So Solid Crew
Encyclopedia
So Solid Crew is an electronic
and urban musical collective
from South
London
, England
, whose hits
include "Oh No (Sentimental Things)" and "21 Seconds
", the latter reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart
in August 2001. Another hit, "They Don't Know", reached number three in November 2001 and "Haters" got to number eight in January 2002. "Ride Wid Us" was less successful (UK number 19 in April 2002). They released a single, "Broken Silence
" which spoke out about government prejudice which they felt they had faced.
stations in London, such as Supreme FM and Delight FM (103.0 MHz). It was at Delight where they made their name, occupying most of the Sunday schedule, the so-called "So Solid Sundays". From around lunchtime until 10pm, there were shows from different members, where the various SSC DJs would play 2-step garage
tracks. At times the SSC emcees would rap on top of the tracks for up to two hours each session. On Christmas Day in 2001, SSC performed their last Sunday show on the station.
The SSC's first album They Don't Know
was released in October 2001, followed by a remix album entitled Fuck It in December 2001. SSC had tracks on the UK garage CD series Pure Garage
.
In 2002 they were the subject of the Channel 4
television documentary This Is So Solid directed and narrated by David Upshal
. This was later released on DVD by Universal
along with a live performance.
Oxide & Neutrino
released singles but before joining SSC. They released an album entitled Execute
and the singles "Only Wanna Know U Cos Ure Famous / Dem Girlz", "Up Middle Finger" and "Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty)
" (which samples the theme music from the BBC
hospital drama television series Casualty
).
Members Michael Harvey, MC Romeo
, and Lisa Maffia
have all appeared on Channel 4
celebrity reality show The Games. Harvey has gone solo and is producing tracks such as "We Ride
" with Doom Man, Swiss, JME & Skepta. SSC MC Asher D has gone on to have an acting career appearing in 50 Cent's
Get Rich or Die Tryin', Bullet Boy
and Life and Lyrics
, while still making independent mixtapes and albums in the Grime
and UK hiphop scene. Member Swiss released "Cry" featuring Sharifa. Trigger is now working with UK based producer Clyde Ward on his solo project JAX and features in UK based band The Fallen
's debut album track "Maybe".
Five of the Crew have appeared on BBC Two
comedy panel game show Never Mind the Buzzcocks
. Harvey was first to appear in 2001, followed by Megaman and MC Romeo in 2003, then Lisa Maffia and Asher D in 2004. Maffia appeared for the second time in 2009 and is the only Crew member to appear more than once.
An associate of the band, Carl Morgan
, was sentenced to life imprisonment
for murder
in October 2005. Subsequently, group member Megaman was found not guilty at the Old Bailey
on 28 September 2006 after a retrial.
In 2010, the group released a new song, titled "Since You Went Away". They performed it on the UK Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth, and the track was officially released on 18 January 2010. It peaked at 82 in its first week of release in the UK charts.
So Solid also recorded a Radio 1 Live Lounge
session which was aired early February 2010 as part of BBC's 1Xtra homegrown season. The album was released in early summer 2010.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and urban musical collective
Musical collective
Musical collective is a phrase used to describe a group of musicians in which membership is flexible and creative control is shared. Such entities have transitioned from the traditional hierarchical configuration that features either a frontman , or a plurality of band members in tension for...
from South
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
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...
, whose hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
include "Oh No (Sentimental Things)" and "21 Seconds
21 Seconds
"21 Seconds" is a song by the UK garage act So Solid Crew. It is included on their debut album They Don't Know. The song was released as a single on Relentless Records in 2001. It charted at a peak position of number-one in the UK Singles Chart in August 2001, while it peaked just outside the top...
", the latter reaching number one 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 ...
in August 2001. Another hit, "They Don't Know", reached number three in November 2001 and "Haters" got to number eight in January 2002. "Ride Wid Us" was less successful (UK number 19 in April 2002). They released a single, "Broken Silence
Broken Silence (song)
"Broken Silence" was a single from the UK garage and grime act So Solid Crew. It was released on September 15, 2003, and reached Number 9 in the UK Singles Chart...
" which spoke out about government prejudice which they felt they had faced.
Introduction and history
Before breaking into the mainstream market, SSC had been involved with many pirate radioPirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
stations in London, such as Supreme FM and Delight FM (103.0 MHz). It was at Delight where they made their name, occupying most of the Sunday schedule, the so-called "So Solid Sundays". From around lunchtime until 10pm, there were shows from different members, where the various SSC DJs would play 2-step garage
2-step garage
2-step garage, or simply 2-step, is a typically English style of modern electronic dance music, and a relatively popular subgenre of UK garage.A transcription of this article is available as a PDF file.-Characteristics:...
tracks. At times the SSC emcees would rap on top of the tracks for up to two hours each session. On Christmas Day in 2001, SSC performed their last Sunday show on the station.
The SSC's first album They Don't Know
They Don't Know (album)
They Don't Know is the debut album by UK garage and grime outfit So Solid Crew. It was released on November 11, 2001. The album features the singles "Oh No ", "They Don't Know", "Haters" and the UK singles chart topping "21 Seconds"....
was released in October 2001, followed by a remix album entitled Fuck It in December 2001. SSC had tracks on the UK garage CD series Pure Garage
Pure Garage
Pure Garage is a successful series of UK garage compilation albums. Nearly all of them are mixed by DJ EZ.In January 2000, Warner Music chose Kiss 100's DJ EZ to mix Pure Garage, a new garage compilation CD. Pure Garage...
.
In 2002 they were the subject of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television documentary This Is So Solid directed and narrated by David Upshal
David Upshal
David Upshal is an Executive Producer for Lion Television, one of Britain's largest independent television companies.His work includes Victorian Farm, Victorian Pharmacy , Edwardian Farm , Tales from the Green Valley , The True Face of War , Days That Shook The World , Gordon Brown's Missing...
. This was later released on DVD by Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
along with a live performance.
Oxide & Neutrino
Oxide & Neutrino
Oxide & Neutrino is a DJ and MC Garage duo from London, consisting of Alex Rivers and Mark Osei-Tutu .Their first single "Bound 4 Da Reload " went to number 1 in the United Kingdom in May 2000...
released singles but before joining SSC. They released an album entitled Execute
Execute (Oxide & Neutrino album)
Execute is the debut album of So Solid Crew members, Oxide & Neutrino. It includes the Casualty sampling number 1 single "Bound 4 Da Reload " and the Prodigy cover "No Good 4 Me". "Devil's Nightmare" was also featured on the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider soundtrack...
and the singles "Only Wanna Know U Cos Ure Famous / Dem Girlz", "Up Middle Finger" and "Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty)
Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty)
"Bound 4 Da Reload " was a 2000 single and so far the biggest success for English group Oxide & Neutrino, members of the So Solid Crew, which in May 2000 reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. The track features a sample from the theme tune to the TV show Casualty...
" (which samples the theme music from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
hospital drama television series Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
).
Members Michael Harvey, MC Romeo
MC Romeo
-Biography:Romeo first found fame in the garage group So Solid Crew and subsequently had a solo career, firstly with the single "Romeo Dunn" which reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart in 2002, and secondly a duet with Christina Milian, "It's All Gravy", which reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart in the...
, and Lisa Maffia
Lisa Maffia
Lisa Finch Maffia is a platinum selling English singer-songwriter, musician, fashion designer, model and presenter, who originally came to the public's attention as the main female member of So Solid Crew...
have all appeared on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
celebrity reality show The Games. Harvey has gone solo and is producing tracks such as "We Ride
We Ride
"We Ride" is a dancehall/R&B song written by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, and Makeba Riddick for R&B singer Rihanna's second studio album A Girl like Me . The song was confirmed as the album's third single by MTV and released in mid-2006 in the United States, where it failed to enter the...
" with Doom Man, Swiss, JME & Skepta. SSC MC Asher D has gone on to have an acting career appearing in 50 Cent's
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
Get Rich or Die Tryin', Bullet Boy
Bullet Boy
Bullet Boy is a 2005 film directed by Saul Dibb, written by Saul Dibb and Catherine Johnson, and stars Ashley Walters. The film's original music was composed and performed by Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack, who released it as an album...
and Life and Lyrics
Life and Lyrics
Life and Lyrics is a 2006 British film directed by Richard Laxton and starring Ashley Walters, a former member of the garage band So Solid Crew....
, while still making independent mixtapes and albums in the Grime
Grime (music)
Grime is a style of music that emerged from Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily as a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop...
and UK hiphop scene. Member Swiss released "Cry" featuring Sharifa. Trigger is now working with UK based producer Clyde Ward on his solo project JAX and features in UK based band The Fallen
The Fallen
The Fallen may refer to:* "The Fallen", a song by the rock band Franz Ferdinand* "The Fallen", a song by the metal band Suicide Silence* The Fallen , a series of novels authored by Thomas E...
's debut album track "Maybe".
Five of the Crew have appeared on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
comedy panel game show Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
. Harvey was first to appear in 2001, followed by Megaman and MC Romeo in 2003, then Lisa Maffia and Asher D in 2004. Maffia appeared for the second time in 2009 and is the only Crew member to appear more than once.
An associate of the band, Carl Morgan
Carl Morgan
Carl Morgan, born 1981, is a producer of the rap group So Solid Crew. In October 2005 he was sentenced to 30 years for murdering a love rival....
, was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
for murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
in October 2005. Subsequently, group member Megaman was found not guilty at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
on 28 September 2006 after a retrial.
In 2010, the group released a new song, titled "Since You Went Away". They performed it on the UK Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth, and the track was officially released on 18 January 2010. It peaked at 82 in its first week of release in the UK charts.
So Solid also recorded a Radio 1 Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
session which was aired early February 2010 as part of BBC's 1Xtra homegrown season. The album was released in early summer 2010.
Main members
- Megaman (b. Dwayne Vincent)
- Lisa MaffiaLisa MaffiaLisa Finch Maffia is a platinum selling English singer-songwriter, musician, fashion designer, model and presenter, who originally came to the public's attention as the main female member of So Solid Crew...
- MC RomeoMC Romeo-Biography:Romeo first found fame in the garage group So Solid Crew and subsequently had a solo career, firstly with the single "Romeo Dunn" which reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart in 2002, and secondly a duet with Christina Milian, "It's All Gravy", which reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart in the...
(b. Marvin Dawkins) - Oxide (b. Alex Rivers)
- Neutrino (b. Mark Oseitutu)
- Synth
- Michael Harvey
- Statix
- Dan Da Man
- Kaish (b. Shane Neil)
- Face (b. Jason Moore)
- Swiss (b. Mahtari Aminu)
- Skat D (b. Darren Weir)
- Trigger
- AC Burell
- Mr. Akira
- Kalldean
- TW7
- Mac (b. Jermaine Williams)
- Gillard
- PDS
- Timeless
- Tiger STiger STiger S born Sarah May Pearce is a Welsh singer-songwriter, who is an ex-member of the group So Solid Crew. She was on their song Ride Wid Us, which reached No 19 on the UK Singles Chart. She was co-writer of "Romeo Dunn" , which featured Christina Milian and reached No 3 on the UK Singles Charts...
- Mr. C
- Tiger Wang
- Mr. Shabz (b. Saif Naqui)
- The Twins MC's
- Mr MorganCarl MorganCarl Morgan, born 1981, is a producer of the rap group So Solid Crew. In October 2005 he was sentenced to 30 years for murdering a love rival....
(b. Carl Morgan) - Money
- D. Schiff
- Naomi Notorious
- L. Step
- Court-Nay Vee
- Sniper (Anthony Melas)
- The Zismail
- Asher D (b. Ashley Walters)
- JD (b. Karl Daniel)
- G-Man
- So Solid Dog
Studio
| Year | Album | 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... |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | They Don't Know They Don't Know (album) They Don't Know is the debut album by UK garage and grime outfit So Solid Crew. It was released on November 11, 2001. The album features the singles "Oh No ", "They Don't Know", "Haters" and the UK singles chart topping "21 Seconds".... |
6 |
| 2003 | 2nd Verse 2nd Verse (album) 2nd Verse is the second album by UK garage and urban music collective So Solid Crew, and the follow-up to They Don't Know. It was released on September 29, 2003... |
70 |
Compilation, Mixtape, Remix
- 2000 MC Harvey And DJ Swiss of So Solid Crew Present UK Garage Mafia
- 2001 Fuck It
- 2006 The Time Is Now
- 2006 Roll Deep Presents Grimey Vol. 1
- 2011 So Solid Lost Tapes (Garage) Vol. 1
- 2011 So Solid Lost Tapes (RNB) Vol. 2
Singles
| Year | Song | 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 ... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Oh No (Sentimental Things)/Dilemma" | - | They Don't Know They Don't Know (album) They Don't Know is the debut album by UK garage and grime outfit So Solid Crew. It was released on November 11, 2001. The album features the singles "Oh No ", "They Don't Know", "Haters" and the UK singles chart topping "21 Seconds".... |
| 2001 | "21 Seconds 21 Seconds "21 Seconds" is a song by the UK garage act So Solid Crew. It is included on their debut album They Don't Know. The song was released as a single on Relentless Records in 2001. It charted at a peak position of number-one in the UK Singles Chart in August 2001, while it peaked just outside the top... " |
1 | |
| "They Don't Know" | 3 | ||
| "Haters" | 8 | ||
| 2002 | "Ride Wid Us" | 19 | |
| 2003 | "Broken Silence Broken Silence (song) "Broken Silence" was a single from the UK garage and grime act So Solid Crew. It was released on September 15, 2003, and reached Number 9 in the UK Singles Chart... " |
9 | 2nd Verse 2nd Verse (album) 2nd Verse is the second album by UK garage and urban music collective So Solid Crew, and the follow-up to They Don't Know. It was released on September 29, 2003... |
| 2004 | "So Grimey" | 62 | |
| 2010 | "Since You Went Away" | 82 | |