Biography
Though DJ Spider and MC Champ! first crossed paths as fellow students at Sonoma State University in California, the hip-hop outfit Move.meant only began to coalesce once Champ! relocated to Los Angeles and, via Spider, connected with producer Just Beats. The three promptly launched a collaborative recording effort, issuing their debut single in 2002 as a vinyl-only release titled “The Rebirth,” backed with “Heather.” Both tracks later appeared on the group’s self-titled EP, which arrived the next year through their own imprint, Wax Paper Records. While preparing material for a projected full-length, the members encountered difficulty securing a label deal that suited their terms. In its place they issued a second EP, The Good Money, whose track “Problems” was featured in the 2005 Academy Award–winning film Crash. Ultimately opting for a digital-only rollout in the United States—with Grindin’ Records handling distribution in Australia—Move.meant delivered its first album, The Scope of Things, during the spring of 2007.