Biography
The six-man Crash Crew laid down several enduring old-school anthems, among them the self-released “High Powered Rap,” which appeared before Grandmaster Flash scored a hit by adapting the identical backing track under the title “Freedom.” Rooted in Harlem’s Lincoln Projects, the outfit coalesced around a circle of high-school friends that included E.K. Mike C, Reggie Reg (Reginald Payne), La Shubee, Barry Bistro, G-Man, and DJ Darryl C (Darryl Calloway). From roughly 1977 onward, performances at neighborhood block parties and at Harlem’s Club 197 supplied valuable stage time, while E.K. Mike C’s access to a recording facility allowed the group to commit material to tape well ahead of most contemporaries. Drawing on the funk cut “Get up and Dance” by Freedom, they cut a brief demo version of “High Powered Rap” and peddled the independently pressed single directly to audiences after shows. It remains unclear whether Sugar Hill derived its inspiration for a new recording of the song from Crash Crew or from another source, yet the first national hit for Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five arrived in 1980 with “Freedom,” built on the same foundation. That single, the collective’s debut for Sugar Hill, climbed the R&B charts, proved markedly stronger than Crash Crew’s earlier take, and fostered lasting friction between the two acts.
Crash Crew themselves later secured a deal with Sugar Hill and issued multiple sides, among them the old-school staples “We Are Known as Emcee's (We Turn Parties Out)” and “Breakin' Bells (Take Me to the Mardi Gras).” Despite fielding five rappers, the group never distinguished itself as especially skilled on the mic; instead, its strength lay in straightforward party tracks built around repetitive hooks rather than intricate rhymes. The act faded from view shortly thereafter, and none of its members pursued further careers in the music business. In 2000, Sequel assembled the group’s recordings on the anthology We Are Emcees.
Crash Crew themselves later secured a deal with Sugar Hill and issued multiple sides, among them the old-school staples “We Are Known as Emcee's (We Turn Parties Out)” and “Breakin' Bells (Take Me to the Mardi Gras).” Despite fielding five rappers, the group never distinguished itself as especially skilled on the mic; instead, its strength lay in straightforward party tracks built around repetitive hooks rather than intricate rhymes. The act faded from view shortly thereafter, and none of its members pursued further careers in the music business. In 2000, Sequel assembled the group’s recordings on the anthology We Are Emcees.
Albums