Massive Monkees
Encyclopedia
Massive Monkees is a 28 member B-boy group from Seattle, Washington that won the 2004 World B-boy Championships in London
and appeared on season 4 of MTV
's America's Best Dance Crew
.
rapper One Be Lo
, who performs as the MC at their shows. The crew was created through the merger of the Massive Crew and the Universal Style Monkees. Massive Monkees' style is viewed as that of fundamental B-boys/B-girls. Additionally, Massive Monkees performs at high schools to diffuse the notion that hip-hop
and gang
s go hand-in-hand.
Members of the crew have performed with and/or choreographed performances for artists such as LL Cool J
, Public Enemy, Slick Rick
, De La Soul
, Nas
, 50 Cent
, Jay-Z
, Ludacris
, Jurassic 5
, Atmosphere
, Tyrese, Missy Elliott
, Immortal Technique
, Beyoncé
and Alicia Keys
. Members of Massive Monkees have been featured on MTV
's Made
, in a Kenneth Cole
print advertising spread, in a promotional video for Xbox
HD DVD, Showtime at the Apollo
and KUBE93’s birthday party with Missy Elliott and Tyrese. The Massive Monkees were on the Vans
Warped Tour
, did an Xbox commercial, and helped with philanthropic efforts in Cambodia
. Certain members of the Massive Monkees were featured in 5 viral video
s produced by Caid Productions for the new "Coosh" headphones a subdivision of the disposable lighter and razor giant Bic
.
Some members of the Massive Monkees were also a part of the Seattle SuperSonics
NBA
team's "Boom Squad". The Boom Squad performed at the SuperSonics home games until the team moved to Oklahoma City
in 2008. They were recognized as top-notch NBA performers when they were invited to perform at the 2005 All-Star Game in Denver's Pepsi Center
. Members of the crew worked on the 2008 documentary/instructional video titled The Way of the B-boy. They have also produced highlight DVDs called The 2-Oh-6 Step (Part 1 and 2), which have been sold in international markets.
On April 26 of 2004, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels
proclaimed this day the official Massive Monkees holiday in Seattle. In 2007 they won the Mayor's Arts Award, presented by Greg Nickels
.
’s Wembley Arena
. One of their best known battles is when they battled the Circle of Fire at the Showbox 2003 in a boxing ring. In 2009, they competed on the reality dance competition America's Best Dance Crew
. They placed third in the competition after the runner-up Afroboriké and the winners We Are Heroes
.
in the 4th season
of the show. They also auditioned for the second season of ABDC, but did not make it on.
Week 1: Crews Choice Challenge:
Massive Monkees went up against Artistry In Motion and Southern Movement and were picked first. Massive Monkees danced a mastermix of the song of their choice, "Kill Joy
" by N.E.R.D..
Week 2: Beyoncé
Challenge:
For the second week of America's Best Dance Crew, the 8 remaining crews danced to Beyoncé
's music. Massive Monkees had "Work It Out". Their challenge was to dance with hula-hoops.
Week 3: Martial Arts Challenge:
For the third week of America's Best Dance Crew, the 7 remaining crews performed a type of Martial Arts into their routine. Massive Monkees were assigned Extreme Martial Arts with the song, "Bounce
" by MSTRKRFT
. Their challenge was to incorporate the 540 into their routine.
Week 4: Bollywood Challenge:
In week 4 of America's Best Dance Crew, crews incorporated Bollywood
within their hip-hop routine. Massive Monkees had to dance to Bhangra and "Bang
" by Rye Rye
featuring M.I.A.
.
Week 5: Dance Craze Challenge:
For the fifth week of America's Best Dance Crew, the crews all were assigned a dance craze and had to use the trampoline in their performance. Massive Monkees had to do B Hamp's"Do The Ricky Bobby" on a trampoline.
Week 6: VMA Challenge:
In this episode of America's Best Dance Crew, the final 4 crews danced to an iconic VMA performance. Massive Monkees were in the bottom 2.Their assigned VMA performance was "Tearin' Up My Heart
" by *NSYNC
, which impresses judge JC Chasez.
Week 7: Decades Of Dance and Last Chance Challenge:
Massive Monkees were eliminated by We Are Heroes.
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...
and appeared on season 4 of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew (season 4)
The fourth season of America's Best Dance Crew premiered on August 9, 2009. All three judges and host Mario Lopez and backstage correspondent Layla Kayleigh from the previous seasons signed on for season 4. However, for the first time since the beginning of ABDC, DJ Rashida was not present as the...
.
History
Founded in the mid-90's, the Massive Monkees have 28 active members including former Binary StarBinary star
A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star, comes, or secondary...
rapper One Be Lo
One Be Lo
Nahshid Sulaiman better known by his stage name One Be Lo is an alternative hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan. He is well respected for being one half of the former rap duo Binary Star, and has released a number of well-received solo albums...
, who performs as the MC at their shows. The crew was created through the merger of the Massive Crew and the Universal Style Monkees. Massive Monkees' style is viewed as that of fundamental B-boys/B-girls. Additionally, Massive Monkees performs at high schools to diffuse the notion that 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...
and gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
s go hand-in-hand.
Members of the crew have performed with and/or choreographed performances for artists such as LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
, Public Enemy, Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
, De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
, Atmosphere
Atmosphere (music group)
Atmosphere is an American hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group is composed of rapper Slug and DJ/Producer Ant...
, Tyrese, Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
, Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
, Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
and Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
. Members of Massive Monkees have been featured on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Made
Made (TV series)
MTV's MADE is a self-improvement reality television series broadcast on MTV. The series follows teens who have a goal and want to be "made" into things like singers, athletes, dancers, skateboarders, etc. The teens are joined by a "Made Coach", an expert in their chosen field, who tries to help...
, in a Kenneth Cole
Kenneth Cole (designer)
Kenneth Cole is an American clothing designer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, his father, Charles Cole, owned the El Greco shoe manufacturing company. Before learning the family business and starting his own company in 1982, Cole studied law at Emory University.- Birth of a shoe company :Kenneth Cole...
print advertising spread, in a promotional video for Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
HD DVD, Showtime at the Apollo
Showtime at the Apollo
Showtime at the Apollo is a syndicated music television show, first broadcast on September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008 with 1093 episodes, and is produced by the Apollo Theater...
and KUBE93’s birthday party with Missy Elliott and Tyrese. The Massive Monkees were on the Vans
Vans
Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, skateboarding shoes, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots and other shoe types.- History :On March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway, in Anaheim, California, brothers Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, and three other partners opened up their first store...
Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
, did an Xbox commercial, and helped with philanthropic efforts in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Certain members of the Massive Monkees were featured in 5 viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
s produced by Caid Productions for the new "Coosh" headphones a subdivision of the disposable lighter and razor giant Bic
Société Bic
Société Bic is a company based in Clichy, France, founded in 1945, by Baron Marcel Bich known for making disposable products including lighters, magnets, ballpoint pens, shaving razors and watersports products. It competes in most markets against Faber-Castell, Global Gillette, Newell Rubbermaid...
.
Some members of the Massive Monkees were also a part of the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
team's "Boom Squad". The Boom Squad performed at the SuperSonics home games until the team moved to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
in 2008. They were recognized as top-notch NBA performers when they were invited to perform at the 2005 All-Star Game in Denver's Pepsi Center
Pepsi Center
Pepsi Center is a multi-purpose arena in Denver, Colorado, United States. The building is home to the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League...
. Members of the crew worked on the 2008 documentary/instructional video titled The Way of the B-boy. They have also produced highlight DVDs called The 2-Oh-6 Step (Part 1 and 2), which have been sold in international markets.
On April 26 of 2004, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels
Greg Nickels
Gregory J. "Greg" Nickels was the 51st mayor of Seattle, Washington. He took office on January 1, 2002 and was reelected to a second term in 2005. In August 2009, Nickels finished third in the primary election for Seattle mayor, failing to qualify for the November 2009 general election, and...
proclaimed this day the official Massive Monkees holiday in Seattle. In 2007 they won the Mayor's Arts Award, presented by Greg Nickels
Greg Nickels
Gregory J. "Greg" Nickels was the 51st mayor of Seattle, Washington. He took office on January 1, 2002 and was reelected to a second term in 2005. In August 2009, Nickels finished third in the primary election for Seattle mayor, failing to qualify for the November 2009 general election, and...
.
Competitions
The Massive Monkees have competed in both national and international competitions. Their first major B-boy title was won at the 2000 B-boy Summit, when members Juseboogy and Twixx took the 2-man title. Since then they have won dozens of other awards including first place in the 4-on-4 category at the 2004 World B-Boy Championships that took place at LondonLondon
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...
’s Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
. One of their best known battles is when they battled the Circle of Fire at the Showbox 2003 in a boxing ring. In 2009, they competed on the reality dance competition America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
. They placed third in the competition after the runner-up Afroboriké and the winners We Are Heroes
We Are Heroes
We Are Heroes is an all female popping dance crew best known for being the first all-female crew to win America's Best Dance Crew with their title in Season 4. The winning prize amount was $100,000 in cash as well as ABDC's Golden B-Boy Trophy...
.
America's Best Dance Crew
Massive Monkees were chosen to be one of the 9 crews fighting to become America's Best Dance CrewAmerica's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
in the 4th season
America's Best Dance Crew (season 4)
The fourth season of America's Best Dance Crew premiered on August 9, 2009. All three judges and host Mario Lopez and backstage correspondent Layla Kayleigh from the previous seasons signed on for season 4. However, for the first time since the beginning of ABDC, DJ Rashida was not present as the...
of the show. They also auditioned for the second season of ABDC, but did not make it on.
Week 1: Crews Choice Challenge:
Massive Monkees went up against Artistry In Motion and Southern Movement and were picked first. Massive Monkees danced a mastermix of the song of their choice, "Kill Joy
Seeing Sounds
Seeing Sounds is the third studio album by American funk rock band N.E.R.D released June 10, 2008 on Star Trak Entertainment and Interscope Records in the United States. After ending their contract with Virgin Records in 2005, the band felt their previous album Fly or Die was too consistent. Using...
" by N.E.R.D..
Week 2: Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
Challenge:
For the second week of America's Best Dance Crew, the 8 remaining crews danced to Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
's music. Massive Monkees had "Work It Out". Their challenge was to dance with hula-hoops.
Week 3: Martial Arts Challenge:
For the third week of America's Best Dance Crew, the 7 remaining crews performed a type of Martial Arts into their routine. Massive Monkees were assigned Extreme Martial Arts with the song, "Bounce
Fist of God
Fist of God is the second album by MSTRKRFT, released on March 17, 2009 by Dim Mak Records and Downtown Records.-Reception:Initial critical response to Fist of God was very average. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has...
" by MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto, Ontario. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P formerly of the Mississauga, Ontario electropop group Girlsareshort...
. Their challenge was to incorporate the 540 into their routine.
Week 4: Bollywood Challenge:
In week 4 of America's Best Dance Crew, crews incorporated Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
within their hip-hop routine. Massive Monkees had to dance to Bhangra and "Bang
Fast & Furious (soundtrack)
The official soundtrack for Fast & Furious was released on March 31, 2009 on Star Trak Entertainment. The first single from the soundtrack is "Blanco," performed by Pitbull featuring Pharrell and produced by The Neptunes. The second single from the album is "Krazy" by Pitbull featuring Lil Jon. The...
" by Rye Rye
Rye Rye
Rye Rye is the stage name of Ryeisha Berrain, an American rapper and dancer from Baltimore, Maryland, United States signed to N.E.E.T. Recordings. She is currently finishing work on her debut album, Go! Pop! Bang!, slated to be released some time in 2012.-Early career:Rye Rye began performing at...
featuring M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
.
Week 5: Dance Craze Challenge:
For the fifth week of America's Best Dance Crew, the crews all were assigned a dance craze and had to use the trampoline in their performance. Massive Monkees had to do B Hamp's"Do The Ricky Bobby" on a trampoline.
Week 6: VMA Challenge:
In this episode of America's Best Dance Crew, the final 4 crews danced to an iconic VMA performance. Massive Monkees were in the bottom 2.Their assigned VMA performance was "Tearin' Up My Heart
Tearin' Up My Heart
Tearin' Up My Heart is the second single from boy band 'N Sync's self-titled debut album. It is the second single worldwide. In 2007, Tearin' Up My Heart peaked #30 at VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of '90s...
" by *NSYNC
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
, which impresses judge JC Chasez.
Week 7: Decades Of Dance and Last Chance Challenge:
Massive Monkees were eliminated by We Are Heroes.
Members
- Armagedden
- Anna Banana Freeze
- Benny Blanco
- Cornbread
- Dancin Domes
- DJ Bles One
- DJ DV One
- Dubs
- Flow Funk
- Geronimo
- Granite Rok
- Iron Mike Brysen
- Jeromeskee
- JoRawk
- Juggernot
- Junior
- JuseBoogy
- Lil Lazy
- Lonestar
- Lotuz
- Miguel
- One Be LoOne Be LoNahshid Sulaiman better known by his stage name One Be Lo is an alternative hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan. He is well respected for being one half of the former rap duo Binary Star, and has released a number of well-received solo albums...
- Peanut
- Rock'Hus
- Rodericko
- Rhythm Rage
- SalahSalah (dancer)Salah Benlemqawanssa , is an award-winning competitive hip-hop dancer who specializes in popping. In 2006 he won France's Incroyable Talent competition in its first season. The same year he won a 2-on-2 popping battle with teammate Iron Mike at Juste Debout, a French based international street...
- Secret Skwerl
- Tim the Pitt
- Twixx
External links
- Massive Monkees - Official Website
- Breakdancing Lessons: Windmills 3SF - Application to learn Windmills by World-Class B-Boy Jeromeskee (Massive MonkeesMassive MonkeesMassive Monkees is a 28 member B-boy group from Seattle, Washington that won the 2004 World B-boy Championships in London and appeared on season 4 of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew.- History :...
/ Rock Steady) - Massive Monkees performing live
- Seattle Times article
- Seattle Pi article