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Uncle Jamm's Army was an American
In 1978, Arthur "Gid" Martin, and his brother Tony Martin were planning to give a party and asked Rodger Clayton to DJ for them. Rodger suggested they join forces and start promoting dances together. In September 1979, 
In 1983, the DJ group expanded further and Uncle Jamm's recruited underground DJs and MCs who were creating a
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
/ hip hop collective crew based in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, in the 1980s. Their singles "What's Your Sign", "Dial-a-Freak", and "Yes, Yes, Yes" were influential to the electro, old school funk, and early West Coast hip-hop
West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast region of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the ea ...
genres.Gueraseva, Stacy (2005). ''Def Jam, Inc: Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, and the extraordinary story of the world's most influential hip hop label.'' Random House, Inc.
History
In 1978, Arthur "Gid" Martin, and his brother Tony Martin were planning to give a party and asked Rodger Clayton to DJ for them. Rodger suggested they join forces and start promoting dances together. In September 1979, Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, Bush. Funkadeli ...
released an album entitled ''Uncle Jam Wants You
''Uncle Jam Wants You'' is the eleventh studio album by American funk rock band Funkadelic. It was originally released by Warner Bros. Records on September 21, 1979, and was later reissued on CD by Charly Groove Records and Priority Records. It ...
''. The name Uncle Jamm's Army was adopted by Clayton and the Martins. Uncle Jamm's Army was among the earliest hip-hop groups on the West Coast and helped to bring the electro scene to Los Angeles. The group was influenced by Prince, Kraftwerk and East Coast electro. In the beginning, the Army first played funky disco but when Sugarhill Records started putting out rap and funk hits, rap had finally reached the West Coast.
By the beginning of the 1980s, the Army's popularity had grown. Their fans filled their shows at Alpine Village in Torrance, California. Summer 1980 brought "Shake Your Pants
"Shake Your Pants" is a 1980 single by the R&B/funk band Cameo from the 1980 album, '' Cameosis''. It was also released as a single where it peaked at number eight on the Hot Soul Singles chart "Shake Your Pants" has since been re-released on m ...
" and what later to be known as "The Twins", "4th of July" and "Labor Day Groove". They also played Long Beach State; Veteran's Auditorium, Culver City; Pasadena and Santa Monica Convention Centers; the Hollywood Palladium; and the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
In 1982, Rodger opened a music store, The DJ Booth (Slauson & Western Avenue), catering to all the local DJs and selling 12-inch records.
In 1983, the DJ group expanded further and Uncle Jamm's recruited underground DJs and MCs who were creating a cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. The most well-known being Greg "Egyptian Lover
Gregory James Broussard (born August 31, 1963), better known by his stage name Egyptian Lover, is an American musician, vocalist, producer and DJ, and was a part of the L.A. dance music, electro, and rap scene in the early 1980s.
History
Th ...
" Broussard, Tracy "Ice-T" Marrow (who used to dance for the group at the Sports Arena events), who was later a gangsta rap
Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...
pioneer and is currently singer of the thrash metal band Body Count
A body count is the total number of people killed in a particular event. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate. Often used in reference to military combat, the term can also r ...
, and later Mark "DJ Pooh
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
" Jordan, best known for producing '' 3 Strikes'' and ''Friday
Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth day ...
'' 1, 2 & 3, and Bobby "DJ Bobcat" Ervin (Death Row Records). The group name dropped the second 'm', changing to Uncle Jam's Army. The electronic sound of the group was influential on West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast region of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the ea ...
, as G-Funk
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s. The genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk (P-funk) sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic.
Characte ...
pioneered by Dr. Dre continued the tradition of an electronic sound in hip-hop music.
By 1988 the group disbanded as the music in the industry changed to gangsta rap
Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...
, with violence in the lyrics and at the shows.
Discography
Singles
*"Dial-a-Freak" (1984), Freak Beat –12-inch single
The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...
*"Dial-a-Freak (10 Minute Remix)" (1984), Dunk Yer Funk – 12-inch single
*"Yes, Yes, Yes" (1984), Freak Beat
*"What's Your Sign" (1985), Freak Beat – 12-inch single
*"The Roach Is On The Wall" (1985), Freak Beat – 12-inch single
*"Naughty Boy" (1986), Freak Beat – 12-inch single
References
External links
* *{{Discogs artist, Uncle Jamm's Army Hip hop groups from California Musical groups from Los Angeles Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 1988 1978 establishments in California 1988 disestablishments in California