Caveman (Hip Hop)
Encyclopedia
Caveman was a British hip hop
group
originally from High Wycombe
, consisting of MCM, the Principal, and Diamond J. They were the first British
hip hop
group to be signed to a major U.S.
record label
, Profile Records
, and quickly established themselves as one of the UK's
more popular and versatile acts.
"Victory" (Profile, 1990) and "Fry You Like Fish" (Profile, 1990), and the I'm Ready EP (Profile, 1990). This established their jazz
-based style of hip hop, influenced by U.S. artists
such as Gang Starr
. The song
"I'm Ready", however, was based on Jimi Hendrix
's, "Crosstown Traffic
" and showed early on a liking for the harder style that they adopted for later releases. "I'm Ready" was a popular song, and still regularly turns up on hip hop compilation album
s today.
Their debut album
, Positive Reaction (Profile, 1990), was released to critical acclaim and cemented their reputation as one of the UK's top hip hop acts. The following year, the group released The Victory EP (Profile, 1991) and then took a break from recording
. When they returned with The Whole Nine Yards...And Then Some (Profile, 1992) the group had undergone a radical changes in style. While their earlier sound had been predominantly based on mellow jazz samples, the new album was predominantly bass heavy, hardcore hip hop. The move was a success, and today their second album is Caveman's most in demand recording, often selling above its original asking price and considered a rare find.
Shortly after the release of the album, the group decided to go their separate ways. MCM had a short-lived solo career, releasing some twelve inches and guesting on other artists' tracks - such as Dodge City Productions
' "Understand This" from their Steppin' Up and Out (4th & Broadway, 1993) album. The Principal went on to produce other artist's tracks, such as a remix of Run-D.M.C.
's "Ooh, What'cha Gonna Do?" from their Down with the King
(Profile, 1993) album. Diamond J went on to provide scratches for Maxim's Hell's Kitchen (XL Recordings, 2000) album. None ever reached the same level of success as they did with Caveman.
Almost 20 years after the last Caveman album, front man MCM incorporated the name Caveman on his first solo studio album The Gospel: The Missing Gems of MCM Caveman (I-innovate UK, 2011). The double album included several unreleased tracks from the 1990’s.
British hip hop
British hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
originally from High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, consisting of MCM, the Principal, and Diamond J. They were the first 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...
hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group to be signed to a major U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record label
Record 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,...
, Profile Records
Profile Records
Profile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop, active until 1996..- History :In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be...
, and quickly established themselves as one of the UK's
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...
more popular and versatile acts.
History
The group's first releases were the twelve inch singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Victory" (Profile, 1990) and "Fry You Like Fish" (Profile, 1990), and the I'm Ready EP (Profile, 1990). This established their jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-based style of hip hop, influenced by U.S. artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
such as Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
. The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"I'm Ready", however, was based on Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
's, "Crosstown Traffic
Crosstown Traffic (song)
"Crosstown Traffic" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix. It was the second single released from the album Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience...
" and showed early on a liking for the harder style that they adopted for later releases. "I'm Ready" was a popular song, and still regularly turns up on hip hop compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s today.
Their debut 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...
, Positive Reaction (Profile, 1990), was released to critical acclaim and cemented their reputation as one of the UK's top hip hop acts. The following year, the group released The Victory EP (Profile, 1991) and then took a break from recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
. When they returned with The Whole Nine Yards...And Then Some (Profile, 1992) the group had undergone a radical changes in style. While their earlier sound had been predominantly based on mellow jazz samples, the new album was predominantly bass heavy, hardcore hip hop. The move was a success, and today their second album is Caveman's most in demand recording, often selling above its original asking price and considered a rare find.
Shortly after the release of the album, the group decided to go their separate ways. MCM had a short-lived solo career, releasing some twelve inches and guesting on other artists' tracks - such as Dodge City Productions
Dodge City Productions
Dodge City Productions were a British hip hop/Acid jazz group based in London formed by IG Culture and DJ Dodge . They were one of the leaders of the Acid Jazz movement, and also received much acclaim and success for their remixes, usually done as "City Lick"...
' "Understand This" from their Steppin' Up and Out (4th & Broadway, 1993) album. The Principal went on to produce other artist's tracks, such as a remix of Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
's "Ooh, What'cha Gonna Do?" from their Down with the King
Down with the King (album)
Down with the King the sixth album by hip hop group Run–D.M.C.. This album was generally received more favorably by fans and critics than the group's previous album, Back From Hell.-Track listing:# "Down With The King"...
(Profile, 1993) album. Diamond J went on to provide scratches for Maxim's Hell's Kitchen (XL Recordings, 2000) album. None ever reached the same level of success as they did with Caveman.
Almost 20 years after the last Caveman album, front man MCM incorporated the name Caveman on his first solo studio album The Gospel: The Missing Gems of MCM Caveman (I-innovate UK, 2011). The double album included several unreleased tracks from the 1990’s.
Chart albums
- Positive Reaction (1991) - UKUK Albums ChartThe 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...
#43 - The Whole Nine Yards And Then Some (1992)