Hijack (hip hop group)
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Hijack were a hip hop group from Brixton in London, featuring Kamanchi Sly, DJ Supreme, DJ Undercover, Ulysses, Agent Fritz and Agent Clueso. Their first single, "Style Wars" (Music of Life, 1988 caught the attention of the British hip hop community and laid much of the ground work for what was to come from the scene over the next few years. Their next release, "Hold No Hostage/Doomsday of Rap" (Music of Life, 1989) became an underground hit across Europe, bringing them to the attention of West Coast rapper Ice T.
Ice T signed the group to his own Rhyme Syndicate Records label, and they recorded and released the single "The Badman is Robbin'" (Rhyme Syndicate Records, 1989). The group's debut album - The Horns of Jericho (Rhyme Syndicate Records, 1991) - was recorded around the same time, but Warner Brothers (who had a distribution deal with Rhyme Syndicate Records) deemed Hijack's British hardcore hip hop style and British accents too different for US audiences. Hence, the album was never released in the US, although the company released the album to the foreign market to great critical acclaim.
Following this upset, the group split up and went their separate ways. DJ Supreme founded Backbone Records, whilst Kamanchi Sly and DJ Undercover founded Reservoir Records and recorded as Mr Pink and Mr Blond for a short while, before Kamanchi Sly changed his name to Unknown MC and had chart success with his brother DJ Pied Piper as DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies. Their single "Do You Really Like It" (??, 2001) reach number 1 in the UK charts.
Since then, Kamanchi Sly has come back to the British hip hop scene, releasing two EPs in 2004 and with an album - The Holy Grail - due from Catalyst Recordings in 2005.
Discography
Hijack
- The Horns of Jericho (Rhyme Syndicate Records, 1991)
- The Original Horns of Jericho / Instrumental Movie Soundtrack (Reservoir Records, 1997)
- Stolen Beats and Ripped Off Scratches (Music of Life, 1992)
- The Holy Grail (Catalyst Recordings, 2005 - forthcoming)
External links
- [Heroes of UK Hip Hop's Hijack page]
- [Snippet about DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies]
- [Interview with DJ Supreme from Hijack]
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