The Whooliganz
Encyclopedia
The Whooliganz were a 1990s hip hop music
group consisting of Scott Caan
and Alan Maman, who is known now as hip hop producer, The Alchemist. The duo went by the names Mad Skillz and Mudfoot, respectively.
Caan and Maman met as teenagers in the wealthy neighborhood of Beverly Hills, California
. The duo began performing throughout the Los Angeles area and gained recognition. Maman's childhood friend, Evidence
, introduced the group to Quincy Jones III
and they began work on a demo
. They eventually caught the attention of B-Real
of Cypress Hill
. B-Real invited the teens to join the collective Soul Assassins
which also consisted of Cypress Hill
and House of Pain
. The Whooliganz toured the country with the Soul Assassins and their connection helped them land a record deal with Tommy Boy Records
.
The Whooliganz recorded their debut album, Make Way for the W. The first single was "Put Your Handz Up", produced by DJ Lethal
and released in 1993. But the single and music video did not receive much airplay. A second single, "Don't Mean Nothin'" was planned but then Tommy Boy decided to drop the group and not release the album. Another song, "Whooliganz", was released as a single in 1995 in the UK on Positiva Records
but the duo had already gone their separate ways. Caan followed his father, James Caan, into a successful acting career. Maman turned to making beats and became a rapper and a successful and very well known producer under the stage name, The Alchemist
.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group consisting of Scott Caan
Scott Caan
Scott Andrew Caan is an American actor. He stars in the CBS television series Hawaii Five-0, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award. He is the son of actor James Caan.-Early life:...
and Alan Maman, who is known now as hip hop producer, The Alchemist. The duo went by the names Mad Skillz and Mudfoot, respectively.
Caan and Maman met as teenagers in the wealthy neighborhood of Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. The duo began performing throughout the Los Angeles area and gained recognition. Maman's childhood friend, Evidence
Evidence (artist)
Michael Perretta, better known as Evidence , is an American hip hop artist, producer, and member of the rap group Dilated Peoples. Evidence is a native of Venice, Los Angeles and was born to an Italian father and a Russian-American mother...
, introduced the group to Quincy Jones III
Quincy Jones III
Quincy Delightt Jones III is a British-born Swedish/African-American composer, music producer, film producer, and author...
and they began work on a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
. They eventually caught the attention of B-Real
B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...
of 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...
. B-Real invited the teens to join the collective Soul Assassins
Soul Assassins
Soul Assassins are a loose collective of musicians and graphic artists affiliated to the hip hop group Cypress Hill, formed in the early 1990s. It is also the name of Cypress Hill's publishing company....
which also consisted of 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...
and House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
. The Whooliganz toured the country with the Soul Assassins and their connection helped them land a record deal with Tommy Boy Records
Tommy Boy Records
Tommy Boy Entertainment is an independent record label started in 1981 by Tom Silverman.-History:...
.
The Whooliganz recorded their debut album, Make Way for the W. The first single was "Put Your Handz Up", produced by DJ Lethal
DJ Lethal
Leor Dimant , better known as DJ Lethal, is a turntablist and producer and member of the bands Limp Bizkit, House of Pain and La Coka Nostra.-Early life:Leor Dimant was born in Riga, Latvia, when this country was still part of the Soviet Union...
and released in 1993. But the single and music video did not receive much airplay. A second single, "Don't Mean Nothin'" was planned but then Tommy Boy decided to drop the group and not release the album. Another song, "Whooliganz", was released as a single in 1995 in the UK on Positiva Records
Positiva Records
Positiva Records is a subsidiary of EMI Records and is one of the biggest dance music labels in the UK. The record label was set up in 1993, by Nick Halkes, who previously ran XL Recordings . Its headquarters are at the EMI offices in Brook Green in West London, where it is currently the only large...
but the duo had already gone their separate ways. Caan followed his father, James Caan, into a successful acting career. Maman turned to making beats and became a rapper and a successful and very well known producer under the stage name, The Alchemist
The Alchemist (producer)
Alan Daniel Maman , better known as The Alchemist, is an American hip hop producer, DJ and rapper. He hails from Beverly Hills, California...
.
External links
- [ The Whooliganz at Allmusic]
- The Whooliganz at Discogs
- "Put Your Handz Up" music video at Yahoo! Music