Hijack (band)
Encyclopedia
Hijack were a hip hop
group from Brixton
in London
, featuring Kamanchi Sly, DJ Supreme, DJ Undercover, Ulysses, Agent Fritz and Agent Clueso. Their first single
, "Style Wars" (Music of Life
, 1988) caught the attention of the British hip hop
community. Their next release, "Hold No Hostage" / "Doomsday of Rap" (Music of Life, 1989) became an underground hit
across Europe, bringing them to the attention of West Coast
rapper Ice T
.
, and they recorded
and released the single "The Badman is Robbin'" (Rhyme Syndicate, 1989). The track reached #56 in the UK Singles Chart
. The group's debut album
- The Horns of Jericho (Rhyme Syndicate, 1991) - was recorded around the same time, but Warner
(who had a distribution deal with Rhyme Syndicate) did not release the album in the United States
.
Following this the group split up and went their separate ways. DJ Supreme founded Backbone Records, whilst Kamanchi Sly and DJ Undercover founded Reservoir Records and recorded as Mr Pink and Mr Blond for a short. Kamanchi Sly changed his name to Unknown MC and had chart
success with his brother
DJ Pied Piper. DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies
's single "Do You Really Like It" (Relentless Records, 2001) reached number 1 in the UK chart.
Since then, Kamanchi Sly released two EPs
in 2004. DJ Supreme attended the Scratchcon 2000 seminar in San Francisco
, California
, which was hosted by DJ Qbert. Supreme is an active DJ
on the Europe
an nightclub
circuit and continues to work in record production
. His most recent project include the making of his semi-biographical documentary film
, The Turntable Trixters, which chronicles the history of Hijack. The film
was recently screened by the British Film Institute
and a DVD
is available.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group from Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, featuring Kamanchi Sly, DJ Supreme, DJ Undercover, Ulysses, Agent Fritz and Agent Clueso. Their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Style Wars" (Music of Life
Music of Life
Music of Life is a British independent dance music label formed in 1986 by two influential DJ remixers, Froggy and Simon Harris. Following several successful productions, one of which reached No3 in the UK pop music charts Harris and Froggy decided to launch their own label, they were offered a...
, 1988) caught the attention of the British hip hop
British hip hop
British hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music...
community. Their next release, "Hold No Hostage" / "Doomsday of Rap" (Music of Life, 1989) became an underground hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
across Europe, bringing them to the attention of West Coast
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
rapper Ice T
Ice T
Tracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American musician and actor.He was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school he served in the United States Army for four years...
.
Overview
Ice T signed the group to his own Rhyme Syndicate record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, and they recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
and released the single "The Badman is Robbin'" (Rhyme Syndicate, 1989). The track reached #56 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The group's 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...
- The Horns of Jericho (Rhyme Syndicate, 1991) - was recorded around the same time, but Warner
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
(who had a distribution deal with Rhyme Syndicate) did not release the album in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Following this the group split up and went their separate ways. DJ Supreme founded Backbone Records, whilst Kamanchi Sly and DJ Undercover founded Reservoir Records and recorded as Mr Pink and Mr Blond for a short. Kamanchi Sly changed his name to Unknown MC and had chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success with his brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
DJ Pied Piper. DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies
DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies
DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies was a UK garage collaboration between the producer and DJ Pied Piper ; and MCs DT, Melody, Sharky P, and the Unknown MC .They are best known for their one-hit wonder entitled "Do You Really Like...
's single "Do You Really Like It" (Relentless Records, 2001) reached number 1 in the UK chart.
Since then, Kamanchi Sly released two EPs
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...
in 2004. DJ Supreme attended the Scratchcon 2000 seminar in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, which was hosted by DJ Qbert. Supreme is an active DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
on the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
circuit and continues to work in record production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. His most recent project include the making of his semi-biographical documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, The Turntable Trixters, which chronicles the history of Hijack. The film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
was recently screened by the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
and a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
is available.
Discography
- The Horns of Jericho (Rhyme Syndicate Records, 1991)
- The Original Horns of Jericho / Instrumental Movie Soundtrack (Reservoir Records, 1997)