J.J. Fad

J.J. Fad took shape in Rialto, California—roughly sixty miles east of Los Angeles—when Juana Burns (MC JB), Juanita Lee (Crazy J), Fatima Shaheed (OG Rocker), Anna Cash (Lady Anna), and Dania Birks (Baby-D) came together, the group’s name drawn from the initial letters of each member’s first name. Two years later, in 1987, the five-piece issued its first recording, the Arabian Prince-produced 12-inch “Anotha Ho”/“Supersonic,” on the Dream Team imprint. Lee, Shaheed, and Cash soon departed, prompting Burns and Birks to recruit Michelle Franklin (Sassy C) and DJ Train; the lineup adopted a fresh acronym, Just Jammin’, Fresh and Def, and placed itself on Eazy-E and Jerry Heller’s Ruthless roster. A new version of “Supersonic,” now credited to Arabian Prince, Dr. Dre, and Yella, appeared in 1998 and quickly circulated as an underground favorite. Once the act secured a major-label contract with Atco, the single earned gold status and the self-titled debut album followed suit. The 1991 sequel Not Just a Fad failed to register on any Billboard chart, after which the members parted ways the next year. Nearly twenty years afterward they regrouped for live performances.