Heartless Crew

Heartless Crew

Industry	Music
Founded	1992
Headquarters	North London , United Kingdom
Products	UK garage, grime music

The Heartless Crew is a collective from North London known for their role in shaping the UK garage scene and are recognized as pioneers of grime alongside acts such as So Solid Crew and Pay As U Go.

The founding lineup featured MCs Bushkin and Mighty Moe, along with DJ Fonti.

Career

Bushkin and Fonti are of West Indian descent, whereas Mighty Moe's background is Palestinian and Iraqi. The group originated in 1992 when Bushkin and Fonti crossed paths at Holloway Boys School in North London. Subsequently, Fonti met Mighty Moe during their college years. Initially, the crew included additional members. Their musical influences encompass Rory from Stonelove, Shabba Ranks, KRS-One, Stevie Hyper D, Inspector Longman, New Dimensions sound system, Sky Juice - Metro Media, Buju Banton, R. Kelly, DJ Brockie, and MC Det. They started by performing at house parties and smaller venues before securing a residency at Hackney’s Chimes nightclub in 1996. Beginning as a mobile sound system focusing on hip hop, R&B, and ragga, they eventually shifted toward UK garage as its appeal grew.

By 1998, Heartless Crew became part of the pirate radio station Mission 90.6 FM, where they innovated a blend of R&B, hip-hop, jungle, and dancehall rooted in Jamaican sound system culture while incorporating UK garage influences. Their presence was also notable on London pirate stations Freek FM 101.8 and Y2K FM 90.6. In 2001, they engaged in a prominent clash with fellow UKG outfit Pay As U Go.

In 2002, Heartless Crew secured a slot on BBC Radio 1Xtra with a Sunday evening program. That year saw the release of their first compilation album titled Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1 under East West Records. They also launched their debut single "The Heartless Theme a.k.a 'The Superglue Riddim'," which peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart in May 2002. The accompanying music video was directed by Andy Hylton. Additionally, they earned a nomination at the MOBO Awards that same year. Their tenure with 1Xtra concluded in 2006.

The collective announced their separation in 2010 to focus on individual projects while preserving their personal relationships. MC Bushkin and DJ Fonti hosted the F.A.B. (Fonti & Bushkin) show on Rinse FM until late 2012 or early 2013; following this period, Bushkin concentrated on recording before stepping away from MCing in 2014.

In 2016, the original trio reunited to headline the sold-out Garage Nation Festival to widespread acclaim. Since then, they have performed at events such as Notting Hill Carnival, headlined the O2 Academy Leicester, appeared as special guests at Eskimo Dance Bristol, and were booked for gigs at Birmingham’s Rainbow Venues and Brixton Academy alongside Kurupt FM. Their live appearances continued into 2017 with performances at major festivals including Snowbombing in Austria and Annie Mac's Lost & Found Festival in Malta.

Albums

• Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1 (May 2002) - Reached #10 on the UK Compilation Album Chart

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions	Album
		UK
2002	"The Heartless Theme"	21	Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1
2003	"Why (Looking Back)"	50	Non-album single
	"Hearts in the Music"	—
"—" indicates singles that did not chart or were not released.

External links

• Heartless Crew (BBC Radio 1Xtra)