Northeast Groovers

Last updated
Northeast Groovers
Origin Washington, D.C., U.S.
Genres
Years active1985–present
LabelsFuture Records
Associated acts
MembersChris "Rapper Dude" Black
  • Khari Pratt
  • Lamond "Maesto" Perkins
  • Ronald "88" Utley
  • Leonard "Daddy-O" Huggins
  • Ronald "Dig-Dug" Dixon
  • Larry "Stomp Dogg" Atwater
  • Samuel "Smoke" Dews
"Jammin" Jeff Warren
Past members
  • David "32" Ellis

Northeast Groovers (also referred to as NEG and as N.E.G.) is a Washington, D.C.-based go-go band formed in 1985. [1] [2] [3] Northeast Groovers have been active in the Washington metropolitan area, producing numerous songs in the Washington music scene and several hits nationwide, including the singles "The Water", "Van Damme" and "Booty Call". [4]

Contents

History

Beginnings

Northeast Groovers was formed in 1985 in Northeast, Washington, D.C., consisting of nine members: bass player Khari Pratt, keyboardist Lamond "Maestro" Perkins, keyboardist Ronald "88" Utley, Leonard "Daddy-O" Huggins, Ronald "Dig-Dug" Dixon, Larry "Stomp Dogg" Atwater, Samuel "Smoke" Dews playing congas, and drummer "Jammin" Jeff Warren. [4] The group began playing Top 40 and hip-hop songs infused with go-go-rhythms at bowling alleys and nightclubs throughout the Washington metropolitan area (including the Ibex, Breeze's Metro Club, and the Celebrity Hall), and at music venues nationally. [4]

N.E.G. released their debut single "Van Damme" in September 1993. [4] "The Water" (which samples Aqua Boogie by Parliament) [1] [5] and "Twenty Minute Workout" were follow-up singles released in the same year. All three singles were included in the group's 1994 debut album Straight from the Basement. [4] N.E.G. released the album N.E.G Jams in 1995, which received positive reviews from Billboard Magazine and The Washington Post . [4] In 1996, N.E.G. released the single "Goosebumps!" which became a hit within the D.C. music scene. The follow-up albums Northeast Coming and Northeast on Fire were released in 1999. [1] [2]

Present formation

N.E.G. released the single "Dukes Up" in 2014, and is pioneering a new era in go-go music hoping to move the genre in a direction where it will take its rightful place in the realm of music. [3] D.C.-based hip-hop artists such as Wale and Tabi Bonney have sampled songs by N.E.G., including Wale's for his 2006 song "Dig Dug (Shake It)" which sampled "Off Da Muscle". [6] N.E.G. also provides social awareness for AIDS and inner city violence in the Washington metropolitan region.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

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<i>Live at Breezes Metro Club</i> 1986 live album by Rare Essence

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Drop the Bomb is a studio album released in 1982 by the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band Trouble Funk. The album included the songs "Drop the Bomb" and "Pump Me Up" which have been sampled numerous times by many hip hop artists.

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The Beat: Go-Go's Fusion of Funk and Hip-Hop is a 2001 book written by Kip Lornell and Charles C. Stephenson, Jr. In 2009, an updated second edition of the book was published and retitled The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C.

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<i>Straight from the Basement</i> 1994 studio album by Northeast Groovers

Straight from the Basement is a studio album released in 1994 by the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band Northeast Groovers. The consist of thirteen tracks, including the singles "Booty Call", "The Twenty Minute Workout", "Van Damme", and "The Water".

<i>Jams</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Northeast Groovers

Jams is a studio album released on December 12, 1995, by the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band Northeast Groovers. The album consists of ten tracks, including the singles "N.E.G Jam", "I Can See Clearly Now", and "Go Hard".

<i>Northeast Coming</i> 1999 studio album by Northeast Groovers

Northeast Coming is a double studio album released in 1999 by the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band Northeast Groovers.

<i>Northeast on Fire</i> 1999 studio album by Northeast Groovers

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<i>Live at Safari Club</i> 1989 live album by Junk Yard Band

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Creepin' Thru Da Hoodz is a live album released on March 24, 1994 by the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band Junk Yard Band. The album consists of nine tracks, including the songs "Heavy One", "John Wayne" and "Loose Booty".

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Lornell, Kip; Stephenson, Jr., Charles C. (2001). The Beat: Go-Go's Fusion of Funk and Hip-Hop . Billboard Books. pp.  206, 223. ISBN   0-8230-7727-6.
  2. 1 2 Lornell, Kip; Stephenson, Jr., Charles C. (2009). The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 221–224. ISBN   978-1-60473-241-2.
  3. 1 2 "Northeast Groovers 30th Anniversary Show". The Howard Theatre. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hill, Bob (May 22, 1994). "Oh My Goodness!". The Washington Post . Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  5. ↑ Butler, Adam (January 25, 2016). "10 Go-Go Remakes You Absolutely Must Hear". BuzzFeed . Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  6. ↑ Concepcion, Mariel; Crosley, Hillary (May 24, 2008). "SO FRESH: Washington, D.C." Billboard Magazine . Retrieved 21 December 2016.
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