Tuff Crew
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Tuff Crew, composed of LA Kid, Ice Dog, Tone Love, Monty G, and DJ Too Tuff, is a hip hop group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, dubbed "Philly's first Rap Supergroup" by Wax Poetics Magazine. They released four albums. Their debut LP included production by the Ultramagnetic MCs' Kool Keith and Ced Gee among others, with a style that was bass-heavy with Roland TR-808 drum machine, raw "street" lyrics and aggressive scratch DJing. They performed with Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, LL Cool J, and many others. They toured the U.S.A as the support act for 2Live Crew, and were fan favorites on the groundbreaking Street Beat radio program on Power 99, hosted by Lady B. They were racially-mixed and ethnically diverse, and were regular performers at the After Midnight club in North Philly, once the largest Hip-Hop club in America. Their contemporaries included Dj Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Dj Cash Money and Marvelous, Cool C, Schooly D and Three Times Dope. DJ Too Tuff, a/k/a the Deuce Ace Detonator, is considered a forefather of the Turntablist movement, because of several dynamic DJ tracks on the group's albums. Dj Z-Trip, DJ Shadow and other New School DJs credit DJ Too Tuff for inspiring their style and music.
In 2007 a reunion took place in Philadelphia at the Tri-Tone nightclub. This reunion was partial due to DJ Too Tuff's incarceration. A full lineup reunion is scheduled for April 5th, 2008 at the Manhattan Room in Philadelphia.
Trivia
"My Parta Town" peaked at #23 on the Billboard Rap charts (1989.)
"Back to Wreck Shop" reached #74 on the Billboard R&B album charts (1989.)
Source: www.billboard.com
Discography
- 1987 Phanjam (Soo Def)
- 1988 Danger Zone (Warlock)
- 1989 Back To Wreck Shop (Warlock)
- 1991 Still Dangerous (Warlock)
