Jungle Brothers are an American
hip hop trio composed of Michael Small (Mike Gee), Nathaniel Hall (
Afrika Baby Bam), and Sammy Burwell (DJ Sammy B). Known as the pioneers of the fusion of
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
hip-hop, and
house music
House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
, they were the first hip-hop group to collaborate with a
house-music producer
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
. The trio released their debut album, ''
Straight out the Jungle'' in July 1988. Their
hip-house
Hip house, also known as rap house or house rap, is a musical genre that mixes elements of house music and hip hop, that originated in both London, United Kingdom and Chicago, United States in the mid to late 1980s.
British group the Beatmaster ...
club hit single, "I'll House You" was added to the album in late-1988 reissues. Fostered by
Kool DJ Red Alert, the Jungle Brothers success would pave the way for
De La Soul
De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative ...
,
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,[Q-Tip](_blank)
, and eventually the
Native Tongues
The Native Tongues were a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and jazz-influenced beats. Its principal me ...
collective that they founded.
History
The group's first album, ''
Straight out the Jungle'', was released in 1988 on
Warlock Records
Warlock Records is a record label based in New York City that was founded in 1985 by Adam Levy (born 1962), whose father was record producer Morris Levy. Artists that recorded for Warlock Records include Jungle Brothers, Royal House, Skinny Boys ...
, an
independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
.
Soon after they were signed by
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
, with whom the group released ''
Done By the Forces of Nature'' in November 1989.
In 1990, the Jungle Brothers contributed the song "I Get a Kick" to the
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film.
Born to ...
tribute album ''"
Red Hot + Blue
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
"'' produced by the
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.
Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...
. Following a four-year break, the Jungle Brothers returned in 1993 with ''
J Beez Wit the Remedy''.
Jungle Brothers involved themselves with an emerging hip hop organization called Ill Crew Universal (ICU), which released worldwide compilation albums and supported independent hip hop artists.
Their fifth album, ''V.I.P.'' was produced by Alex Gifford of
Propellerheads
Propellerheads were an English electronic music duo, formed in 1995 in Bath and consisting of Will White and Alex Gifford.
History
Their first release was an EP named ''Dive!'', released in 1996 through the independent label Wall of Sound. ...
and, during production, they added their vocal stylings to the Propellerheads tracks "Take California (And Party)" and "You Want It Back". Their latest album to contain new releases is 2002's ''
All That We Do
''All That We Do'' is the sixth studio album by hip hop group Jungle Brothers
Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop trio composed of Michael Small (Mike Gee), Nathaniel Hall ( Afrika Baby Bam), and Sammy Burwell (DJ Sammy B). Known as the ...
''.
In 2001, the group's song "What's the Five 0" was featured in the
music video game FreQuency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is also occasionally referred to as ''temporal frequency'' for clarity, and is distinct from ''angular frequency''. Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) which is eq ...
.
In 2004, the Jungle Brothers joined with British producer Mr On to produce "
Breathe (Don't Stop)", a version of "Breathe and Stop" by
Q-Tip of
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,[Q-Tip](_blank)
, combined with a sample of
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's "
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album ''Off the Wall'' (1979). It was the ...
" (the idea was taken from a bootleg remix combining vocals from "Breathe and Stop" and music from "
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album ''Off the Wall'' (1979). It was the ...
").
In 2005, the Jungle Brothers released a
greatest hits and classic remixes and rarities
double album
A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...
, ''This Is...'', which included remixes by
The Wiseguys, Urban Takeover, Natural Born Chillers, and
Stereo MCs
Stereo MC's are an English hip hop/ electronic dance group which formed in Nottingham, England, in 1985. They had an international top 20 hit with their single "Connected". After releasing eight albums for Island Records, K7, Graffiti Recording ...
.
Discography
Studio albums
Compilations
*2005: ''This Is...'' (greatest hits)
Singles
As lead artist
Notes
References
External links
Official siteJungle Brothersdiscography at
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
{{Authority control
Native Tongues Posse
Alternative hip hop groups
East Coast hip hop groups
Hip house music groups
Warlock Records artists
Warner Records artists
V2 Records artists
Gee Street Records artists
Musical groups established in 1987