Biography
UK hip-hop outfit Funky Fresh Few originated in Blackpool, Lancashire, during the mid-80s when James Folks, Damon Savage and graffiti artist Timeone joined forces. Their earliest efforts involved crafting pause-button mix tapes, while Timeone added murals to local buildings around the otherwise uninspiring town. Regular journeys to Manchester for quality rap records led them to Fat City, one of the city’s premier hip-hop outlets, where they encountered Mark Rae of Rae And Christian. At the time Rae was establishing Grand Central Records, which issued the crew’s first EP, Slow For Focus, in 1996. A follow-up single, ‘Through These Veins’, appeared on the same label in 1997 and featured Afu Ra, a friend of Jeru The Damaja, after which the original members began to separate. Rather than disband outright, they parted with Savage and recruited Blackpool MC Glenn Reynolds, already known for releases under the name OSC.
By 2002 the revised lineup had assembled basic studio gear, allowing tracks to be produced more rapidly. The resulting debut album Stealing drew contributions from several American rappers, among them Craig G, lyricist for Eminem’s 8 Mile soundtrack, plus newcomers Jimmy Grand and Dirk Diggla. Standout performances, however, came from UK guests Wig on the track ‘24.7’ and Sage, whose verses graced both ‘Never Simple’ and ‘Sageblaze’. The strong showing of this first record underscored the rising stature of British rap as a credible artistic movement.
By 2002 the revised lineup had assembled basic studio gear, allowing tracks to be produced more rapidly. The resulting debut album Stealing drew contributions from several American rappers, among them Craig G, lyricist for Eminem’s 8 Mile soundtrack, plus newcomers Jimmy Grand and Dirk Diggla. Standout performances, however, came from UK guests Wig on the track ‘24.7’ and Sage, whose verses graced both ‘Never Simple’ and ‘Sageblaze’. The strong showing of this first record underscored the rising stature of British rap as a credible artistic movement.