So Solid Crew is an electronic and urban musical collective whose hits include "Oh No (Sentimental Things)" and "21 Seconds", the later of which reached 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 have released a single, "Broken Silence" 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 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 dubstep and 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 Fallens 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 2008 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.[1] Megaman found innocent at the Old Bailey on 28 September 2006 after a retrial.[2]
In 2009, the Crew has recorded a new song, "Since you went away" which will be released in early january.It will be followed by an as yet untitled album.
The main members
Children
- Samantha
- Thrust
- Skip
- Frost
- aimless
- vee
- Becky
Duos
Discography
Studio
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
Singles
References
External links
