WRECK IT UP CREW

Authentic Reggae Power Sound For Bookings contact [email protected] All press photography © Simon Martin

[wreckitupcrew]

My new sounds:

[wreckitupcrew]

Mark Professor and Daddy Gadman touch down on the mic alongside Seanie T and a whole heap of other MCs to support fellow and legendary London reggae night 'Tighten Up'. Photos copyright Mistah Brown

[wreckitupcrew]

The return of our seminal monthly session is upon us-outta 2013 and inna 2014

[wreckitupcrew]

My new sounds:

[wreckitupcrew]

Mark Professor

Selector, MC and recording artist but first and fore mostly a record collector. Instead of catching the bus home from school, he would spend his pocket money on records! He still collects and now amassed a huge collection too big to count, rumoured to be in the region of 25,000 records. He is one of London’s most respected vinyl collectors who specialises in Reggae but other genres as well. It was in this path that led him to the world of sound systems, the collecting of legendary sound tapes and eventually to chatting his own lyrics. As a teenager in the dancehalls of North-West London, Mark was fortunate to witness the explosion of the British MC boom of the 80s inspired by the sounds of Jamaica but with its own unique British twist. Inspired by the legendary sound systems of the 80s like Jamdown Rockers, Volcano and Saxon to name a few, Mark started to write and chat his own lyrics. One of the key elements to his writing, is being topical and witty, this has been his trademark style, harking back to the days sound system delivered the news, with the mc's being the presenters.

Since back in the day Mark has been involved in sound systems from his first sound Powerstar, a Dancehall sound to Nightlife Experience, still one of the leading street sounds, mashing up blues dances, clubs and parties in North-West London and the world. He went on to join current rub-a-dub sound Stereo City (the reggae subsidiary of the World Famous Soca Saga Boys) with their heavyweight sound system and heavyweight selection. Being a vinyl connoisseur has led him down a dynamic path joining unique music collectives such as The Reference Library and Djing with Queen Of Revival and Lovers Rock Texas Ranger, at one of central London's legendary Reggae sessions Trojan Explosion.

Since 2010 Mark has been a member of East London premier Sound System Wreck It Up Crew. As a collective they host nights at legendary clubs including Bangarang at Strongrooms and 93 Feet East, which have become seminal sessions as well as talent showcase for the crews MCs and Selectors. The team is renowned for bringing a lively vibe wherever they play, and has been an integral part of the MC renaissance. This connection led on to the link up with producer and associated Wreck It Up Crew member Wrongtom.

Linking up on the mic with Wrongtom supporting Rodney P in the summer of 2012, he performed a number of his now seminal lyrics over classic dancehall rhythms. This spurned Tom to start recording Mark and providing his unique rhythms for his lyrics. This subsequently gave birth to Mark as a recording artist and his debut single Oystah Card. The single is causing a stir in the wider music audience with plays by DJs including the legendary David Rodigan on 1xtra, Rob Da Bank on Radio One and championed by John Kennedy on Xfm, who also interviewed him. Oystah Card was also featured in the October issue of Mojo magazine, online and in print, by being listed as number one on their monthly playlist. Mark Professor and Wrongtom are working on an album that will be released in the future on Wrongtoms Reggae label Rongorock where you can also find Oystah Card on 7” vinyl and digital downloads. Available from all good record shops.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/oystah-card-produced-by-wrongtom/id700734370

http://www.rongorongo.bigcartel.com/product/mark-professor-oyster-card-7

“As a card carrying member and a bass-line defender I can highly recommend Mark Professor’s Oystah Card....Top Up!” Don Letts (BBC 6Music)

“Sweet Smiley Culture style celebration of modern mobility.” John Kennedy (Xfm)

"An original, unique flavour." David Rodigan (BBC 1Xtra)

"Hugely catchy" MOJO

[wreckitupcrew]

My new sounds:

[wreckitupcrew]

My new sounds:

[wreckitupcrew]

Mark Professor's 'Oystah Card' released August 26th

[wreckitupcrew]

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL 2013

The Wreck It Up crew in conjunction with The Defectors Weld and Wray & Nephew overproof Rum are proud to present an extra special DJ and MC line-up to celebrate Carnival with a bang. It went off last year and has been quoted as “probably the best night in the history of the venue” the dance was rammed with queues running round the block and people trying to climb in through the windows and dancing on the speakers as our Djs and Mcs shelled the place down. This year we return with something equally special.

The 25th of August sees the Wreck It Up Crew return to celebrate Carnival with their ‘Authentic Reggae Power Sound Vibes’ at The Defectors Weld in Shepherds Bush with a special on off event. Special guest DJ’s and MC’s join the crew for your audio pleasure in the venue with DJs spinning scorching tunes whilst the MCs do their thing onstage..

London’s best kept Reggae secret, the Wreck It Up Crew, have been blowing the roof off clubs since 2009 with their unique positive and uplifting style of DJ/MC combo turntablism encompassing all forms of Reggae from Ska, Dancehall, Rocksteady, Dub, versions galore and even more! To build on the buzz from last years packed out, mad vibe night, we present an extra special line up of special guest DJs and MCs joining us including:

Selectors Marvellous Cain (Yard Rock) Dj Eli & Junior Kickstart (Wreck It Up Crew) Deejay Samrai (Swing Ting) Lulu Williams (The Mix-Up Girls)

And your host MCs Deemas J (Tru Thoughts) Daddy Gadman (Wreck It Up Crew)

The Sound-Systems lock off early evening and we will be taking the baton so make us your next port of call for seriously wicked vibes and tunes. Caribbean food served all day. In association with Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum.

FACEBOOK EVENT

https://www.facebook.com/events/182516468589133/

[wreckitupcrew]

Mark Professor and Dj Eli from the crew 'fly a foreign' this weekend to play a session in Guernsey

*** Saturday July 20th *** The Townhouse *** ***OldTime NewTime Sounds brings to you the East London governors of Reggae the "Wreck-It Up Crew" *** This time we present you not one but two acts in the form of Mark Professor and Dj Eli, they together form one of Londons elite Reggae soundsystems and run the Brick Lane Reggae dance "Bangarang". Having worked with such names as Marcia Griffiths, Max Romeo and Errol Dunkley, The Wreck It Up Crew are guaranteed to provide an authentic dancehall experience. We're loading the night with 3 selectors and 2 emcees bringing you the best of all sounds Reggae, Dub, Dancehall, Soca and Jungle. Mark Professor and Dj Eli will be being backed up by Old Time New Time Sounds very own Limey Banton and Deemas J so expect heavyweight collaboration between Prof and Deemas J on mic duties. PLUS Live PA of Mark Professors forthcoming release on Rongorock "Oystah Card".

[wreckitupcrew]

THE DROP IN-(RECORD HAVEN). Our man Mark Professor is the host of an extra special event for vinyl lovers such as ourselves. In conjunction with Eldica Records.

The Drop In is happening TOMORROW but takes place the last Wednesday of every month at Juno Bar on Shoreditch High Street

Record Swap shop and Record Fair! A must for all record collectors and vinyl enthusiasts! With vendors exhibiting their records for sale and swap. Also with a variety of connoisseurs djing showcasing the creme of their collections. Wednesday 29th May 2013 7.30pm - 11.30pm..... @Juno 134 - 135 Shoreditch High Street London E1 6JE Hosted by Mark Professor (Wreck it Up crew/ Stereo city Sound) For info contact: [email protected] link up over facebook and check out the other part of this video

Filmed by Andy Higgs

[wreckitupcrew]

Wreck It Up Crew Jam. Some wicked footage coming live from our rehearsals for a summer of shows. This is a full crew session filmed from 'Gadcam' and features the 3 MCS (U B Nice, Daddy Gadman & Mark Professor) passing the mic riding the riddim whilst selectors Eli & Junior Kickstart digging into their party record boxes. Check us out this saturday at our monthly Bangarang session and next saturday playing a large up session at the Big Chill House called 'Rompas Reggae Shack' alongside a host of tip-top Djs and Crews. Part of the audio from this session formed our summer 2013 mix as featured in the previous post, check that over on mixcloud

CHECK OUT ALL 3 PARTS TO THIS JAM

a Gadcam production

[wreckitupcrew]

BRAND NEW LIVE MIX FOR SUMMER 2013-FULL CREW IN SESSION

WRECK IT UP CREW SUMMER 2013 MIX-FULL CREW: GADMAN/U B NICE/DJ ELI/MARK PROFESSOR/JUNIOR KICKSTART by Wreck It Up Crew on Mixcloud

[wreckitupcrew]

Check out our good pal (Dj/Producer) Wrongtom interviewing the legendary selector David Rodigan for FACT TV about his career. Fascinating to hear a different style interview with David and some great questions different from the usual. A brilliant in depth film with these two extremely knowledgeable music heads about Reggae music and the great stories surrounding the genre.

Make sure you check out all three parts to this interview

[wreckitupcrew]

Eli was born in Willesden Green, an area synonymous with a Reggae music. He was brought up in a house sandwiched between two Jamaican families that would pump out the heavy sounds through huge speakers that seemed bigger than wardrobes. His parents, who also collected vinyl, would also draw tunes from their own extensive Reggae, Ska, Rocksteady vinyl collection and play them on the front room sound system-the focal point of the house in the days before computer games and the internet.

The sweet Rocksteady, Ska and early Reggae tunes would thump out from the speakers and these heavy tunes provided the soundtrack to his childhood. He naturally became a collector of vinyl, begging, stealing and borrowing tunes to subsequently become a Dj before he was even old enough to play in clubs. He thrives on the constant discovery, the wealth of tunes, versions, sub-genres etc associated with the music. He started the Wreck It Up Crew in 2009 partly for nostalgia and partly to play great music in clubs to the masses. Assembling the crew from members of the different strands of the London reggae scene who all slowly magnetised towards each other through the original mid-week monthly session at Brick Lane's 93 Feet East and then onto the current saturday residency 'Bangarang' at Strongrooms that is going on strong and sees the concrete line-up of the crew we see today. Wreck It Up on top til the very last drop. 

[wreckitupcrew]

Junior Kickstart has been playing records at an annoyingly loud volume since he was a child in the early 1980s. Amongst the discs on 'heavy rotation' as it's trendy to say amongst DJs these days were records by The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, and, ahem, Bad Manners... It's reasonable to say the seeds of Ska and Reggae were planted in his mind at an early age, and years later inspired him to seek out tunes from the originators, which he has been spinning as a member of the Wreck It Up Crew, since 2010. Junior Kickstart (aka Boogaloo Tramp) first got behind the decks back in the year 2000, as a founder member of Derby's 'Bert's Apple Crumble' club, playing a mixture of 1960s R&B, Soul, Garage, Psych, Mod Jazz and Funk. This led to guest spots at similar clubs around the midlands, and also at Southsea's famous 'Hipshaker' club, where since 2002, he has been a regular fixture. In 2006, Hipshaker were asked to host a fifteen hundred capacity tent at the Isle Of Wight Festival, and Mr Kickstart has played there every year to date as part of their team, doing his own standalone spots (playing Funk and Soul as well as Reggae) and supporting the residents. When the offer of being a full time member of the Wreck It Up Crew came about (having guested at their Brick lane sessions numerous times), it seemed the ideal chance to be part of something positive (and going places) with musically like minded individuals... so of course he said yes. Style wise, Junior favours the foundation sounds of Reggae, be that Ska, Rocksteady, organ driven 1969 Boss Reggae and 1970s Roots and Dub... which compliments other crew members sets perfectly. The name, in case you are wondering and are too young to know, again comes from his childhood. 'Junior Kickstart' was a TV progam in the 1980s about motorcycle trials riding for kids... and this name was adopted as a sort of tongue in cheek reference to Reggae stars like Junior Byles, Junior Murvin and Junior Delgado. So now you know... As well as Wreck It Up and their monthly gig 'Bangarang', JK's alter ego 'Boogaloo Tramp' can be found spinning the tunes monthly at Shoreditch's 'Butter Yo' Popcorn' (Funk, golden age Hip Hop) and bi-monthly at Finsbury Parks 'Black Cat' (R&B,Soul), as well as the aforementioned Isle Of Wight Festival. Come down and say hello... just don't ask for any Bad Manners...

[wreckitupcrew]

 U B Nice the man of many names, guises and talents. The versatile freestyle rap champion can be found spitting lyrics and singing sweet smooth vocals in many different environments from funk to reggae. Originally a hip-hop artist he headed up the legendary F9s crew who released an album (The F9s are a Hip-Hop Band) on seminal UK hip-hop label Kold Sweat. As well as being a member of the Wreck It Up crew he can be found with fingers in a heap of pies including many appearances on the Morpheus Soul show in his Lyrickal guise. Early on U B Nice was well known on the Rap Battle circuit with his versatility as an MC, Beatbox and Vocalist. He is an encyclopedic lyrical genius with style and humour to match. He is a real crowd pleaser and always relevant with a nice mix of conscious lyrics alongside his brilliant sense of humour. If you have seen him at our Bangarang night you will know, if you haven't check him on youtube.

You can also catch U B Nice as a resident at funk/hip-hop night Butter Yo Popcorn also at Strongrooms where we hold Bangarang.