The Crooklyn Dodgers are a hip-hop supergroup

Supergroup (music)

In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....

 based in Brooklyn, New York City, consisting of rotating members.Allmusic

They appeared in three separate incarnations since 1994. The first two incarnations recorded for the soundtracks for Spike Lee

Spike Lee

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....

 films, Crooklyn

Crooklyn

Crooklyn is a 1994 semi-autobiographical film co-written and directed by Spike Lee. The film takes place in Brooklyn, New York and the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant during the summer of 1973. Its primary focus is a young girl, Troy , and her family...

and Clockers, respectively. The theme connecting The Crooklyn Dodgers songs, aside from the Spike Lee

Spike Lee

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....

 films for which they were made, is their topical concerns, which comment on the state of affairs

State of affairs

The state of affairs is that combination of circumstances applying within a society or group at a particular time. The current state of affairs may be considered acceptable by many observers, but not necessarily by all. The state of affairs may present a challenge, or be complicated, or contain a...

 in and around urban

Urban area

An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

 New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, as well as other issues affecting everyday life.

Crooklyn

The first group was composed of Buckshot

Buckshot (rapper)

Buckshot is an underground rapper, famous as the leader of Hip Hop supergroup Boot Camp Clik, and the group Black Moon. He has released one solo album, two with producer 9th Wonder, four albums with Black Moon and four albums with the Boot Camp Clik.- Biography :Born and raised in Brooklyn...

, Masta Ace

Masta Ace

Duval Clear , known better by his stage name Masta Ace, is a rapper from Brownsville, Brooklyn. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut "The Symphony"...

 and Special Ed

Special Ed

Special Ed is the performing name of Edward Archer , an American hip hop musician of Jamaican descent. Hailing from Brooklyn in New York City, he was raised in Flatbush before moving to Canarsie, and is identified with East Coast hip hop...

. Their one and only record was "Crooklyn," produced by Q-Tip

Q-Tip (rapper)

Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...

, and was featured in the 1994 film Crooklyn. It contains scratch

Scratching

Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the late 1980s, it has been used...

 samples from "Who Got Da Props?" by Black Moon

Black Moon

Black Moon is a studio album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer released in 1992. The first studio album under the band's original lineup since 1978, it was regarded by fans as a strong comeback, although the band's subsequent career did not fulfill its promise.-Track listing:#"Black...

 and "The Place Where We Dwell" by Gang Starr

Gang Starr

Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...

. It also features samples of a radio broadcast of a Brooklyn Dodgers game. The music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 featured appearances by Brooklyn-born athletes Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

 and Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson

Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...

.

Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers

The second group was composed of Chubb Rock

Chubb Rock

Chubb Rock is a New York-based rapper who released several commercially successful hip hop albums in the early 1990s...

, Jeru the Damaja

Jeru the Damaja

Kendrick Jeru Davis, known as Jeru the Damaja is an American rapper and recording artist who has worked extensively with Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr, whom he has known since high school.-Biography:...

 and O.C.

O.C. (rapper)

Omar Credle , known by his stage name, O.C., is an American rapper who has been involved with several renowned underground hip-hop groups and also released many solo albums.-Recording career:...

 Their one and only record was "Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers," produced by DJ Premier

DJ Premier

Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...

, and featured in the 1995 film Clockers. This incarnation was credited as Crooklyn Dodgers '95. This version is also the most acclaimed out of the three incarnations.

Brooklyn In My Mind

The third group consisted of Jean Grae

Jean Grae

Jean Grae , born November 26, 1976 is an American hip hop artist who hails from South Africa. She rose to prominence in the underground hip-hop scene in New York City, and has since built an international fanbase.- Early life :...

, 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...

 and Memphis Bleek

Memphis Bleek

Malik Thuston Patrick Cox , better known by his rap persona of Memphis Bleek or "Bleek", is a New York rapper mainly known for his tenure with Roc-a-Fella Records and CEO of his own label Get Low Records...

. North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 producer 9th Wonder

9th Wonder

Patrick Douthit , better known as 9th Wonder is a hip hop record producer, record executive, DJ, professor, and lyricist from Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A. He began his career as the main producer for the hip hop group Little Brother, and has also worked with Mary J...

 resurrected the group concept in 2007 for a track on his album The Dream Merchant Vol. 2

The Dream Merchant Vol. 2

The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 is the second compilation album from producer 9th Wonder, formerly of Little Brother. It was released on October 9, 2007 through Sixhole Records.-Track listing:#Mr...

, titled "Brooklyn in My Mind".

External links

• Discogs: Crooklyn Dodgers (information on first group)
• Discogs: Crooklyn Dodgers '95 (information on second group)