Monsta Island Czars was a
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
hip-hop collective that was formed by
MF Grimm
Percy Carey (born June 11, 1970), also known by the stage names MF Grimm, Grimm Reaper, GM Grimm and originally Build and Destroy, is an American underground rapper, music producer, CEO, and Eisner Award-nominated comic book writer from New Yo ...
and included
MF DOOM
Daniel Dumile ( ; July 13, 1971October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and ...
among numerous other NYC MC's. Due to inactivity and DOOM's death in 2020, the group ceased activity.
History
The members of the group take their names from movie monsters from
Toho
is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...
's
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
movies. ''
Escape from Monsta Island!'', their only full-length album, was released in 2003 by Metal Face Records. Most M.I.C. (Monsta Island Czars) tracks are produced by King Caesar (aka X-Ray) or King Geedorah (aka
MF DOOM
Daniel Dumile ( ; July 13, 1971October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and ...
).
There was a rumor that in 2007, remaining members of M.I.C. were set to release a new album titled ''Return To Monsta Island'' - however, this was dispelled in an interview with X-Ray. Fans soon became unsure whether the group was on hiatus or had broken up. Clues included the collective's MySpace webpage being deleted and their official site (monstaisland.com) going dark. In 2007 rumors continued that M.I.C. was still active and working on new tracks, but nothing seemed to come out of it.
Rumors of new M.I.C. projects on Wu-Tang Forums in late 2000s
/ref>
In 2013 and 2016, X-Ray released two new albums title
All Hail The King
an
All The King's Men
respectively, featuring multiple members of M.I.C. including Spiga, Kong, Kamackeris, Megalon, and Rodan. Although these aren't official Monsta Island Czars projects, they are confirmation much of the group is still together and making music.
Discography
References
External links
Monsta Island Czars forum
(Down)
Review of Escape from Monsta Island
Interview with newest member Baragon
A Complete Guide To: Monsta Island Czars -- annotated discography of main members and side projects
{{Authority control
American hip hop groups
Hip hop collectives