Gunshot (band)
Encyclopedia
Gunshot was a British hip hop
group
, formed by MC Mercury, MC Alkaline, Q-Roc, DJ White Child Rix and DJ/MC Barry Blue in the area of Leyton
in east London.
"Battle Creek Brawl" (Vinyl Solution
, 1990) to some acclaim, which was followed swiftly by the single "No Sell Out/Crime Story" (Vinyl Solution, 1991). Both singles were well received within the hip hop scene, but following this release Q-Roc left the group to join Son of Noise
under the name Curoc. Mercury, Alkaline and White Child Rix continued with the group, releasing a succession of singles in 1991/1992 that soon cemented them a place as one of the leaders of the UK
hip hop
scene. Their style was hardcore
and fast, quickly coming to be considered—along with groups such as Hijack—the defining style of the genre.
One of their releases in this period was "Killing Season/Nobody Move" (Vinyl Solution, 1992), which was the first of their tunes to feature guest vocals from the rapper Barry Blue. Blue continued to provide guest vocals on some tracks for the group right up until their final album, as well as releasing the White Child Rix produced "The Story Begins . . . EP" (Move, 1994) as a solo
artist
.
The reception of Gunshot's first singles by British hip hop fans and DJ's was good and demand grew for an album
. The group released Patriot Games, notable for the track "Mind Of A Razor," which was subsequently released as a single and included a remix
by the British extreme metal
band, Napalm Death
. Patriot Games reached number 60 in the UK Albums Chart
in June 1993.
More singles followed, including "Color Code" (Vinyl Solution, 1994) which featured remixes by Depth Charge - repaying the favour of Alkaline rapping for them on the "Depth Charge vs Silver Fox" (Silver Fox Records, 1991) single.
A second album was never released, instead Vinyl Solution released a compilation
of the group's singles. This marked the end of Gunshot's association with Vinyl Solution, and the group went underground. They communicated with their fans
via their now defunct website
, whilst they worked on getting a new recording contract
.
Another single and album - Twilights Last Gleaming (Words of Warning, 1997), which was well received, but led to another long period away from the limelight as they worked on producing their next album, International Rescue (Words of Warning, 2000). Most notable on the album was the track "The English Patient", which included guest spots from The Icepick, Blade
, MC Mell'O'
and Chester P
. The album was billed as Gunshot's final before it was released.
In more recent years, Alkaline has guested on tracks by Junior Disprol and Aspects
.
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...
, formed by MC Mercury, MC Alkaline, Q-Roc, DJ White Child Rix and DJ/MC Barry Blue in the area of Leyton
Leyton
Leyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....
in east London.
Career
They released their debut 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...
"Battle Creek Brawl" (Vinyl Solution
Vinyl Solution
Vinyl Solution was a record label of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the offshoot of an independent London based record store based at 231 Portobello Road . The label signed many unconventional acts in a number of uncompromising genres, such as skatepunk thrash band The Stupids, Britcore rappers...
, 1990) to some acclaim, which was followed swiftly by the single "No Sell Out/Crime Story" (Vinyl Solution, 1991). Both singles were well received within the hip hop scene, but following this release Q-Roc left the group to join Son of Noise
Hardnoise
Hardnoise were one of the founding fathers of the British hip hop scene, and - along with early label-mates Hijack - set the template for the UK hardcore sound...
under the name Curoc. Mercury, Alkaline and White Child Rix continued with the group, releasing a succession of singles in 1991/1992 that soon cemented them a place as one of the leaders of 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...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
scene. Their style was hardcore
Hardcore hip hop
Hardcore hip hop, also referred to as hardcore rap, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Schoolly D, Spoonie Gee, Boogie Down Productions, and Kool G Rap, it is generally characterized by anger, aggression and...
and fast, quickly coming to be considered—along with groups such as Hijack—the defining style of the genre.
One of their releases in this period was "Killing Season/Nobody Move" (Vinyl Solution, 1992), which was the first of their tunes to feature guest vocals from the rapper Barry Blue. Blue continued to provide guest vocals on some tracks for the group right up until their final album, as well as releasing the White Child Rix produced "The Story Begins . . . EP" (Move, 1994) as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
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....
.
The reception of Gunshot's first singles by British hip hop fans and DJ's was good and demand grew for an 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...
. The group released Patriot Games, notable for the track "Mind Of A Razor," which was subsequently released as a single and included a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
by the British extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band, Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
. Patriot Games reached number 60 in the UK Albums Chart
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...
in June 1993.
More singles followed, including "Color Code" (Vinyl Solution, 1994) which featured remixes by Depth Charge - repaying the favour of Alkaline rapping for them on the "Depth Charge vs Silver Fox" (Silver Fox Records, 1991) single.
A second album was never released, instead Vinyl Solution released a compilation
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...
of the group's singles. This marked the end of Gunshot's association with Vinyl Solution, and the group went underground. They communicated with their fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
via their now defunct website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
, whilst they worked on getting a new recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
.
Another single and album - Twilights Last Gleaming (Words of Warning, 1997), which was well received, but led to another long period away from the limelight as they worked on producing their next album, International Rescue (Words of Warning, 2000). Most notable on the album was the track "The English Patient", which included guest spots from The Icepick, Blade
Blade (rapper)
Blade is a British rapper, born in the Armenian quarter of Iran and came to London when he was 7. His first single, Lyrical Maniac recorded in 1989, soon brought Blade to prominence in the fledgling British hip hop scene....
, MC Mell'O'
MC Mell'O'
MC Mell'O comes from Battersea in south London, and was originally known for his bodypopping skills rather than his rapping, going under the tag Moomin...
and Chester P
Chester P
Joey Coombes , better known as Chester P, is a rapper in the UK hip-hop scene. He was a founding member of Task Force, Bury Crew and the M.U.D. Family. He and his brother Farma G are both sons of the late musician Peet Coombes....
. The album was billed as Gunshot's final before it was released.
In more recent years, Alkaline has guested on tracks by Junior Disprol and Aspects
Aspects (band)
Aspects are a Hip Hop group hailing from Bristol, England; the outfit's core members being emcees El Eye, *Mantis and Bubber Loui.-Career:The band formed in 1996 and were once part of a larger collective of artists known as FSH...
.
Discography
- Patriot Games (Vinyl Solution, 1993)
- The Singles (Vinyl Solution, 1994)
- Twilights Last Gleaming (Words of Warning, 1997)
- International Rescue (Words of Warning, 2000)
Guest appearances
- Killa Instinct - "No More Need For Whisphering" ft Gunshot and II Tone CommitteeII Tone CommitteeII Tone Committee a.k.a Tones of Twice, composed of Mista Bohze, Defy, Sace and DJ Krashslaughta and emerged from the Glasgow Hip Hop scene of the late 80’s-History:...
(Move, 1996) The Penultimate Sacrfice EP) - DJ White Child Rix - scratching on ChumbawambaChumbawambaChumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music...
's album WYSIWYGWYSIWYG (album)WYSIWYG is a 2000 album by anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba. Released after the massive success of their previous effort, Tubthumper, it commented on various aspects of the pop culture the band had inadvertently become a part of...
(EMI, 2000) - Aspects - "Chase The Devil" ft MC Alkaline (Sanctuary RecordsSanctuary RecordsSanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
2004) Mystery Theatre? LP - Pitchshifter - " Triad (Gunshot Remix)" on the remix album The Remix War along with Therapy?Therapy?Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar...
, BiohazardBiohazard (band)Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
and PitchshifterPitchshifter (band)Pitchshifter are a British five-piece electronic-metal band from Nottingham, United Kingdom formed in 1989. The band was started by bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden, lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A...
.