Abs Breen
Encyclopedia
Richard Abidin "Abs" Breen (born 29 June 1979 in Enfield
, London
, England
) is a British
singer
, rapper
, dancer
, and DJ. He was formerly a member of London-based boyband
Five
. In 2003, he released his first solo album called "Abstract Theory
".
, London
to a Turkish
father (Turan) and an Irish
mother (Kay) who are both also musicians. He attended the Italia Conti Stage School where his teacher suggested he audition for a boyband that was being put together by Simon Cowell
. He was chosen along with four other boys to be part of internationally successful boyband Five
.
days, Abz rapped
in the middle of their songs, his technique similar to Eminem
and Busta Rhymes
. Examples are in "Slam Dunk (Da Funk)
", "Everybody Get Up
", "If Ya Gettin' Down
", "We Will Rock You
" and "When the Lights Go Out
" on the U.S. version of 5ive
and in its music video.
Five enjoyed worldwide success, particularly in the UK
, many other parts of Europe
and most of Asia
, as well as Russia
, Brazil
, Australia
, New Zealand
and the USA
. They disbanded on 27 September 2001, after selling almost 20 million records, and having 11 top ten singles and 4 top ten albums in the UK. After Five split up, Love became the only band member to release a solo album
, Abstract Theory
, and had three Top 10 hits in the UK singles chart
.
After being in the spotlight since the age of 16, Love decided to take this time to travel and enjoy himself and in August 2006 he was a surprise guest on the ITV
reality television
show, Love Island
, for five days. He was criticised by TV presenter Patrick Kielty
for speaking with a Jamaican accent
.
interest.
to receive a manicure
from former bandmate Scott Robinson. Abz has now started his Loveupgang project and is currently creating a EP called "Loved Up" which will be released late 2011.
London Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, dancer
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, and DJ. He was formerly a member of London-based boyband
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
Five
Five (band)
Five were an English boyband put together in 1997 by the same team that managed the Spice Girls before they launched their career. The five members were Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville, J Brown, Abs Breen and Sean Conlon. Signed by Simon Cowell, they were a manufactured band and held several...
. In 2003, he released his first solo album called "Abstract Theory
Abstract Theory
Abstract Theory is the debut solo album released by former Five member Abs. The album was released on 1 September 2003, peaking at #28 on the UK Albums Chart. The album failed to find success elsewhere, and resulted in Abs being dropped from his record label just months later. The album spawned...
".
Early life
Breen was born in EnfieldLondon Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to a Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
father (Turan) and an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
mother (Kay) who are both also musicians. He attended the Italia Conti Stage School where his teacher suggested he audition for a boyband that was being put together by Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
. He was chosen along with four other boys to be part of internationally successful boyband Five
Five (band)
Five were an English boyband put together in 1997 by the same team that managed the Spice Girls before they launched their career. The five members were Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville, J Brown, Abs Breen and Sean Conlon. Signed by Simon Cowell, they were a manufactured band and held several...
.
Five
During his FiveFive (band)
Five were an English boyband put together in 1997 by the same team that managed the Spice Girls before they launched their career. The five members were Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville, J Brown, Abs Breen and Sean Conlon. Signed by Simon Cowell, they were a manufactured band and held several...
days, Abz rapped
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
in the middle of their songs, his technique similar to Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
. Examples are in "Slam Dunk (Da Funk)
Slam Dunk (Da Funk)
"Slam Dunk " is a song by British boy band Five, released as their first UK single in late 1997. It appeared on their first album, 5ive, in early 1998. The song reached #10 on the UK charts and sold around 500,000 copies worldwide. Featuring a blend of pop and rap, the single was produced by Jacob...
", "Everybody Get Up
Everybody Get Up
"Everybody Get Up" is a song by Five, released as the fourth single from their debut album 5ive, in September 1998. The song was co-written by Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Five and Herbie Crichlow. It was co-produced by Stannard and Rowe. The song samples music from the hit song "I Love Rock 'n'...
", "If Ya Gettin' Down
If Ya Gettin' Down
"If Ya Gettin' Down" is the first single from British boyband Five's second studio album, Invincible. The single was released on 19 July 1999. It was co-written by Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Jason 'J' Brown, Sean Conlon and Richard Breen, and co-produced by Stannard and Rowe. The song...
", "We Will Rock You
We Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA placed it at #146 on its list of Songs of the Century...
" and "When the Lights Go Out
When the Lights Go Out
"When the Lights Go Out" is the second single released from British group Five's debut studio album, 5ive It was released in early 1998. The song was co-written by Eliot Kennedy, Tim Lever and Mike Percy , and John McClaughlin. It was co-produced by Eliot Kennedy, Tim Lever and Mike Percy. The...
" on the U.S. version of 5ive
5ive (album)
5ive, also written as Five, is the self-titled debut album by English pop rap band Five. Released in the United Kingdom on 22 June 1998, the album topped the UK Albums Chart, the only Five album to do so...
and in its music video.
Five enjoyed worldwide success, particularly in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, many other parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and most of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, as well as Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They disbanded on 27 September 2001, after selling almost 20 million records, and having 11 top ten singles and 4 top ten albums in the UK. After Five split up, Love became the only band member to release a solo album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Abstract Theory
Abstract Theory
Abstract Theory is the debut solo album released by former Five member Abs. The album was released on 1 September 2003, peaking at #28 on the UK Albums Chart. The album failed to find success elsewhere, and resulted in Abs being dropped from his record label just months later. The album spawned...
, and had three Top 10 hits in the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
After being in the spotlight since the age of 16, Love decided to take this time to travel and enjoy himself and in August 2006 he was a surprise guest on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show, Love Island
Love Island
Love Island was a daily British reality television programme. In the show, twelve single celebrities spent five weeks on an island in Fiji. Viewers would vote for the couple they would like to see in the "love shack" where the two would get to know one another better...
, for five days. He was criticised by TV presenter Patrick Kielty
Patrick Kielty
Patrick Kielty is an Irish comedian and television personality from Dundrum, Northern Ireland.-Background:He was affected by The Troubles in Northern Ireland. On 25 January 1988 his father, businessman Jack Kielty, was shot dead by the Ulster Defence Association /"Ulster Freedom Fighters" , a...
for speaking with a Jamaican accent
Jamaican English
Jamaican English or Jamaican Standard English is a dialect of English spoken in Jamaica. It melds parts of both American English and British English dialects, along with many aspects of Irish intonation...
.
Five reformation
On 27 September 2006, it was announced that just four of the five members of the band would be reforming. Abz was reuniting with J, Ritchie and Scott, but Sean was pursuing a solo career. Despite being only a band of four, they kept the name Five. The boys also announced that they would be releasing a new album and were planning a tour, but having recorded only half the album, Five disbanded again on 19 May 2007, because they had not gained enough record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
interest.
Name change
He changed his name to Abz Love in June 2008. He was also invited onto BBC3 show Celebrity ScissorhandsCelebrity Scissorhands
Celebrity Scissorhands is a reality show that is part of the BBC's Children in Need charity campaign, in which celebrities attempt to cut people's hair to raise money for the campaign while trained and watched by professional hairdresser Lee Stafford...
to receive a manicure
Manicure
A manicure is a cosmetic beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands performed at home or in a nail salon. A manicure treatment is not only a treatment for the natural nails but also for the hands. A manicure consists of filing, shaping of the free edge, treatments, massage of the hand and the...
from former bandmate Scott Robinson. Abz has now started his Loveupgang project and is currently creating a EP called "Loved Up" which will be released late 2011.
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||
| 2003 | Abstract Theory Abstract Theory Abstract Theory is the debut solo album released by former Five member Abs. The album was released on 1 September 2003, peaking at #28 on the UK Albums Chart. The album failed to find success elsewhere, and resulted in Abs being dropped from his record label just months later. The album spawned... |
28 |
| 2011 | Loved Up EP |
Solo singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
AUS Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
ITA Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
||||||||||
| 2002 | "What You Got" | 4 | 33 | 37 | 9 | Abstract Theory | |||||||
| "Shame" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2003 | "Stop Sign Stop Sign "Stop Sign" is the third single released from former Five member Abs Breen's debut solo album, Abstract Theory. The single found fair success, peaking at #10 in the UK and #53 in Australia... " |
10 | 53 | 96 | 21 | ||||||||
| "Miss Perfect" (featuring Nodesha) | 5 | 64 | — | 13 | |||||||||
| "7 Ways 7 Ways "7 Ways" is the fifth and final single released from former Five member Abs Breen's debut solo album, Abstract Theory. The single failed to chart anywhere as it was withdrawn just days before its release, due to a publicised dispute between Abs and his record label. A video was recorded for the song... " (featuring Eve Bicker) |
— | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country. | |||||||||||||