Company Flow
Encyclopedia
Company Flow is an American
underground hip hop
group from Brooklyn
, New York City
at one time associated with the independent record label
Rawkus Records
. Rapper
/producer
El-P and DJ/producer Mr. Len
founded the group in 1992 in Queens, New York and rapper/producer Bigg Jus
later joined.
, Company Flow released their debut single "Juvenile Techniques" in 1993. The follow-up, "8 Steps to Perfection", and their debut EP
, Funcrusher (1996), were underground hits. Subject to a major label bidding war on Libra records, Company Flow waited until they could get a contract on their own terms. They eventually signed to Rawkus, and helped revitalize underground rap with labelmates like Mos Def
.
Their full-length debut album
Funcrusher Plus
, released in 1997 on Rawkus, is widely recognized as one of the most important and ground-breaking hiphop albums of the late 1990s.
After two years of pushing the album and touring, group member Bigg Jus
decided to strike out on his own and the group amicably dissolved. El-P and Mr. Len
followed up their debut with the instrumental album Little Johnny From the Hospitul (Rawkus).
By 2000, the relationship with Rawkus had disintegrated. The label was accused of neglecting the group's talent and being dishonest financially. The staff was fired shortly before Christmas, and Company Flow announced their departure from Rawkus shortly thereafter. Separately, El-P and Mr. Len ended their own deals with Rawkus, effectively severing the relationship between the three and Rawkus. El-P has started his own record label (Definitive Jux
) and pursued a solo career. Mr. Len has done the same with his (Dummy Smacks Records). Bigg Jus has released work on Big Dada
and Mush Records
.
Bigg Jus stated in 2006 that he is currently working on material for a new Company Flow album, suggesting the possibility of the group re-forming. Company Flow reunited for a show on October 19, 2007 in Brooklyn
, New York City
as well as a show on July 16, 2011 , and supported Portishead at the inaugural British 'I'll Be Your Mirror' festival in July 23, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
underground hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group from Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at one time associated with the independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass...
. Rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
/producer
Hip hop production
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music. Though the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music, it's most commonly used to refer to the instrumental, non-lyrical aspects of hip hop. This means that hip hop producers are the instrumentalists involved in a work...
El-P and DJ/producer Mr. Len
Mr. Len
Mr. Len is a hip hop DJ from Bronx, New York. He was a member, with Bigg Jus and El-P, of the underground hip hop trio Company Flow, which disbanded in the late-1990s. Presently he is in a group with Kimani Rogers from The Masterminds named Roosevelt Franklin...
founded the group in 1992 in Queens, New York and rapper/producer Bigg Jus
Bigg Jus
Bigg Jus is an American hip hop artist from New York City, formerly a member of Company Flow along with Mr. Len and El-P. After the late-1990s breakup of Company Flow, Bigg Jus formed the now defunct Sub Verse Music and began to pursue his solo career...
later joined.
History
El-P had gone through a disastrous experience with a record label in an attempt at a solo deal, and founded the group after serving as an intern for an entertainment lawyer. With DJ Mr. LenMr. Len
Mr. Len is a hip hop DJ from Bronx, New York. He was a member, with Bigg Jus and El-P, of the underground hip hop trio Company Flow, which disbanded in the late-1990s. Presently he is in a group with Kimani Rogers from The Masterminds named Roosevelt Franklin...
, Company Flow released their debut single "Juvenile Techniques" in 1993. The follow-up, "8 Steps to Perfection", and their debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Funcrusher (1996), were underground hits. Subject to a major label bidding war on Libra records, Company Flow waited until they could get a contract on their own terms. They eventually signed to Rawkus, and helped revitalize underground rap with labelmates like Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
.
Their full-length debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Funcrusher Plus
Funcrusher Plus
Funcrusher Plus is the debut album by Brooklyn, New York hip-hop group Company Flow, released on July 28, 1997 . It was the first album released on Rawkus Records, arguably the most popular and successful independent hip hop label of the late 1990s...
, released in 1997 on Rawkus, is widely recognized as one of the most important and ground-breaking hiphop albums of the late 1990s.
After two years of pushing the album and touring, group member Bigg Jus
Bigg Jus
Bigg Jus is an American hip hop artist from New York City, formerly a member of Company Flow along with Mr. Len and El-P. After the late-1990s breakup of Company Flow, Bigg Jus formed the now defunct Sub Verse Music and began to pursue his solo career...
decided to strike out on his own and the group amicably dissolved. El-P and Mr. Len
Mr. Len
Mr. Len is a hip hop DJ from Bronx, New York. He was a member, with Bigg Jus and El-P, of the underground hip hop trio Company Flow, which disbanded in the late-1990s. Presently he is in a group with Kimani Rogers from The Masterminds named Roosevelt Franklin...
followed up their debut with the instrumental album Little Johnny From the Hospitul (Rawkus).
By 2000, the relationship with Rawkus had disintegrated. The label was accused of neglecting the group's talent and being dishonest financially. The staff was fired shortly before Christmas, and Company Flow announced their departure from Rawkus shortly thereafter. Separately, El-P and Mr. Len ended their own deals with Rawkus, effectively severing the relationship between the three and Rawkus. El-P has started his own record label (Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...
) and pursued a solo career. Mr. Len has done the same with his (Dummy Smacks Records). Bigg Jus has released work on Big Dada
Big Dada
Big Dada Recordings is the Hip Hop imprint of London-based independent record label, Ninja Tune. It is best known for being the home of prominent British hip hop artist Roots Manuva. It was started by reputed hip hop journalist Will Ashon in February 1997...
and Mush Records
Mush Records
Mush Records is an independent record label that has released albums for many independent artists and was started by Robert Curcio and Cindy Roché.Mush Records is an electronic based record label...
.
Bigg Jus stated in 2006 that he is currently working on material for a new Company Flow album, suggesting the possibility of the group re-forming. Company Flow reunited for a show on October 19, 2007 in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as well as a show on July 16, 2011 , and supported Portishead at the inaugural British 'I'll Be Your Mirror' festival in July 23, 2011.
EPs and albums
| Album information |
|---|
Funcrusher EP
|
| Funcrusher Plus Funcrusher Plus Funcrusher Plus is the debut album by Brooklyn, New York hip-hop group Company Flow, released on July 28, 1997 . It was the first album released on Rawkus Records, arguably the most popular and successful independent hip hop label of the late 1990s... Rawkus Records Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass... |
| Little Johnny From the Hospitul: Breaks & Instrumentals Vol.1 Little Johnny From the Hospitul: Breaks & Instrumentals Vol.1 Little Johnny from the Hospitul is Company Flow's second album, which was released in 1999, soon after the group disbanded.The song "Bee Aware" became the song "Arize" by Mr. Lif.... Rawkus Records Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass... |
Singles
- "Juvenile Technique" (1994)
- "8 Steps to Perfection" (1996)
- "Infokill" (1996)
- "Blind" (1997)
- "End to End Burners...Episode 1" (1998)
- "Patriotism" from Soundbombing 2Soundbombing 2Soundbombing II is the second installment in Rawkus Records Soundbombing series, and was possibly the most successful and acclaimed release out of all the Rawkus compilations. Soundbombing 2 fuses up-and-coming MC's with established rappers, and was able to deliver an underground Hip Hop sound to a...
(1999) - "D.P.A. (As Seen on TV)" (2000)
Guest appearances
- "Jonny Rookie Card", from the Boulevard Connection EP Sut Min Pik (1998)
- "NYC-BCN", from the 7 Notas 7 Colores7 Notas 7 Colores7 Notas 7 Colores was a Spanish hip-hop group of the 90's hailing from Barcelona.-Biography:7 Notas 7 Colores emerged in Barcelona in 1993, when there were few rap groups in Spain...
album "77" (La Madre-Superego, 1999) - "Bladerunners", from the Mike LaddMike LaddMike Ladd is a hip-hop MC and producer. As an MC, he practices spoken-word and is known for his poetic lyrics. As a producer, he is known as the owner of the Likemadd label.-Biography:...
album Welcome to the Afterfuture (1999) - "Night Time Theme", from the Infesticons album Gun Hill Road (2000)
- "Vision of Art", from the DJ KrushDJ Krush, better known as DJ Krush, is a producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.-Biography:...
album Zen (2001)