Quarashi
Encyclopedia
Quarashi was a rap and hip-hop group from Reykjavík
, Iceland
. It was composed of Hössi Ólafsson
(replaced by Tiny, real name Egill Olafur Thorarensen, on the final album), who was the lead vocalist and frontman of the group, Ómar Swarez (Ómar Örn Hauksson), rapper and hype man, and Steini a.k.a. Stoney (Steinar Orri Fjeldsted), also rapper and hype man. The fourth member of the group was Sölvi Blöndal
, who was their producer, keyboardist, percussionist, drummer and songwriter. For live shows, Quarashi was joined by a guitarist (Smári "Tarfur" Jósepsson, later replaced by Vidar Hákon Gislason), a bassist (Gaukur Úlfarsson), and a DJ (DJ Dice, later replaced by DJ Magic).
The group has a loyal following, especially in their native Iceland. Each of their records (Switchstance, Quarashi, Xeneizes, Kristnihald undir Jökli, Jinx, Guerilla Disco) sold well in their homeland. Quarashi was a rap group, but they combined elements of rock, techno, and funk into their songs, lending an air of unpredictability to their music. Comparisons to Rage Against the Machine
, Eminem
, and Beastie Boys
are often heard when discussing Quarashi, but the group had a unique style that distinguished them from other famous rap/rock groups. Their influences ranged from Public Enemy (Blöndal says that P.E.'s Fear Of A Black Planet is what inspired him to make music) to Led Zeppelin
, and that can be heard in their songs.
, punk
, and heavy metal bands, while Steini was a famous skater who had won numerous championships. He was also a well-known graffiti artist around Reykjavík. During his time as the drummer for the punk rock band, 2001, Sölvi began to develop a preference for studio production over band rehearsal-style song writing. He also wanted to produce different types of music besides industrial rock
and punk, so he quit 2001, and began making rap music.
At around the same time, Sölvi met Steini at a skate park while he was doing community service for public drunkenness. The two hit it off, and Stoney joined Sölvi in making rap music. Soon, Sölvi invited fellow former 2001 band member Hössi Ólafsson (the two had met when they both went to the University of Iceland
) to join his group.
Originally, Hössi would sing, while Steini would rap, but when Sölvi heard Hössi rap, he decided that his musical group would have two rappers. The three men had wanted to create MC names for themselves, but had trouble coming up with anything decent according to Sölvi except for the name Quarashi, which means "supernatural" in Arabic, which was suggested by Steini. Quarashi was Steini's nickname as a skater, and was spray-painted all over the walls and streets in Reykjavík. The three decided that Quarashi was a better name for their group than their original name, and so, in 1996, in a garage in a house in Reykjavík, Iceland, Quarashi was formed.
, under Sölvi's record label, Lax Records. Only 500 copies were made of the five song disc, all sold in a week. The EP topped the Icelandic album charts, driven by the popular title track. Today, it is rare to find a copy of Switchstance, now considered a collector's item. Quarashi was the first rap act to find major success in Iceland, so the demand for the group was high. The Q boys quickly went back to their studio at Bergstaðarstræti, Nýjasta tækni og vísindi to continue recording the music that would make up their first album.
A year later, on 13 October 1997, Quarashi released their self titled début album
(dubbed "The Egg Album" by fans, for the egg on the cover). The album immediately topped the Icelandic album charts thanks to its collection of catchy rap songs such as "Thunderball", "Catch 22", "Mr. Amber Shades", "Superwoman", and "Framogtilbaka". Richard Oddur Hauksson was credited on Quarashi as the fourth member of group (as the DJ), which he also was credited as on Switchstance, but today, he has faded into relative obscurity, because most fans consider the original Quarashi line-up to be Sölvi, Hössi, and Steini.
Unlike Switchstance, Steini and Hössi traded verses on most of the songs, whereas Stoney rapped more on Switchstance than Hössi. 6,000 copies of "The Egg Album" were made, and all soon sold, the album going gold in Iceland. Like Switchstance, it is rare to find a copy of Quarashi, but the CD is found on eBay
every once in a while.
Quarashi were now stars in their homeland, becoming one of Iceland's hottest musical acts, performing sold-out shows all over the small nation. Their mix of catchy rap songs fused with rock, funk, and techno, accompanied by the smooth, but sometimes silly and nonsensical rhymes from Hössi and Stoney garnered love from both fans and critics alike. Quarashi toured all over Iceland to support the album, including performances as the opening act for both The Fugees
and The Prodigy
, and then took a brief hiatus from making music in 1998.
On 25 October 1999, Quarashi returned with their second album, Xeneizes
, named after the nickname given to fans of the Argentine
football team, Boca Juniors
. Xeneizes picked up where Quarashi left off, featuring more of the sometimes serious, sometimes silly lyrical stylings (and singing talents) of Hössi and Steini. The album also featured special appearances by Icelandic rappers Úlfur Kolka (on the song "Mayday"), and Ómar Swarez (on the songs "Punk" and "Stick 'Em Up
"), who was not an official member of Quarashi yet (he had rapped on some of their songs previously). Xeneizes was another hit album for Quarashi, topping the Icelandic album charts due to such tunes as "Surreal Rhyme", "Jivin' About", "Model Citizen", "Tamborine Cut", "Show Me What You Can", and "Xeneizes". Several United Kingdom record labels began showing interest in Quarashi, but the group turned down all offers. 6,000 copies were made of Xeneizes, and once again, all sold out, making Xeneizes the second Quarashi album to go gold in Iceland.
After hearing the Xeneizes album, specifically, the song "Stick 'Em Up" (which, according to Sölvi, sounded like something Limp Bizkit
would do), EMI Music Resources contacted Quarashi to perform at the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival hosted by EMI in conjunction with Flugleiðir in New York City in the fall of 1999. The group performed two shows to rave reviews. The EMI emissary met with Quarashi, and the group went into a studio (which Sölvi has claimed was also a "crack house
") to record six songs (four with vocals), with the EMI emissary watching them.
In February 2000, Quarashi began negotiations with record labels, wrote some new songs, and performed shows for record executives. During one of these shows at the New York City club, Brownies, a stage monitor blew up, nearly causing a riot, which added to the appeal of Quarashi in the record executives eyes. On 27 April 2000, it was announced that Quarashi had signed a deal with EMI Music Resources, giving the group creative control. Soon after, they were signed to independent record label, Time Bomb Recordings
.
On 31 August 2000, Quarashi announced that they had signed with Sony Music Entertainment Incorporated under the Columbia Records
label. The deal was to last for 6 albums, the first of which would be produced in collaboration with Cypress Hill
DJ, DJ Muggs
, and Brendan O'Brien
, who was the recording director for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
breakthrough hit album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik
, and helped produced three of Rage Against the Machine's hit albums, Evil Empire
, The Battle of Los Angeles
, and Renegades. Quarashi moved to New York City to begin making their American debut album.
After the recording of the album, Sölvi Blöndal and Hössi Ólafsson produced the soundtrack
for the Halldór Laxness
play, Kristnihald undir Jökli
, which was directed by Bergur Þór Ingólfsson, and ran in the Borgarleikhús in the winter of 2001. The album, released on 22 September 2001, was filled with original music written and produced by Sölvi and Hössi, and was released under the Quarashi name. Only 500 copies of Kristnihald undir Jökli were made, but most of the copies were sold, and today, the CD is a rarity. Kristnihald undir Jökli fused traditional Icelandic classical music with techno, Electronic music
, and rock
. The album also delved into genres fans hadn't heard from Quarashi yet, such as jazz
. Also during the fall of 2001, Quarashi performed a live concert with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
(the band, Botnleðja also performed) in the Háskólabíó in Reykjavik, which is notable for being the first time that a rap act performed a live concert with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra.
Quarashi's first single from their American debut album, "Stick 'Em Up", was released in February 2002 to much fanfare. The music video, which was a parody of the film Snatch
, was in heavy rotation on MTV2
, as promotion began for Quarashi's next album, which was titled, Jinx.
At long last, on 9 April 2002, Jinx was released in America. Jinx was a collection of 5 new songs ("Mr. Jinx", "Baseline", "Malone Lives", "Copycat", and "Weirdo") and 7 songs from Xeneizes ("Stick 'Em Up", "Tarfur", "Jivin' About", "Xeneizes", "Fuck You Puto", "Dive In" "Bless"). "Stick 'Em Up", "Tarfur", "Jivin' About", "Xeneizes", and "Fuck You Puto" were rerecorded with "Jivin' About" being retitled "Transparent Parents". Only "Dive In" and "Bless" remained unchanged. Although there were now three rappers in Quarashi, there wasn't any song on the album that featured all three emcees. Instead, Hössi Ólafsson rapped the most on Jinx (and sang on "Dive In"). Ómar Swarez rapped several verses on "Stick 'Em Up" and "Weirdo", and rapped a verse on "Baseline", "Copycat", and "Fuck You Puto". Ómar also sang the chorus to "Malone Lives" and did background vocals on "Mr. Jinx" and "Transparent Parents". Steini a.k.a. Stoney rapped a verse on "Tarfur", "Transparent Parents" (where he sang the chorus), and "Xeneizes", and also did background vocals on "Stick 'Em Up", "Mr. Jinx", "Baseline", and "Fuck You Puto".
Jinx received mixed reviews. Some critics loved the group's eclectic mix of rap, rock, funk, and techno, while others saw the group as ripoffs of other, more successful rap/rock acts like the Beastie Boys
and Limp Bizkit
. Despite "Stick 'Em Up" receiving heavy rotation on rock radio stations and MTV2, and reaching Number 27 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
chart, and despite Jinx receiving praise from several critics, Jinx débuted at Number 104 on the Billboard 200
albums chart, and then fell 40 spots to Number 144 one week later. Jinx never cracked the Top 40.
Quarashi encountered some problems during their time at Columbia Records. For one, complications in their contract delayed the release of Jinx. Originally scheduled for release in January 2001, the album was pushed back to February 2002, then March 2002, before finally being released that April.
Another problem Quarashi encountered was that they were marketed as a Rap-rock band, when they were actually a rap group that used rock and punk guitar riffs, funk samples and techno beats in their songs. While Quarashi is seen in Iceland as unique and creative, in America, which has a market filled with rap-rock bands such as 311, P.O.D.
, and Linkin Park
, Quarashi was seen as nothing more but a generic, unoriginal rap-rock band, designed to cash in on the slowly declining rap-rock genre. Despite Quarashi stating in numerous interviews that they were, in fact, not a rap-rock band, they were still considered one by both critics and the American public. Because of this point of view, and because of Columbia Records' weak marketing of Quarashi, the group faltered in the U.S. By November 2002, promotion for Jinx had ended, and the group quietly faded away into obscurity in America.
Despite not becoming the very popular and massively successful group that they are in Iceland, Quarashi did find some success and got some recognition in the United States. They were a part of ad campaigns for MTV2 and Levi's Low Rising Jeans. Spin Magazine named Quarashi one of the "Bands To Watch" in 2002. The singles from Jinx, "Stick 'Em Up" and "Mr. Jinx", have been used as background music in several movie trailers and TV shows such as 2 Fast 2 Furious
, Alias
, Smallville
and commercials for The NBA On TNT
. Some of the songs from Jinx have appeared in several video games including Amplitude
, NFL Blitz 2002
, and Transworld Snowboarding, while "Mr. Jinx" was apart of the soundtrack for the best selling Madden NFL 2003
video game. The music video for "Mr. Jinx" was in regular rotation on MTV
, MTV2, and MuchMusic
(now Fuse TV
), and was voted as the MTV Viewers Pick for the week of 20 September 2002, although the video would be shown on the three music video channels for about 3 months, and then was never shown on any of those channels ever again. "Stick 'Em Up" was nominated for a 2002 MTV Video Music Award
for Best Art Direction
(which they lost to Coldplay's
"Trouble
"). And perhaps most importantly, Quarashi was a part of the Vans Warped Tour in the summer of 2002. Since the Warped Tour is one of the biggest and most anticipated tours in the U.S., it was considered a big deal for Quarashi to be a part of the 2002 edition of what is known as "punk rock summer camp" that went all over the U.S., and featured such famous rock acts as NOFX
, Good Charlotte
, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
.
After the Vans Warped Tour ended, Quarashi began a tour of Japan
, where were more successful. Japan is only second to Iceland in terms of Quarashi fans, with the Jinx album being a huge hit in "The Land Of The Rising Sun". The Q boys then travelled to Australia
and then Europe
, but were only moderately successful on those continents.
After spending the summer and fall of 2002 performing around the world, Quarashi took a break in Reykjavík. In the end, Jinx ended up selling a little more than 100,000 copies in America. While this was considered a success by the boys of Quarashi, it was looked at as a huge disappointment by Sony, as the album failed to make Quarashi the mega-successful rap-rock group they were banking on. Because of this, rumours started circulating that Quarashi was going to be dropped from Columbia Records. Meanwhile, Hössi Ólafsson was growing tired of being a member of an internationally touring musical act, and let it be known to his fellow Quarashi members that he was thinking of leaving. He also claimed that he was forgetting how to speak Icelandic due to being away from Iceland for long periods of time.
and to get away from the music industry and lead a normal life. Quarashi announced Hössi's departure on their official messageboard on 3 January 2003. It was a shock to fans that Ólafsson, who was only 23 years old at the time, would leave the group just after they released their first album in America, the first of 6 albums they were supposed to release while being apart of the Columbia Records label. Nonetheless, Sölvi vowed that Quarashi wouldn't end, and that they would find a new rapper to replace Hössi.
The remaining three members of Quarashi were out of the public eye in first half of 2003, as they searched for a new rapper. Quarashi popped up in July with a brand new song, "Mess It Up", which featured Steini trading verses with underground Icelandic rapper, good friend, and member of the Icelandic rap group, O.N.E., Opee (real name Ólafur Páll). The song was released only in Iceland, and was a hit, reaching Number 1 on the Icelandic Mainstream and Alternative Singles charts, and winning the Icelandic EFFEMM Award for 2003 Song Of The Year, and the EDDA Award for 2003 Video Of The Year. Rumours circulated that Opee would be the newest member of Quarashi, but Opee turned down the spot, saying that he wanted to concentrate on O.N.E. He did two more songs with Quarashi, "Orð Morð" featuring Icelandic musician Jóhann G. Jóhannsson, and "Shady Lives", an unreleased track. Opee performed with Quarashi at Menningarnótt (Culture Night) in Reykjavík in August 2003 and also performed with Quarashi at the CMJ New Music Festival at Tobacco Road in New York City on 23 October 2003 before going back to O.N.E.
Quarashi disappeared again in the fall of 2003, as they continued their search for a replacement for Hössi. Then that fall, Sölvi heard a song called "Straight Execution" by an underground rapper from Iceland. The moment Blöndal heard this song, he knew he had found the newest member of Quarashi. Blöndal had seen this rapper before, as he had been a judge in a freestyle rap
competition which this rapper had competed in. Sölvi had been impressed when he heard this rapper freestyle in the competition, and he was impressed when he heard this song. So, Sölvi called the rapper on the phone, and told him that he wanted to work with him. The rapper worked with Quarashi for some time, before Quarashi decided to add him to the group.
Many fans thought that "Race City" would be the first single off of Quarashi's next album, but the song was later taken off the album when Sölvi decided that "Race City" didn't reflect the new direction Quarashi was taking. Now, it is considered by fans to be a song made to introduce Tiny to the world. "Race City" was still released as a single, reaching Number 1 on the Icelandic Alternative Singles chart.
Following the 24 November première of the "Race City" music video, the Q boys went back to work, rehearsing and writing songs in their Reykjavík studio, with a goal to release an album by the end of 2004. Anticipation was running high, and Quarashi would only heightened the anticipation by opening their on-line blog, which would serve as their official website, in December 2003. Quarashi would update their blog several times a day with new messages, pictures, and videos that would show their progress in the making of their new record.
Quarashi would soon take a break from song writing and rehearsals to make their return to live performing, as a way to have the fans warm up to Tiny, and as a way to promote their new album. Tiny's first live performance with Quarashi occurred on 20 December 2003 at the club NASA in Reykjavík. The Q boys traveled to Japan once again to perform at the 2 day Sonicmania concert in Tokyo
in January 2004, and then performed "Race City" at the 2004 Icelandic EFFEMM Awards that February (which is where they won the award for 2003 Song Of The Year for "Mess It Up"). Quarashi also performed during a long weekend in Iceland called "The Verslunarmanna Helgi", where they played gigs at Sauðárkrókur (a small town in northern Iceland), and Akureyri. Quarashi was the opening act for both 50 Cent
and The Prodigy
, when those two popular musical acts traveled to Iceland.
On 24 February 2004, the rumours about Quarashi's future at Columbia Records/Time Bomb Recordings came true as it was announced that Columbia Records had dropped Quarashi from the label due to the disappointing sales of Jinx. Quarashi was also released from their EMI Publishing contract. Quarashi announced that they would search for a new record label that would release their albums all over the world.
In April 2004, Quarashi began recording their next album, their first one with Tiny, and their sixth (and what would turn out to be their final) record overall, which was under the working title of "Payback". In June, Quarashi released the first single off their new album on their blog, "Stun Gun". The song showed the new direction Quarashi was heading into, as it featured a harder, more hip-hop oriented sound, showing that the Q boys were moving away from the more techno and funk oriented beats of songs past. "Stun Gun" also showed the difference between Tiny and Hössi when it came to lyrics as Tiny's harsh, mean-spirited rhymes were a lot different than Hössi's silly and nonsensical rhymes that were filled with pop culture references.
The change in direction was met with mixed reviews. Some fans feared that the more hip-hop oriented sound would make Quarashi sound like American mainstream rappers, and therefore, take away their appeal. Other fans loved the change, feeling that after doing four albums in seven years which had similar sounds, a similar style, and similar lyrics, that it was time for Quarashi to head in a new direction. Whether or not fans liked the changes, one thing they all agreed on was that Steini should have appeared on the album. Steini had chosen not to participate on the new Quarashi record in order to concentrate on his solo career. Stoney told the fans that even though he didn't participate on the album, and was working on a solo album, he was still a member of Quarashi.
. It was released only in Iceland under the Skífan and Dennis Records labels. The album was met with mostly positive reviews, as fans embraced the new sound and style. Tiny rapped the most on Guerilla Disco, with playing hype man on some songs, and trading verses with Tiny on others. Some of the songs on Guerilla Disco were about experiences from Tiny's own life such as "Stars". Tiny's stories, which were told through his rapping impressed Quarashi fans greatly, and while some fans still weren't ready to fully accept Tiny just yet, they could admit that he was a talented rapper.
Guerilla Disco was another hit album for Quarashi in Iceland. 6,000 copies of Guerilla Disco were made, and all 6,000 copies were sold in 10 days after its release. The success of Guerilla Disco proved to Quarashi that the fans were okay with the more hip-hop oriented sound, gangsta rap vibe, and more meaningful lyrics with a little bit of a Quarashi "edge" added in. It also proved to them that Quarashi fans were okay with Tiny being in the group. Other tracks on the first album with Tiny onboard included "Pro", "Brass Knuckles", and "Dead Man Walking".
Also in October 2004, Quarashi teamed up with the stars of the popular Popptíví (the MTV of Iceland) TV show, 70 Minutes, to make a song and music video called "Crazy Bastard". The video was a parody of several pop, rap, and rock acts like Britney Spears
, and featured the stars of 70 Minutes rapping, with Omar and Tiny playing hype men. The song and video became a fan favorite, and when more copies of Guerilla Disco were made, "Crazy Bastard" was added as a bonus track on the CD.
In January 2005, it was announced on the official Quarashi website that Quarashi had signed a deal with Sony Japan to release Guerilla Disco in "The Land Of The Rising Sun". On 3 March 2005, Quarashi released Guerilla Disco in Japan. The album became a huge hit, on the strength of the single "Payback", as Quarashi's giant fanbase in Japan came out in droves to purchase the album. The album, slightly changed a bit for the Japanese release (the track listing is different, and there are also 2 remixes and 2 new tracks, one of which is "Race City"), peaked at Number 2 on the Japan International Top 40 chart, selling 30,000 copies in its first month of release. Quarashi took another hiatus in May, leaving fans to wonder when their next album would be released.
Quarashi's final concert was on 15 April 2005, in Akureyri
, Iceland
.
In a July 2009 interview with the Quarashi fan blog, QuarashiMusic, Tiny further elaborated on the breakup, revealing that Steini a.k.a. Stoney had already quit the group before Omar made his intentions to leave known. Tiny also said in the interview that by the time he joined Quarashi in 2003, the rest of the group had begun to lose interest in making music together, and that that lack of interest only grew over the course of making Guerilla Disco and performing live to promote it. By the time promotion for Guerilla Disco had ended, The Q boys had no desire to carry on as a group any longer.
For a short time, rumours circulated that Sölvi Blöndal had signed a deal with Sony to release Guerilla Disco in the U.S.A. in September 2005. This was confirmed as false by Omar Swarez on the official Quarashi messageboard.
under the name ca.1 in 2005. As of 2010, there is no release date set for a full-length album.
Ómar Swarez enrolled into the Iceland Academy of the Arts, majoring in Graphic Design, in 2005. Ómar writes and does illustrations for the Icelandic comic book, Queef. He's also the author of the book, Óli Píka, and also designs posters for Icelandic films. From 2005-2006, Swarez starred in a series of commercials for Smirnoff Ice (which featured the song "Copycat"), with the commercials being shown in Australia
, Canada
, the United Kingdom
, and the United States
. According to his MySpace
profile, Swarez is now in the process of writing two screenplays. Swarez currently shows no interest in returning to the music industry.
Sölvi Blöndal enrolled back into the University of Iceland
in 2005, majoring in economics. In 2007, Sölvi worked as an equity analyst at Kaupþing's investment banking division in Reykjavík. Blöndal currently resides in Stockholm
, Sweden
, where he is still producing music.
Tiny is currently in college. After briefly pursuing a solo career in Iceland, Tiny now raps as a member of the group, Musik Zoo.
Hössi Ólafsson is still involved in the Icelandic entertainment industry. He appeared in an Icelandic comedy film in 2004, and has also written several articles for Icelandic newspapers. In 2006, Ólafsson joined the Icelandic alternative pop band, Ske
, as their lead singer.
In 2008, a fansite advertised for a new Quarashi CD, Demos & B-Sides
. The new CD is fan-created, but will have rare, unreleased, live, as well as demos and b-side tracks. The CD was released January 27, 2009.
Quarashi have agreed to perform a one off gig at a festival in Iceland early July 2011. The band will perform on the 9th of July at the Best Festival (Besta hátíðin). All formers members have agreed to return. The two core line-ups with Hössi and Tiny are set to collide for the first time on stage.
This was the group's lineup from 2003 until their breakup in 2005. Hössi Ólafsson founded the group with Sölvi and Steini in 1996, and served as the lead vocalist and frontman, but left in 2002. Egill Olafur Thorarensen replaced Ólafsson as a member of the group in 2003.
Frequent contributors to the band included:
catch 22
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. It was composed of Hössi Ólafsson
Hössi Olafsson
Hössi Ólafsson is a singer, rapper, producer, writer, and actor. He is best known as a founding member of the Icelandic rap group, Quarashi.-Professional career:...
(replaced by Tiny, real name Egill Olafur Thorarensen, on the final album), who was the lead vocalist and frontman of the group, Ómar Swarez (Ómar Örn Hauksson), rapper and hype man, and Steini a.k.a. Stoney (Steinar Orri Fjeldsted), also rapper and hype man. The fourth member of the group was Sölvi Blöndal
Sölvi Blöndal
Sölvi Blöndal is one of the founders of Quarashi. He is the producer, and also plays the drums at concerts. Sölvi has also played in bands such as "Púff", "Júpíters", "Ss span", "2001" and "Stjörnukisi". In the band "2001" he played with Gaukur and Hössi was the lead singer...
, who was their producer, keyboardist, percussionist, drummer and songwriter. For live shows, Quarashi was joined by a guitarist (Smári "Tarfur" Jósepsson, later replaced by Vidar Hákon Gislason), a bassist (Gaukur Úlfarsson), and a DJ (DJ Dice, later replaced by DJ Magic).
The group has a loyal following, especially in their native Iceland. Each of their records (Switchstance, Quarashi, Xeneizes, Kristnihald undir Jökli, Jinx, Guerilla Disco) sold well in their homeland. Quarashi was a rap group, but they combined elements of rock, techno, and funk into their songs, lending an air of unpredictability to their music. Comparisons to Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, and Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
are often heard when discussing Quarashi, but the group had a unique style that distinguished them from other famous rap/rock groups. Their influences ranged from Public Enemy (Blöndal says that P.E.'s Fear Of A Black Planet is what inspired him to make music) to Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, and that can be heard in their songs.
Pre-Quarashi days
Sölvi and Ómar met when they were children during a protest against a U.S. military base in Iceland. They both played in several different rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, and heavy metal bands, while Steini was a famous skater who had won numerous championships. He was also a well-known graffiti artist around Reykjavík. During his time as the drummer for the punk rock band, 2001, Sölvi began to develop a preference for studio production over band rehearsal-style song writing. He also wanted to produce different types of music besides industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
and punk, so he quit 2001, and began making rap music.
At around the same time, Sölvi met Steini at a skate park while he was doing community service for public drunkenness. The two hit it off, and Stoney joined Sölvi in making rap music. Soon, Sölvi invited fellow former 2001 band member Hössi Ólafsson (the two had met when they both went to the University of Iceland
University of Iceland
The University of Iceland is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland, and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' school to a modern comprehensive university, providing instruction for about...
) to join his group.
Originally, Hössi would sing, while Steini would rap, but when Sölvi heard Hössi rap, he decided that his musical group would have two rappers. The three men had wanted to create MC names for themselves, but had trouble coming up with anything decent according to Sölvi except for the name Quarashi, which means "supernatural" in Arabic, which was suggested by Steini. Quarashi was Steini's nickname as a skater, and was spray-painted all over the walls and streets in Reykjavík. The three decided that Quarashi was a better name for their group than their original name, and so, in 1996, in a garage in a house in Reykjavík, Iceland, Quarashi was formed.
Quarashi become stars in Iceland (1996–1999)
Quarashi quickly went to work on creating music. On 29 November 1996, they released their first record, an EP entitled SwitchstanceSwitchstance
Switchstance is the first and only EP by Quarashi. It was also the first record they ever released. It quickly became a hit in Iceland thanks to the title track. Only 500 copies were made of Switchstance, but all 500 copies were sold in a week...
, under Sölvi's record label, Lax Records. Only 500 copies were made of the five song disc, all sold in a week. The EP topped the Icelandic album charts, driven by the popular title track. Today, it is rare to find a copy of Switchstance, now considered a collector's item. Quarashi was the first rap act to find major success in Iceland, so the demand for the group was high. The Q boys quickly went back to their studio at Bergstaðarstræti, Nýjasta tækni og vísindi to continue recording the music that would make up their first album.
A year later, on 13 October 1997, Quarashi released their self titled début album
Quarashi (album)
Quarashi is the debut hip-hop album by the group of the same name, released on October 13, 1997 in Iceland . Already popular in Iceland thanks to the EP, Switchstance, Quarashi released their first full-length album with more of the hip-hop infused rock, techno, and funk that brought them fame in...
(dubbed "The Egg Album" by fans, for the egg on the cover). The album immediately topped the Icelandic album charts thanks to its collection of catchy rap songs such as "Thunderball", "Catch 22", "Mr. Amber Shades", "Superwoman", and "Framogtilbaka". Richard Oddur Hauksson was credited on Quarashi as the fourth member of group (as the DJ), which he also was credited as on Switchstance, but today, he has faded into relative obscurity, because most fans consider the original Quarashi line-up to be Sölvi, Hössi, and Steini.
Unlike Switchstance, Steini and Hössi traded verses on most of the songs, whereas Stoney rapped more on Switchstance than Hössi. 6,000 copies of "The Egg Album" were made, and all soon sold, the album going gold in Iceland. Like Switchstance, it is rare to find a copy of Quarashi, but the CD is found on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
every once in a while.
Quarashi were now stars in their homeland, becoming one of Iceland's hottest musical acts, performing sold-out shows all over the small nation. Their mix of catchy rap songs fused with rock, funk, and techno, accompanied by the smooth, but sometimes silly and nonsensical rhymes from Hössi and Stoney garnered love from both fans and critics alike. Quarashi toured all over Iceland to support the album, including performances as the opening act for both The Fugees
The Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
and The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
, and then took a brief hiatus from making music in 1998.
On 25 October 1999, Quarashi returned with their second album, Xeneizes
Xeneizes
Xeneizes is an album by the Icelandic hip-hop group Quarashi, released on October 25, 1999 in Iceland . Like Quarashi's self titled debut album, Xeneizes was a hit in Quarashi's homeland, topping the Icelandic album charts...
, named after the nickname given to fans of the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
football team, Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
. Xeneizes picked up where Quarashi left off, featuring more of the sometimes serious, sometimes silly lyrical stylings (and singing talents) of Hössi and Steini. The album also featured special appearances by Icelandic rappers Úlfur Kolka (on the song "Mayday"), and Ómar Swarez (on the songs "Punk" and "Stick 'Em Up
Stick 'Em Up
"Stick 'Em Up" was Quarashi's first single from their American debut album,Jinx. "Stick 'Em Up" was released in February 2002 to much fanfare. The music video, which was a parody of the film Snatch, was in heavy rotation on MTV2...
"), who was not an official member of Quarashi yet (he had rapped on some of their songs previously). Xeneizes was another hit album for Quarashi, topping the Icelandic album charts due to such tunes as "Surreal Rhyme", "Jivin' About", "Model Citizen", "Tamborine Cut", "Show Me What You Can", and "Xeneizes". Several United Kingdom record labels began showing interest in Quarashi, but the group turned down all offers. 6,000 copies were made of Xeneizes, and once again, all sold out, making Xeneizes the second Quarashi album to go gold in Iceland.
Quarashi reach America (2000–2002)
Quarashi had never specifically ventured to find a record label in the U.S., and were content with their success in Iceland. But by the time Xeneizes was released, American record labels had started paying attention to the group. In the meantime, Ómar Swarez officially became the fourth member of Quarashi, becoming the third rapper in the group.After hearing the Xeneizes album, specifically, the song "Stick 'Em Up" (which, according to Sölvi, sounded like something Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
would do), EMI Music Resources contacted Quarashi to perform at the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival hosted by EMI in conjunction with Flugleiðir in New York City in the fall of 1999. The group performed two shows to rave reviews. The EMI emissary met with Quarashi, and the group went into a studio (which Sölvi has claimed was also a "crack house
Crack house
Crack house is a term mainly used in the United States used to describe an old, often abandoned or burnt-out building often in an inner-city neighborhood where drug dealers and drug users buy, sell, produce, and use illegal drugs, including, but not limited to, crack cocaine.In the 1980s, inner...
") to record six songs (four with vocals), with the EMI emissary watching them.
In February 2000, Quarashi began negotiations with record labels, wrote some new songs, and performed shows for record executives. During one of these shows at the New York City club, Brownies, a stage monitor blew up, nearly causing a riot, which added to the appeal of Quarashi in the record executives eyes. On 27 April 2000, it was announced that Quarashi had signed a deal with EMI Music Resources, giving the group creative control. Soon after, they were signed to independent record label, Time Bomb Recordings
Time Bomb Recordings
Time Bomb Recordings is a Laguna Beach, California based record label founded by Social Distortion manager Jim Guerinot in a 1994 joint-venture agreement with Arista Records...
.
On 31 August 2000, Quarashi announced that they had signed with Sony Music Entertainment Incorporated under the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
label. The deal was to last for 6 albums, the first of which would be produced in collaboration with Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
DJ, DJ Muggs
DJ Muggs
Lawrence Muggerud , better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.-Cypress Hill :...
, and Brendan O'Brien
Brendan O'Brien (music producer)
Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
, who was the recording director for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
breakthrough hit album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the fifth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Rick Rubin, it was the band's first record released on Warner Bros. Records...
, and helped produced three of Rage Against the Machine's hit albums, Evil Empire
Evil empire
The phrase evil empire was applied to the Soviet Union especially by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who took an aggressive, hard-line stance that favored matching and exceeding the Soviet Union's strategic and global military capabilities, in calling for a rollback strategy that would, in his words,...
, The Battle of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles (album)
-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.#"Testify" – 3:30#"Guerrilla Radio" – 3:26#"Calm Like a Bomb" – 4:58#"Mic Check" – 3:33#"Sleep Now in the Fire" – 3:25#"Born of a Broken Man" – 4:41...
, and Renegades. Quarashi moved to New York City to begin making their American debut album.
After the recording of the album, Sölvi Blöndal and Hössi Ólafsson produced the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the Halldór Laxness
Halldór Laxness
Halldór Kiljan Laxness was a twentieth-century Icelandic writer. Throughout his career Laxness wrote poetry, newspaper articles, plays, travelogues, short stories, and novels...
play, Kristnihald undir Jökli
Kristnihald undir Jökli
Kristnihald undir Jökli is an album by Quarashi. It was released on September 22, 2001 in Iceland . The album contains mostly instrumental music written and produced by Quarashi founding members, Sölvi Blöndal and Hössi Olafsson as the soundtrack for the Halldór Laxness play, Kristnihald undir...
, which was directed by Bergur Þór Ingólfsson, and ran in the Borgarleikhús in the winter of 2001. The album, released on 22 September 2001, was filled with original music written and produced by Sölvi and Hössi, and was released under the Quarashi name. Only 500 copies of Kristnihald undir Jökli were made, but most of the copies were sold, and today, the CD is a rarity. Kristnihald undir Jökli fused traditional Icelandic classical music with techno, Electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. The album also delved into genres fans hadn't heard from Quarashi yet, such as jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. Also during the fall of 2001, Quarashi performed a live concert with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands is an orchestra based in Reykjavík, Iceland. The ISO is an autonomous public institution under the auspices of the Icelandic Ministry of Education...
(the band, Botnleðja also performed) in the Háskólabíó in Reykjavik, which is notable for being the first time that a rap act performed a live concert with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra.
Quarashi's first single from their American debut album, "Stick 'Em Up", was released in February 2002 to much fanfare. The music video, which was a parody of the film Snatch
Snatch (film)
Snatch is a 2000 crime film written and directed by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast. Set in the London criminal underworld, the film contains two intertwined plots: one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, the other with a small-time boxing promoter named Turkish ...
, was in heavy rotation on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, as promotion began for Quarashi's next album, which was titled, Jinx.
At long last, on 9 April 2002, Jinx was released in America. Jinx was a collection of 5 new songs ("Mr. Jinx", "Baseline", "Malone Lives", "Copycat", and "Weirdo") and 7 songs from Xeneizes ("Stick 'Em Up", "Tarfur", "Jivin' About", "Xeneizes", "Fuck You Puto", "Dive In" "Bless"). "Stick 'Em Up", "Tarfur", "Jivin' About", "Xeneizes", and "Fuck You Puto" were rerecorded with "Jivin' About" being retitled "Transparent Parents". Only "Dive In" and "Bless" remained unchanged. Although there were now three rappers in Quarashi, there wasn't any song on the album that featured all three emcees. Instead, Hössi Ólafsson rapped the most on Jinx (and sang on "Dive In"). Ómar Swarez rapped several verses on "Stick 'Em Up" and "Weirdo", and rapped a verse on "Baseline", "Copycat", and "Fuck You Puto". Ómar also sang the chorus to "Malone Lives" and did background vocals on "Mr. Jinx" and "Transparent Parents". Steini a.k.a. Stoney rapped a verse on "Tarfur", "Transparent Parents" (where he sang the chorus), and "Xeneizes", and also did background vocals on "Stick 'Em Up", "Mr. Jinx", "Baseline", and "Fuck You Puto".
Jinx received mixed reviews. Some critics loved the group's eclectic mix of rap, rock, funk, and techno, while others saw the group as ripoffs of other, more successful rap/rock acts like the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
and Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
. Despite "Stick 'Em Up" receiving heavy rotation on rock radio stations and MTV2, and reaching Number 27 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart, and despite Jinx receiving praise from several critics, Jinx débuted at Number 104 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums chart, and then fell 40 spots to Number 144 one week later. Jinx never cracked the Top 40.
Quarashi encountered some problems during their time at Columbia Records. For one, complications in their contract delayed the release of Jinx. Originally scheduled for release in January 2001, the album was pushed back to February 2002, then March 2002, before finally being released that April.
Another problem Quarashi encountered was that they were marketed as a Rap-rock band, when they were actually a rap group that used rock and punk guitar riffs, funk samples and techno beats in their songs. While Quarashi is seen in Iceland as unique and creative, in America, which has a market filled with rap-rock bands such as 311, P.O.D.
P.O.D.
Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...
, and Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, Quarashi was seen as nothing more but a generic, unoriginal rap-rock band, designed to cash in on the slowly declining rap-rock genre. Despite Quarashi stating in numerous interviews that they were, in fact, not a rap-rock band, they were still considered one by both critics and the American public. Because of this point of view, and because of Columbia Records' weak marketing of Quarashi, the group faltered in the U.S. By November 2002, promotion for Jinx had ended, and the group quietly faded away into obscurity in America.
Despite not becoming the very popular and massively successful group that they are in Iceland, Quarashi did find some success and got some recognition in the United States. They were a part of ad campaigns for MTV2 and Levi's Low Rising Jeans. Spin Magazine named Quarashi one of the "Bands To Watch" in 2002. The singles from Jinx, "Stick 'Em Up" and "Mr. Jinx", have been used as background music in several movie trailers and TV shows such as 2 Fast 2 Furious
2 Fast 2 Furious
2 Fast 2 Furious is a 2003 street racing action film directed by John Singleton. It is the second film in The Fast and the Furious film series following The Fast and the Furious . It stars Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Devon Aoki, and Chris Bridges; and was directed by John Singleton. The...
, Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
, Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
and commercials for The NBA On TNT
The NBA on TNT
The NBA on TNT is Turner Network Television's coverage of the National Basketball Association, produced by Turner Sports. TNT's basketball broadcasts, which include a weekly doubleheader known as TNT NBA Thursday, the Inside the NBA studio show, as well as playoff coverage, are perhaps that...
. Some of the songs from Jinx have appeared in several video games including Amplitude
Amplitude (game)
Amplitude is a 2003 PlayStation 2 musical video game. It was developed by Harmonix and is the sequel to the game Frequency.-Gameplay:In Amplitude, the player controls a ship moving down a path of varying shapes and lengths, containing up to six tracks...
, NFL Blitz 2002
NFL Blitz
NFL Blitz is a series of American football themed video games by Midway featuring the teams of the National Football League. It began as a 1997 arcade game but was eventually ported to home consoles and spawned several sequels...
, and Transworld Snowboarding, while "Mr. Jinx" was apart of the soundtrack for the best selling Madden NFL 2003
Madden NFL 2003
Madden NFL 2003 is an American football video game. It features then-reigning 3 time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and former St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk on the cover. This edition of Madden was the first to feature EA Trax...
video game. The music video for "Mr. Jinx" was in regular rotation 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....
, MTV2, and MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
(now Fuse TV
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
), and was voted as the MTV Viewers Pick for the week of 20 September 2002, although the video would be shown on the three music video channels for about 3 months, and then was never shown on any of those channels ever again. "Stick 'Em Up" was nominated for a 2002 MTV Video Music Award
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
for Best Art Direction
MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Art Direction in a Video. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are the biggest winners in this category with three wins in 1992, 2000, and 2006....
(which they lost to Coldplay's
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
"Trouble
Trouble (Coldplay single)
"Trouble" is a song recorded by British alternative rock band Coldplay for their debut album, Parachutes. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson. The song repeats the word "trouble" throughout the lyrics, and its musicscape is minimalist.The song was...
"). And perhaps most importantly, Quarashi was a part of the Vans Warped Tour in the summer of 2002. Since the Warped Tour is one of the biggest and most anticipated tours in the U.S., it was considered a big deal for Quarashi to be a part of the 2002 edition of what is known as "punk rock summer camp" that went all over the U.S., and featured such famous rock acts as NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
, Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer Ben Carr have remained constant members...
.
After the Vans Warped Tour ended, Quarashi began a tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where were more successful. Japan is only second to Iceland in terms of Quarashi fans, with the Jinx album being a huge hit in "The Land Of The Rising Sun". The Q boys then travelled to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and then 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...
, but were only moderately successful on those continents.
After spending the summer and fall of 2002 performing around the world, Quarashi took a break in Reykjavík. In the end, Jinx ended up selling a little more than 100,000 copies in America. While this was considered a success by the boys of Quarashi, it was looked at as a huge disappointment by Sony, as the album failed to make Quarashi the mega-successful rap-rock group they were banking on. Because of this, rumours started circulating that Quarashi was going to be dropped from Columbia Records. Meanwhile, Hössi Ólafsson was growing tired of being a member of an internationally touring musical act, and let it be known to his fellow Quarashi members that he was thinking of leaving. He also claimed that he was forgetting how to speak Icelandic due to being away from Iceland for long periods of time.
Hössi leaves (2003)
Just before Christmas 2002, Hössi Ólafsson, left the group to enroll back into the University of IcelandUniversity of Iceland
The University of Iceland is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland, and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' school to a modern comprehensive university, providing instruction for about...
and to get away from the music industry and lead a normal life. Quarashi announced Hössi's departure on their official messageboard on 3 January 2003. It was a shock to fans that Ólafsson, who was only 23 years old at the time, would leave the group just after they released their first album in America, the first of 6 albums they were supposed to release while being apart of the Columbia Records label. Nonetheless, Sölvi vowed that Quarashi wouldn't end, and that they would find a new rapper to replace Hössi.
The remaining three members of Quarashi were out of the public eye in first half of 2003, as they searched for a new rapper. Quarashi popped up in July with a brand new song, "Mess It Up", which featured Steini trading verses with underground Icelandic rapper, good friend, and member of the Icelandic rap group, O.N.E., Opee (real name Ólafur Páll). The song was released only in Iceland, and was a hit, reaching Number 1 on the Icelandic Mainstream and Alternative Singles charts, and winning the Icelandic EFFEMM Award for 2003 Song Of The Year, and the EDDA Award for 2003 Video Of The Year. Rumours circulated that Opee would be the newest member of Quarashi, but Opee turned down the spot, saying that he wanted to concentrate on O.N.E. He did two more songs with Quarashi, "Orð Morð" featuring Icelandic musician Jóhann G. Jóhannsson, and "Shady Lives", an unreleased track. Opee performed with Quarashi at Menningarnótt (Culture Night) in Reykjavík in August 2003 and also performed with Quarashi at the CMJ New Music Festival at Tobacco Road in New York City on 23 October 2003 before going back to O.N.E.
Quarashi disappeared again in the fall of 2003, as they continued their search for a replacement for Hössi. Then that fall, Sölvi heard a song called "Straight Execution" by an underground rapper from Iceland. The moment Blöndal heard this song, he knew he had found the newest member of Quarashi. Blöndal had seen this rapper before, as he had been a judge in a freestyle rap
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
competition which this rapper had competed in. Sölvi had been impressed when he heard this rapper freestyle in the competition, and he was impressed when he heard this song. So, Sölvi called the rapper on the phone, and told him that he wanted to work with him. The rapper worked with Quarashi for some time, before Quarashi decided to add him to the group.
Tiny (2003–2004)
On 13 November 2003, Quarashi released a new song exclusively in Iceland, entitled "Race City". The song had the type of sound fans had come to expect from Quarashi, except that instead of Hössi's Zach De La Rocha sounding voice being heard the most, what fans heard was a voice that sounded like Eminem's. That voice belonged to Tiny, who was Quarashi's newest member. Quarashi made the official announcement on 16 November 2003. Tiny is a short 20 something who bears a resemblance in both voice and appearance to Eminem, and dresses and acts like a thug which immediately distinguished him from Hössi's "nerdy" persona. There was mixed reaction to the announcement. Some fans refused to accept a Quarashi without Hössi. While others welcomed Tiny with open arms, and were ready for Quarashi's new sound.Many fans thought that "Race City" would be the first single off of Quarashi's next album, but the song was later taken off the album when Sölvi decided that "Race City" didn't reflect the new direction Quarashi was taking. Now, it is considered by fans to be a song made to introduce Tiny to the world. "Race City" was still released as a single, reaching Number 1 on the Icelandic Alternative Singles chart.
Following the 24 November première of the "Race City" music video, the Q boys went back to work, rehearsing and writing songs in their Reykjavík studio, with a goal to release an album by the end of 2004. Anticipation was running high, and Quarashi would only heightened the anticipation by opening their on-line blog, which would serve as their official website, in December 2003. Quarashi would update their blog several times a day with new messages, pictures, and videos that would show their progress in the making of their new record.
Quarashi would soon take a break from song writing and rehearsals to make their return to live performing, as a way to have the fans warm up to Tiny, and as a way to promote their new album. Tiny's first live performance with Quarashi occurred on 20 December 2003 at the club NASA in Reykjavík. The Q boys traveled to Japan once again to perform at the 2 day Sonicmania concert in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in January 2004, and then performed "Race City" at the 2004 Icelandic EFFEMM Awards that February (which is where they won the award for 2003 Song Of The Year for "Mess It Up"). Quarashi also performed during a long weekend in Iceland called "The Verslunarmanna Helgi", where they played gigs at Sauðárkrókur (a small town in northern Iceland), and Akureyri. Quarashi was the opening act for both 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...
and The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
, when those two popular musical acts traveled to Iceland.
On 24 February 2004, the rumours about Quarashi's future at Columbia Records/Time Bomb Recordings came true as it was announced that Columbia Records had dropped Quarashi from the label due to the disappointing sales of Jinx. Quarashi was also released from their EMI Publishing contract. Quarashi announced that they would search for a new record label that would release their albums all over the world.
In April 2004, Quarashi began recording their next album, their first one with Tiny, and their sixth (and what would turn out to be their final) record overall, which was under the working title of "Payback". In June, Quarashi released the first single off their new album on their blog, "Stun Gun". The song showed the new direction Quarashi was heading into, as it featured a harder, more hip-hop oriented sound, showing that the Q boys were moving away from the more techno and funk oriented beats of songs past. "Stun Gun" also showed the difference between Tiny and Hössi when it came to lyrics as Tiny's harsh, mean-spirited rhymes were a lot different than Hössi's silly and nonsensical rhymes that were filled with pop culture references.
The change in direction was met with mixed reviews. Some fans feared that the more hip-hop oriented sound would make Quarashi sound like American mainstream rappers, and therefore, take away their appeal. Other fans loved the change, feeling that after doing four albums in seven years which had similar sounds, a similar style, and similar lyrics, that it was time for Quarashi to head in a new direction. Whether or not fans liked the changes, one thing they all agreed on was that Steini should have appeared on the album. Steini had chosen not to participate on the new Quarashi record in order to concentrate on his solo career. Stoney told the fans that even though he didn't participate on the album, and was working on a solo album, he was still a member of Quarashi.
Guerilla Disco (2004–2005)
On 14 October 2004, Quarashi released their fifth and final full-length album and sixth record overall, Guerilla DiscoGuerilla Disco
Guerilla Disco is the first album from Quarashi with new rapper Tiny. The album was originally going to be called 'Payback' , but was later changed to 'Guerilla Disco', the name of an older Quarashi instrumental. The album is a more gangsta rap oriented album, in contrast to their previous album...
. It was released only in Iceland under the Skífan and Dennis Records labels. The album was met with mostly positive reviews, as fans embraced the new sound and style. Tiny rapped the most on Guerilla Disco, with playing hype man on some songs, and trading verses with Tiny on others. Some of the songs on Guerilla Disco were about experiences from Tiny's own life such as "Stars". Tiny's stories, which were told through his rapping impressed Quarashi fans greatly, and while some fans still weren't ready to fully accept Tiny just yet, they could admit that he was a talented rapper.
Guerilla Disco was another hit album for Quarashi in Iceland. 6,000 copies of Guerilla Disco were made, and all 6,000 copies were sold in 10 days after its release. The success of Guerilla Disco proved to Quarashi that the fans were okay with the more hip-hop oriented sound, gangsta rap vibe, and more meaningful lyrics with a little bit of a Quarashi "edge" added in. It also proved to them that Quarashi fans were okay with Tiny being in the group. Other tracks on the first album with Tiny onboard included "Pro", "Brass Knuckles", and "Dead Man Walking".
Also in October 2004, Quarashi teamed up with the stars of the popular Popptíví (the MTV of Iceland) TV show, 70 Minutes, to make a song and music video called "Crazy Bastard". The video was a parody of several pop, rap, and rock acts like Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, and featured the stars of 70 Minutes rapping, with Omar and Tiny playing hype men. The song and video became a fan favorite, and when more copies of Guerilla Disco were made, "Crazy Bastard" was added as a bonus track on the CD.
In January 2005, it was announced on the official Quarashi website that Quarashi had signed a deal with Sony Japan to release Guerilla Disco in "The Land Of The Rising Sun". On 3 March 2005, Quarashi released Guerilla Disco in Japan. The album became a huge hit, on the strength of the single "Payback", as Quarashi's giant fanbase in Japan came out in droves to purchase the album. The album, slightly changed a bit for the Japanese release (the track listing is different, and there are also 2 remixes and 2 new tracks, one of which is "Race City"), peaked at Number 2 on the Japan International Top 40 chart, selling 30,000 copies in its first month of release. Quarashi took another hiatus in May, leaving fans to wonder when their next album would be released.
The end of Quarashi (2005)
On 5 August 2005, Sölvi Blöndal did an interview in the Fréttablaðið where he announced that Quarashi had broken up, saying that being a member of Quarashi wasn't fun anymore. Omar Swarez later confirmed this to be true on the official Quarashi messageboard, saying that he had originally intended to quit the group, but instead The Q boys decided it was time to stop making music together. After nine years and six records, Quarashi was no more.Quarashi's final concert was on 15 April 2005, in Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
In a July 2009 interview with the Quarashi fan blog, QuarashiMusic, Tiny further elaborated on the breakup, revealing that Steini a.k.a. Stoney had already quit the group before Omar made his intentions to leave known. Tiny also said in the interview that by the time he joined Quarashi in 2003, the rest of the group had begun to lose interest in making music together, and that that lack of interest only grew over the course of making Guerilla Disco and performing live to promote it. By the time promotion for Guerilla Disco had ended, The Q boys had no desire to carry on as a group any longer.
For a short time, rumours circulated that Sölvi Blöndal had signed a deal with Sony to release Guerilla Disco in the U.S.A. in September 2005. This was confirmed as false by Omar Swarez on the official Quarashi messageboard.
Quarashi today
The four members of Quarashi have moved on to do their own projects. Steini a.k.a. Stoney now spends his time raising his son, and is still working on his solo album, performing instrumental music (what he calls "chill electro") under the name KidrAmA. Steini released a four track EPExtended 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...
under the name ca.1 in 2005. As of 2010, there is no release date set for a full-length album.
Ómar Swarez enrolled into the Iceland Academy of the Arts, majoring in Graphic Design, in 2005. Ómar writes and does illustrations for the Icelandic comic book, Queef. He's also the author of the book, Óli Píka, and also designs posters for Icelandic films. From 2005-2006, Swarez starred in a series of commercials for Smirnoff Ice (which featured the song "Copycat"), with the commercials being shown in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to his MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
profile, Swarez is now in the process of writing two screenplays. Swarez currently shows no interest in returning to the music industry.
Sölvi Blöndal enrolled back into the University of Iceland
University of Iceland
The University of Iceland is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland, and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' school to a modern comprehensive university, providing instruction for about...
in 2005, majoring in economics. In 2007, Sölvi worked as an equity analyst at Kaupþing's investment banking division in Reykjavík. Blöndal currently resides in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, where he is still producing music.
Tiny is currently in college. After briefly pursuing a solo career in Iceland, Tiny now raps as a member of the group, Musik Zoo.
Hössi Ólafsson is still involved in the Icelandic entertainment industry. He appeared in an Icelandic comedy film in 2004, and has also written several articles for Icelandic newspapers. In 2006, Ólafsson joined the Icelandic alternative pop band, Ske
Ske
Ske is an Icelandic band whose origins can be traced back to 1992, when a band called Skárren ekkert was founded by Eiríkur Þorleifsson, Frank Hall and Guðmundur Steingrímsson, and joined by Hrannar Ingimarsson in 1998....
, as their lead singer.
In 2008, a fansite advertised for a new Quarashi CD, Demos & B-Sides
Demos & B-Sides
Demos & B-Sides is an unofficial release by Quarashi. The release contains rare, unreleased, and live tracks, as well as demos and b-sides. It was be the first release by Quarashi contained all pre-recorded tracks...
. The new CD is fan-created, but will have rare, unreleased, live, as well as demos and b-side tracks. The CD was released January 27, 2009.
Quarashi have agreed to perform a one off gig at a festival in Iceland early July 2011. The band will perform on the 9th of July at the Best Festival (Besta hátíðin). All formers members have agreed to return. The two core line-ups with Hössi and Tiny are set to collide for the first time on stage.
Band members
The final Quarashi line-up was as follows:- Egill Olafur Thorarensen a.k.a. Tiny born 17 January 1984
- Ómar Örn Hauksson a.k.a. Ómar Swarez born 28 January 1975
- Steinar Orri Fjeldsted a.k.a. Steini a.k.a. Stoney born 7 July 1976
- Sölvi Blöndal born 3 January 1975
This was the group's lineup from 2003 until their breakup in 2005. Hössi Ólafsson founded the group with Sölvi and Steini in 1996, and served as the lead vocalist and frontman, but left in 2002. Egill Olafur Thorarensen replaced Ólafsson as a member of the group in 2003.
Frequent contributors to the band included:
- Gísli Galdur Thorgeirsson a.k.a. DJ Magic (DJ)
- Bjössi Ingimundarson a.k.a. DJ Dice (DJ)
- Gaukur Úlfarsson (Bassist)
- Smári "Tarfur" (which means bull) Jósepsson (Guitarist)
- Hrannar Ingimarsson (Engineer/Mixer/Guitarist/Keyboardist)
- Magga Stína Blöndal (Singer)
- Vidar Hákon Gislason (Bassist/Guitarist)
- Richard Oddur Hauksson (DJ)
Albums
- QuarashiQuarashi (album)Quarashi is the debut hip-hop album by the group of the same name, released on October 13, 1997 in Iceland . Already popular in Iceland thanks to the EP, Switchstance, Quarashi released their first full-length album with more of the hip-hop infused rock, techno, and funk that brought them fame in...
- (1997) - Lax Records/Pop Músík - XeneizesXeneizesXeneizes is an album by the Icelandic hip-hop group Quarashi, released on October 25, 1999 in Iceland . Like Quarashi's self titled debut album, Xeneizes was a hit in Quarashi's homeland, topping the Icelandic album charts...
- (1999) - Japis - Kristnihald undir JökliKristnihald undir JökliKristnihald undir Jökli is an album by Quarashi. It was released on September 22, 2001 in Iceland . The album contains mostly instrumental music written and produced by Quarashi founding members, Sölvi Blöndal and Hössi Olafsson as the soundtrack for the Halldór Laxness play, Kristnihald undir...
- (2001) - Sproti - Jinx - (2002) - Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
/Time Bomb RecordingsTime Bomb RecordingsTime Bomb Recordings is a Laguna Beach, California based record label founded by Social Distortion manager Jim Guerinot in a 1994 joint-venture agreement with Arista Records... - Guerilla DiscoGuerilla DiscoGuerilla Disco is the first album from Quarashi with new rapper Tiny. The album was originally going to be called 'Payback' , but was later changed to 'Guerilla Disco', the name of an older Quarashi instrumental. The album is a more gangsta rap oriented album, in contrast to their previous album...
- (2004–2005) - Skífan/Dennis Records - Sony Japan - Demos & B-SidesDemos & B-SidesDemos & B-Sides is an unofficial release by Quarashi. The release contains rare, unreleased, and live tracks, as well as demos and b-sides. It was be the first release by Quarashi contained all pre-recorded tracks...
- (2009) - QuarashiMusic
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Modern Rock | US Hot Hip Hop | US Hot Dance | UK 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 ... |
|||
| 1996 | "Switchstance" | - | - | - | - | - | Switchstance |
| 1997 | "Thunderball" | - | - | - | - | - | Quarashi |
| "Catch 22" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1999 | "Stick 'Em Up" (featuring Omar Swarez) | - | - | - | - | - | Xeneizes |
| "Surreal Rhyme" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2002 | "Stick 'Em Up Stick 'Em Up "Stick 'Em Up" was Quarashi's first single from their American debut album,Jinx. "Stick 'Em Up" was released in February 2002 to much fanfare. The music video, which was a parody of the film Snatch, was in heavy rotation on MTV2... " |
- | 27 | - | - | - | Jinx |
| "Mr. Jinx" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2003 | "Mess It Up" (featuring Opee) | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| "Race City" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2004 | "Stun Gun" | - | - | - | - | - | Guerilla Disco |
| "Stars" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Straight Jacket" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2005 | "Payback" | - | - | - | - | - |
Videos
- "Baseline"
- "Crazy Bastard"
- "Malone Lives"
- "Mess It Up"
- "Mr. Jinx"
- "Orð Morð"
- "Payback"
- "Race City"
- "Stars"
- "Stick Em Up"
- "Stun Gun"
- "Surreal Rhyme"
- "Switchstance"
- "Weirdo"
catch 22