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So Solid Crew

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So Solid Crew
OriginLondon, England
GenresUK Garage,Grime, Hip-hop, R&B
Years active1998–present
LabelsIndependiente Limited
Relentless Records Ltd.
MembersLisa Maffia
MC Romeo
Megaman
Past membersAsher D
Carl Morgan
Oxide & Neutrino
Michael Harvey

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.[1]

Introduction and history

Before breaking into the mainstream market, SSC had been involved with many pirate radio 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.[2] Subsequently, group member Megaman was found not guilty at the Old Bailey on 28 September 2006 after a retrial.[3]

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.

Main members[4]

  • Megaman (b. Dwayne Vincent)
  • Lisa Maffia
  • MC Romeo (b. Marvin Dawkins)
  • Oxide (b. Alex Rivers)
  • Neutrino (b. Mark Oseitutu)
  • Synth
  • Michael Harvey
  • Statix
  • Dan Da Man
  • Kaish (b. Shane Neil)[5]
  • Face (b. Jason Moore)[6]
  • Swiss (b. Mahtari Aminu)[7]
  • Skat D (b. Darren Weir)[8]
  • Trigger
  • AC Burell
  • Mr. Akira
  • Kalldean
  • TW7
  • Mac (b. Jermaine Williams)
  • Gillard
  • PDS
  • Timeless
  • Tiger S
  • Mr. C
  • Tiger Wang
  • Mr. Shabz (b. Saif Naqui)
  • The Twins MC's
  • Mr Morgan (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)[9]
  • G-Man
  • So Solid Dog

Duos

Discography

Studio

Year Album UK Albums Chart[10]
2001 They Don't Know 6
2003 2nd Verse 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
[10] 		Album
2000 "Oh No (Sentimental Things)/Dilemma" - They Don't Know
2001 "21 Seconds" 1
"They Don't Know" 3
"Haters" 8
2002 "Ride Wid Us" 19
2003 "Broken Silence" 9 2nd Verse
2004 "So Grimey" 62
2010 "Since You Went Away" 82

References

  1. ^ "So Solid: 'The UK needs us back". BBC. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  2. ^ News.bbc.co.uk
  3. ^ NME.com
  4. ^ Credits on the sleeve notes
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ [2]
  7. ^ [3]
  8. ^ http://www.discogs.com/artist/Scat+D
  9. ^ [4]
  10. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 513. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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