C.I.A., a name short for Cru' in Action!, replacing the earlier name Stereo Crew, was a rap trio,

K-Dee Darrell L. Johnson, also known as K-Dee, formerly Kid Disaster and D-Rock-D, (born May 24, 1969), is an American rapper most known for his album '' Ass, Gas, or Cash (No One Rides for Free)''. His first two singles were released under the nam ...

Sir Jinx Anthony Wheaton, professionally known by his stage name Sir Jinx, is an American hip hop producer and rapper from Los Angeles. He is a cousin of multi-platinum producer Dr. Dre. He began his career as a member of the C.I.A. in the mid-80s with ...

, and Ice Cube, on the Los Angeles rap scene in the 1980s. The trio debuted at parties thrown by Sir Jinx's cousin Dr. Dre. Dre was in one of the Los Angeles area's leading DJ crews, the

World Class Wreckin' Cru World Class Wreckin' Cru was an American electro group, during the 1980s in the Los Angeles area, that contributed to rap's development. Two of its members, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, attained greater fame as members of N.W.A, which pioneered gangsta ...

, whose core members, including Dre, doubled as a successful electro rap group. In 1986, the Stereo Crew's single "She's a Skag" arrived on Epic Records, which soon dropped the group for poor sales. The Stereo Crew then signed with Kru Cut Records—a sublabel run by Grandmaster Lonzo, who, leading the World Class Wreckin' Cru, had formed it for the WCWC's early releases—while the trio changed its name to C.I.A. The trio did backing vocals on the WCWC song "Cabbage Patch," while C.I.A.'s only release, "

My Posse ''Cru' In Action!'' is the only release by rap group C.I.A. (Cru' in Action!). The record has received more than one pressing by record companies Macola and Kru-Cut. Alonzo Williams Alonzo Williams is a former member and promoter of the World C ...

," produced by Dre in a classic, Roland TR-808 manner, arrived in 1987. Meanwhile, Eric Wright, soon dubbed Eazy-E, having a new label, Ruthless Records, formed with Cube and Dre the pioneering gangsta rap group

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

and

would later go on to form

Da Lench Mob Da Lench Mob was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California, associated with Ice Cube. The group consisted of rappers Shorty, T-Bone, J-Dee, Maulkie, and Ice Cube. Their Islamic religious and social politically inspired-lyrics garne ...

Discography

Singles

*"She's a Skag" (1986) (as ''Stereo Crew'') *"

" (1987)

References

N.W.A Hip hop groups from California Ice Cube Musical groups from Los Angeles American musical trios African-American musical groups {{US-hiphop-band-stub