to Jimi Hendrix and Funkadelic’s Eddie Hazel—and bassist Rick Skatore assembled the initial lineup in the Bronx. Their first long-player, Harder Than You, appeared in 1988 via In-Effect and drew MTV notice through a version of Kool & the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie,” which also featured vocals from singer P. Fluid. The 1990 follow-up Gumbo Millennium refined the group’s boundary-crossing approach and expanded its reach when 24-7 Spyz supported Jane’s Addiction on the Ritual de lo Habitual tour.
After that trek concluded, Fluid and drummer Anthony Johnson departed. Hazel and Skatore rebuilt the roster with vocalist Jeff Brodnax and drummer Joel Maitoza, yielding the 1991 EP This Is...24-7 Spyz! and the 1992 album Strength in Numbers, both issued by East West. The original Harder Than You configuration reconvened in 1995 for Temporarily Disconnected, though further changes soon followed. Hazel eventually assumed lead vocals alongside guitar duties while drummers rotated; the resulting 1996 album Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound—issued in Europe simply as 6—preceded a dormancy spanning 1998 to 2003, during which Hazel issued the solo set 21stCenturySouthBronxRockStar.
Hazel and Skatore later revived 24-7 Spyz, unveiling the 1998-recorded live collection Can You Hear the Sound? and the fresh studio effort Face the Day in 2006. Another dissolution occurred shortly thereafter, leading Hazel and Skatore to launch A.N.M. After several years they returned to the 24-7 Spyz name with a revolving cast, touring before pausing again in 2014. Activity resumed in 2016 with the track “Anthem,” followed three years later by The Soundtrack to the Innermost Galaxy. An intended supporting tour collapsed amid COVID-19 restrictions, yet the band persisted and delivered the single “Angels & Demons” in 2022.
Guitarist Jimi Hazel—whose stage name nods to Jimi Hendrix and Funkadelic’s Eddie Hazel—and bassist Rick Skatore assembled the initial lineup in the Bronx. Their first long-player, Harder Than You, appeared in 1988 via In-Effect and drew MTV notice through a version of Kool & the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie,” which also featured vocals from singer P. Fluid. The 1990 follow-up Gumbo Millennium refined the group’s boundary-crossing approach and expanded its reach when 24-7 Spyz supported Jane’s Addiction on the Ritual de lo Habitual tour.
After that trek concluded, Fluid and drummer Anthony Johnson departed. Hazel and Skatore rebuilt the roster with vocalist Jeff Brodnax and drummer Joel Maitoza, yielding the 1991 EP This Is...24-7 Spyz! and the 1992 album Strength in Numbers, both issued by East West. The original Harder Than You configuration reconvened in 1995 for Temporarily Disconnected, though further changes soon followed. Hazel eventually assumed lead vocals alongside guitar duties while drummers rotated; the resulting 1996 album Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound—issued in Europe simply as 6—preceded a dormancy spanning 1998 to 2003, during which Hazel issued the solo set 21stCenturySouthBronxRockStar.
Hazel and Skatore later revived 24-7 Spyz, unveiling the 1998-recorded live collection Can You Hear the Sound? and the fresh studio effort Face the Day in 2006. Another dissolution occurred shortly thereafter, leading Hazel and Skatore to launch A.N.M. After several years they returned to the 24-7 Spyz name with a revolving cast, touring before pausing again in 2014. Activity resumed in 2016 with the track “Anthem,” followed three years later by The Soundtrack to the Innermost Galaxy. An intended supporting tour collapsed amid COVID-19 restrictions, yet the band persisted and delivered the single “Angels & Demons” in 2022.
Albums
Angels and Demons
2022
Anthem
2017
Can You Hear The Sound?
2006
Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound
1996
6
1996
Temporarily Disconnected
1995
Strength In Numbers
1992
This Is...24-7 SPYZ
1991
Gumbo Millennium
1990
Harder Than You
1989
Singles
