24-7 Spyz
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 in South Bronx, New York, United States |
| Founder | Jimi Hazel, Rick Skatore, Kindu Phibes, P. Fluid |
| Defunct | 1998–2003 (disbanded) |
| Fate | Reunited in 2003 |
| Headquarters | South Bronx , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jimi Hazel, Rick Skatore, Tobias Ralph |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
24-7 Spyz (spoken as "twenty-four-seven spies") is a rock group originating from the South Bronx, New York, established in 1986. The founding members were Jimi Hazel on guitar, Rick Skatore handling bass, Kindu Phibes on drums, and P. Fluid as the vocalist. Their music combines hard rock, heavy metal, funk metal, and rap metal with influences from jazz, R&B, soul, reggae, and hardcore punk. Being African American artists within the heavy metal genre, they were often compared to bands such as Living Colour and Bad Brains. Following several changes in personnel, 24-7 Spyz disbanded in 1998 but reunited in 2003, releasing fresh original work in 2006. As of 2021, the primary lineup consists of Hazel, Skatore, and drummer Tobias Ralph.
Formation and In-Effect Records
The band came together in 1986 with members Jimi Hazel, Rick Skatore, Kindu Phibes, and P. Fluid. They quickly built a loyal fanbase in New York City by crafting an eclectic style that seamlessly merged Motown-inspired soul harmonies with heavy metal and hardcore punk within individual songs. In 1987, Phibes left the group.
By 1988, the band—now featuring Anthony Johnson (formerly of A-Kings) on drums—secured a deal with In-Effect Records, a Relativity subsidiary. Their debut album Harder Than You, produced by Bob Musso alongside Hazel, was released in December of that year. The lead track was a rendition of Kool & the Gang's "Jungle Boogie." Thanks to extensive touring worldwide and critical acclaim for their socially conscious lyrics, the album sold close to 300,000 copies. It gained underground acclaim and influenced later artists like 311, Limp Bizkit, and Kid Rock. Notably, the "Jungle Boogie" video was the first to be broadcast across MTV’s specialty programs: 120 Minutes, Yo! MTV Raps, Hard 60, and Headbangers Ball.
Their sophomore album, Gumbo Millennium (1990), produced by Hazel and Tom Soares under In-Effect Records, showcased a mellower sound that highlighted cleaner guitar tones and R&B rhythms while maintaining thrash metal and punk influences. Though the single "Don't Break My Heart!" did not receive radio support, relentless touring helped push album sales beyond 300,000 units and attracted interest from major labels. Supporting Jane's Addiction during their 'Ritual De Lo Habitual' tour broadened their audience but could not prevent drummer Johnson and vocalist P. Fluid from leaving abruptly during this timeframe. Fluid announced his departure live at the tour’s final performance; Johnson exited soon after, forcing cancellation of a planned co-headlining tour with Suicidal Tendencies. Subsequently, Fluid established The P. Fluid Foundation.
| (1986–1987) |
|
|---|---|
| (1988–1990) |
|
| (1990–1991) |
|
| (1991–1994) |
|
| (1994-1995) |
|
| (1996) |
|
| (1997) |
|
| (1998) |
|
| (1998–2003) |
BAND SPLIT |
| (2003–2004) |
|
| (2005–2011) |
|
| (2011–2012) |
|
| (2012–2014) |
|
| (2014–2020) |
|
| (2020–2021) |
|
| (2021–2023) |
|
| (2023–present) |
|
East West Records America
Following the departure of two members, Rick Skatore and Jimi Hazel continued with new additions: vocalist Jeff Brodnax and drummer Mackie Jayson, who was soon succeeded by Joel Maitoza. This formation received critical acclaim and secured a contract with East West Records America, an Atlantic Records subsidiary overseen by Sylvia Rhone. The label introduced the band to the market with a five-track EP titled This is...24-7 Spyz!, produced in 1991 by Hazel and Bruce Calder.
In 1992, the band achieved significant visibility through a Budweiser advertisement that aired for five consecutive months. They released the full-length album Strength In Numbers, co-produced by Terry Date and Hazel, which became their most praised effort. This record marked a stylistic evolution from New York hardcore towards heavy metal and soul influences. Despite this, as grunge music gained prominence, the single "Break The Chains" experienced limited radio play before Rhone withdrew her backing and dropped the band. Only 18,000 copies were manufactured, rendering the album quite rare.
Disenchanted with East West, the members pursued separate ventures: Hazel and Skatore formed Black Angus alongside drummer Bernard "Enrique" Coley; Maitoza launched Shockhead; while Brodnax concentrated on his project Egypt.
The Enemy Label
Recognizing their ongoing popularity in Europe, Hazel and Skatore reunited with Anthony Johnson and P. Fluid (later known as Forrest) to produce Temporarily Disconnected, an album released exclusively in Europe through Enemy Records. This was followed by a European tour before Johnson and Fluid left once more.
Enemy Records issued 6 in March 1996, produced by Hazel, which included covers of The Association's "Along Comes Mary" and Love's "7 and 7 Is". The American counterpart, titled Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound, was released in September 1996 by What Are Records with slight modifications to the tracklist. Both albums featured a trio consisting of Hazel (guitar/lead vocals), Skatore (bass), and Maitoza (drums), with Carlton Smith guesting on drums for two tracks. Doug Pinnick from King's X contributed vocals on "Love And Peace" and "Yeah X 3". Drummer Matt Martin joined them for their 1997 tour.
The If I Could EP came out in 1997 as a fan-exclusive release, containing remixes and live tracks recorded during Maitoza’s period with the band. Internal conflicts between Hazel and Skatore led to the group's disbandment in 1998; prior to this breakup, Tony Lewis had been handling drumming duties.
Solo albums and reformations
In 2000, Hazel co-wrote material for Crime, which utilized these compositions to attract label interest. Skatore resurfaced in 2001 as bassist for Blockk-16 alongside Savatage guitarist Chris Caffery. Their debut album, Too Brutal For Radio, featured collaborations with Andrew Freeman, Ray Freeman Jr., Mosh Ben-Ari, Ronen Barak, and Spread Eagle’s Ray West. After its release, Skatore suffered a collapsed lung; Hazel supported him by performing together as 24-7 Spyz at a benefit concert at New York’s CBGB venue to help cover medical expenses.
Hazel released his first solo effort, 21stCenturySouthBronxRockStar, in 2002 under his own label, The Gumbo Recording Company. In May 2003, he founded Crown 10. That year also saw Hazel and Skatore reunite for a second performance at CBGB with Tony Lewis on drums, officially reforming 24-7 Spyz. In 2005, they issued a limited edition DVD titled HMS4L: The Many Lives of Walter Rattamus, documenting the band’s history with insights from Hazel and Skatore.
In 2006, 24-7 Spyz returned with Face the Day, released via The Gumbo Recording Company and co-produced by Hazel and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal—their first studio album after ten years. They also put out a live album called Can You Hear the Sound?, captured prior to their 1998 breakup.
By 2009, Hazel and Skatore launched the side project A.N.M. (Anti Nigger Machine) featuring Doug Pinnick (vocals), Greg Fulton (guitar/vocals), Spacey T (guitar/vocals), and Philip "Fish" Fisher (drums). They released a four-track demo on MySpace and sought funding for their debut album in 2010.
On August 6, 2011, 24-7 Spyz reunited for a performance at New York’s Highline Ballroom featuring former members Jeff Brodnax and Joel Maitoza in celebration of the Strength in Numbers era. A European tour was announced for early 2012; however, Brodnax and Maitoza departed again later that year. Sekou Lumumba (drums) and Ronny Drayton (guitar) joined shortly afterward. The band paused activities in April 2014 but resumed in October with founding Fishbone drummer Phillip "Fish" Fisher joining. By January 2015, plans were underway for European shows along with new releases.
The digital single "Jungle (for Jef)," credited to 24-7 Spyz & Family, included performances from Hazel, Drayton, Lenny White (drums), Chico Huff (bass), plus guest artists such as Jesse Johnson and Vernon Reid. Dedicated to the late musician Jef Lee Johnson, it was made available on iTunes and SoundCloud. In April 2016, they followed up with "Anthem," leading up to their forthcoming album. Funded through PledgeMusic but delayed multiple times, The Soundtrack To The Innermost Galaxy finally launched on January 28, 2019.
In January 2020, Hazel, Skatore, and Tony Lewis announced their "Sex, Juice & Heavy Metal Soul" tour scheduled from April through October but postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 7 of that year, guitarist Ronnie Drayton passed away at age 67 from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
In September 2021, Hazel and Skatore resumed collaboration with drummer Tobias Ralph. Their digital single "Angels & Demons," featuring guest vocalists Ryan Bland (Ache) and Corinne Drewery (Swing Out Sister), was released via Bandcamp in October 2022.
Post-band endeavors of former members
Anthony Johnson resumed his role as drummer with Middle Man before stepping into a prominent position in the Off-Broadway show Stomp and later appearing in the HBO production Stomp Out Loud. During his tenure with Stomp, he was invited to join Japanese pop artist Bonnie Pink as her drummer, leading him to relocate to Japan for touring purposes. Johnson also supported Ben Folds on tour for the solo album Rockin' the Suburbs. In 2005, he contributed to Lost Tricks' self-titled EP and has collaborated with musicians such as Eagle-Eye Cherry, Dionne Farris, and Vanessa Daou. Presently, he resides in New York City, where he continues to engage in music and theater projects with The Morning After Girls.
P. Fluid, who later adopted the name Forrest Thinner, took leadership of BlkVampires after departing from 24-7 Spyz. Their initial offering was a five-track EP titled The Collector's Item, which included songs originally recorded by 24-7 Spyz. The band’s 2005 self-titled debut album combined these tracks with seven previously unreleased compositions. Later releases featured the 2010 EP/DVD Blkcula, the 2012 EP The Devil's Music, and a two-song EP called Eric Garner released in 2015. Thinner also acted as creative director and publisher for the 2012 book The HarlequinX, inspired by characters from his short film, and appeared in the documentary Riot on the Dance Floor. Following BlkVampires’ dissolution in 2019, Thinner initiated a solo endeavor named BlkVampiresX, releasing the single "Bike Ride in Manhattan/La Flaca Negra" in 2022. Tragically, on January 13, 2025, Peter Forrest was discovered deceased in the Bronx at age 64 due to assault.
Joel Maitoza maintained his drumming career with various groups including Crown 10, Shockhead, Headtrip Superstar, Don Lithgow, Sahara, Seventrain, and Kerry Conally. He rejoined 24-7 Spyz for the 2011 reunion featuring the Strength in Numbers lineup and toured across Europe until 2012. After leaving again in September 2012, Maitoza provided drum tracks for their intended 2013 album alongside former drummers. In 2013, he became part of hard rock band Seventrain but exited in early 2019 due to irreconcilable conflicts. Early in 2020, Maitoza launched a solo project titled The Frequency Conspiracy.
Jeff Brodnax joined Egypt following his departure from 24-7 Spyz and reunited with them for European tours between 2011 and 2012 before parting ways once more. In 2019, he established a new musical group named The Soulvation Society.
Studio albums
- Harder Than You (1989)
- Gumbo Millennium (1990)
- Strength in Numbers (1992)
- Temporarily Disconnected (1995)
- 6 (American version: Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound) (1996)
- Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound (European version: 6) (1996)
- Face the Day (2006)
- The Soundtrack to the Innermost Galaxy (2019)
Live albums
- Can You Hear the Sound? (2006, recorded live in 1998)
EPs
- This Is...24-7 Spyz! (1991)
- If I Could (1997)
DVDs
- HMS4L: The Many Lives of Walter Rattamus (2005)
Music videos
| Year | Track | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Grandma Dynamite" | Harder Than You |
| 1989 | "Jungle Boogie" | Harder Than You |
| 1990 | "Don't Break My Heart!" | Gumbo Millennium |
| 1991 | "Stuntman" | Strength in Numbers |
| 1992 | "Break the Chains" | Strength in Numbers |