Uncle Jamm's Army
Encyclopedia
Uncle Jamm's Army is a former American
hip hop
crew
based in Los Angeles, California
in the 1980s. Their singles
"What's Your Sign", "Dial-a-Freak", and "Yes, Yes, Yes" were influential to the electro, old school hip hop
, and early-West Coast hip hop
genres.
But they needed a name, a name that would catch everyone's attention. Later that year George Clinton released an album entitled: Uncle Jam Wants YOU! The Name Uncle Jamms Army hit home and was adopted. The group became the number one dance promoters and DJ's on the Western Coast of the United States. Clayton was no stranger to the turntables as he organized his first house party back in 1973, playing such classics as "Right Place, Wrong Time" by Dr. John, "Funky Worm" by the Ohio Players, Let's get it on by Marvin Gaye,Good Foot by James Brown,and his favourite band the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire. Before forming Unique Dreams and Uncle Jamm's Army, Rodger spun records for a mobile DJ organization called LSD formed by Larry Grisby. Assemblyman of Gardena Steve Bradford & Former City Councilman of Carson Darryl Sweeney (Gardena High Alum's). After LSD stopped payment on his $25 check,Rodger told them that one day he will form his own organization and put them out of business. Uncle Jam's Army along with Alonzo(Wrecking Crew)Williams (Gardena High Alum),were among the earliest hip hop DJs on the West Coast and helped to bring the electro scene there. The group was influenced by Prince,Kraftwerk,East Coast electro. In the beginning, the Army first played funky disco but when Sugarhill Records started putting out great rap and funk hits, rap had finally reached the West Coast. Their major competitors during Uncle Jamms run to supremacy was L.S.D., Z-Cars (Curtis Garrett- Locke High), JC2 Production (John Carter- Locke High) and Bay Phi Si/Westchester Bay Lockers (Curtis Jackson- Westchester High)
In December 1978, at Alpine Village was the site of the groups Breakout Dance. Packing the house, standing room only! They never looked back, they were on the road to the top.
In 1982, Rodger opened his first Music Store The DJ Booth (Slausen & Western Ave.). Catering to all the local DJ's selling 12 inch records
In 1983, the DJ group expanded further and Uncle Jam's recruited underground DJ's and MC's who were creating a cult following
. The most well-known being Greg "Egyptian Lover" Broussard, Tracey "Ice-T" Morrow (who used to dance for the group at the Sports Arena events), who was later a gangsta rap
pioneer, and later Mark "DJ Pooh" best known for producing 3 Strikes and Friday 1, 2 & 3 and Bobby "DJ Bobcat" Ervin (Death Row Records, The group name also would change to the Uncle Jam's Army (dropping one "M"in Jamm). The electronic sound of the group was influential on West Coast hip hop
, as G-Funk
pioneered by Dr. Dre continued the tradition of an electronic sound in hip hop music.
By 1984, Uncle Jam's Army had grown to be the #1 dance and party promoters in Los Angeles selling out venues (standing room only). Alpine Village, Long Beach State, Veteran's Auditorium, L.A., Pasadena, and Santa Monica Convention Centers,The Hollywood Palladium, the Sports Arena were some of the major venues used to entertain the masses.
By 1988 the group disbanded as the music in the industry changed from Fun Rap to Gangster Rap and fights frequently broke-out at the dances. A new era had arrived and violent music was the vice. But Rodger refused to disappear and forged forward with his love of music and started D.J.-ing at Pizazz Night Club in The Marina 1989. In 1990 Charles Alvon joined him splitting duties.By 1991 Pizazz shut the doors and Rodger proceeded in opening his second store: DJ's Records in Pamona.
In 1995 his third store on Vermont and Imperial DJ's Records opened. From there Rodger and Charles Alvon started promoting Function at The Junction Dances for the next 5 years at The Cockatoo Inn, Crown Plaza Hotel, Westin Hotel and The Proud Bird while also promoting annual Uncle Jam's Army Reunions in which Rodger kept alive until his death.
The remaining members of Uncles Jam's Army along with Adrienne Clayton (sister) Marcus, Marques Clayton (sons)and Janelle Clayton (daughter) intend to keep the legacy alive with a series of concerts and dances. Stay tuned! Uncle Jam's Army (U.J.A.) Unique Dreams Entertainment 2012 and Beyond
Rene Williams (Bleeps),David Storms (Dr. Funkenstein) (1st generation DJ's)
Greg "Egyptian Lover" Broussard (The Game Changer),Greg Martin, Dwayne "Muffla" Simon,Leslie Andrews,Duane"Razor"Meadows,Darryl Ellis,Lionel Collins, Keith & Kenneth Morris,Louis and Wesley Hall, Thurman Hilburn, Derrick,Troy,J.R.,Lester,Digi Dave,Delphine (DJ Lady Dell), DJ Pooh, Bobcat, Battlecat, Lil Egypt.
The Music People aka DJ4Hire(Reggie Jones, Duke Mc Neely, Eddie, Edwin Vaultz, Lance & Vance Kinney,Clint Mc Cray).
Big Coco,Big Dad,Big Daddy,Cold Crush Cris,Joe Cooley,Keith Cooley,Dirty Red, DJ B'LUV,DJ Pookie,DJ Kitt-Kat, Paul "Shadow" Neal,GI Joe,Ichy, Jammin Gemini,Lil Doug,Haley Mack,,Madison Stanley,Chris "The Glove" Taylor,Tracey "D.J.Vanity" Ainsworth
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
crew
Crew
A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
based in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in the 1980s. Their singles
Single (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...
"What's Your Sign", "Dial-a-Freak", and "Yes, Yes, Yes" were influential to the electro, old school hip hop
Old school hip hop
Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
, and early-West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
genres.
History
Originally known as The Night Time Players, the group was originally formed in 1974 by Rodger Clayton,Charles "Alvon" Woods, Alphonse Finn,Renord Collins,Pernell Prothro,Tony Willis,and Barry Harris giving house parties at 911 Stonebryn Drive in Harbor City. In 1978 the group trimmed down to Rodger Clayton, Charles Woods,Renord Collins and added Rodney Gardner to form Unique Dreams Entertainment. Rodger dubbed himself as The Ace of Dreams (DJ).Later 1978, Arthur "Gid" Martin who was friends with Rodger at Narbonne High and first met at Henry Clay Jr High School, and his brother Tony Martin were attempting to give a party and asked Rodger to DJ for them. Rodger suggested they join forces and start promoting dances together with Rodger spinning under the name Ace of Dreams and later Mr Prince.But they needed a name, a name that would catch everyone's attention. Later that year George Clinton released an album entitled: Uncle Jam Wants YOU! The Name Uncle Jamms Army hit home and was adopted. The group became the number one dance promoters and DJ's on the Western Coast of the United States. Clayton was no stranger to the turntables as he organized his first house party back in 1973, playing such classics as "Right Place, Wrong Time" by Dr. John, "Funky Worm" by the Ohio Players, Let's get it on by Marvin Gaye,Good Foot by James Brown,and his favourite band the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire. Before forming Unique Dreams and Uncle Jamm's Army, Rodger spun records for a mobile DJ organization called LSD formed by Larry Grisby. Assemblyman of Gardena Steve Bradford & Former City Councilman of Carson Darryl Sweeney (Gardena High Alum's). After LSD stopped payment on his $25 check,Rodger told them that one day he will form his own organization and put them out of business. Uncle Jam's Army along with Alonzo(Wrecking Crew)Williams (Gardena High Alum),were among the earliest hip hop DJs on the West Coast and helped to bring the electro scene there. The group was influenced by Prince,Kraftwerk,East Coast electro. In the beginning, the Army first played funky disco but when Sugarhill Records started putting out great rap and funk hits, rap had finally reached the West Coast. Their major competitors during Uncle Jamms run to supremacy was L.S.D., Z-Cars (Curtis Garrett- Locke High), JC2 Production (John Carter- Locke High) and Bay Phi Si/Westchester Bay Lockers (Curtis Jackson- Westchester High)
In December 1978, at Alpine Village was the site of the groups Breakout Dance. Packing the house, standing room only! They never looked back, they were on the road to the top.
In 1982, Rodger opened his first Music Store The DJ Booth (Slausen & Western Ave.). Catering to all the local DJ's selling 12 inch records
In 1983, the DJ group expanded further and Uncle Jam's recruited underground DJ's and MC's who were creating a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
. The most well-known being Greg "Egyptian Lover" Broussard, Tracey "Ice-T" Morrow (who used to dance for the group at the Sports Arena events), who was later a gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
pioneer, and later Mark "DJ Pooh" best known for producing 3 Strikes and Friday 1, 2 & 3 and Bobby "DJ Bobcat" Ervin (Death Row Records, The group name also would change to the Uncle Jam's Army (dropping one "M"in Jamm). The electronic sound of the group was influential on West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
, as G-Funk
G-funk
G-funk, or Gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. G-funk incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk tunes, and a high-pitched...
pioneered by Dr. Dre continued the tradition of an electronic sound in hip hop music.
By 1984, Uncle Jam's Army had grown to be the #1 dance and party promoters in Los Angeles selling out venues (standing room only). Alpine Village, Long Beach State, Veteran's Auditorium, L.A., Pasadena, and Santa Monica Convention Centers,The Hollywood Palladium, the Sports Arena were some of the major venues used to entertain the masses.
By 1988 the group disbanded as the music in the industry changed from Fun Rap to Gangster Rap and fights frequently broke-out at the dances. A new era had arrived and violent music was the vice. But Rodger refused to disappear and forged forward with his love of music and started D.J.-ing at Pizazz Night Club in The Marina 1989. In 1990 Charles Alvon joined him splitting duties.By 1991 Pizazz shut the doors and Rodger proceeded in opening his second store: DJ's Records in Pamona.
In 1995 his third store on Vermont and Imperial DJ's Records opened. From there Rodger and Charles Alvon started promoting Function at The Junction Dances for the next 5 years at The Cockatoo Inn, Crown Plaza Hotel, Westin Hotel and The Proud Bird while also promoting annual Uncle Jam's Army Reunions in which Rodger kept alive until his death.
The remaining members of Uncles Jam's Army along with Adrienne Clayton (sister) Marcus, Marques Clayton (sons)and Janelle Clayton (daughter) intend to keep the legacy alive with a series of concerts and dances. Stay tuned! Uncle Jam's Army (U.J.A.) Unique Dreams Entertainment 2012 and Beyond
Members
Rodger Clayton, Charles "Alvon" Woods, Arthur(Gid) & Tony Martin, Rodney Gardner (The original core).Rene Williams (Bleeps),David Storms (Dr. Funkenstein) (1st generation DJ's)
Greg "Egyptian Lover" Broussard (The Game Changer),Greg Martin, Dwayne "Muffla" Simon,Leslie Andrews,Duane"Razor"Meadows,Darryl Ellis,Lionel Collins, Keith & Kenneth Morris,Louis and Wesley Hall, Thurman Hilburn, Derrick,Troy,J.R.,Lester,Digi Dave,Delphine (DJ Lady Dell), DJ Pooh, Bobcat, Battlecat, Lil Egypt.
The Music People aka DJ4Hire(Reggie Jones, Duke Mc Neely, Eddie, Edwin Vaultz, Lance & Vance Kinney,Clint Mc Cray).
Big Coco,Big Dad,Big Daddy,Cold Crush Cris,Joe Cooley,Keith Cooley,Dirty Red, DJ B'LUV,DJ Pookie,DJ Kitt-Kat, Paul "Shadow" Neal,GI Joe,Ichy, Jammin Gemini,Lil Doug,Haley Mack,,Madison Stanley,Chris "The Glove" Taylor,Tracey "D.J.Vanity" Ainsworth
Singles
- "Dial-a-Freak" (1984), Freak Beat - 12-inch single12-inch singleThe 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
- "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