Jam Style & Da Boogie Crew
| Company type | Collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music, Dance |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Moscow and St. Petersburg , Russia |
| Products | Studio albums, music videos, mixtapes |
Number of employees | 9 (approximate number of known members) |
Jam Style & Da Boogie Crew emerged as a Russian hip-hop collective in 1998, created through the fusion of two breakdance teams: Jam Style Crew from St. Petersburg and Da Boogie Crew based in Moscow, both of which had been active prior to the merger. This collaboration spanned four years and produced two studio albums titled You Wanted to Party (2000) and Everyone at the Party (2002).
Towards the end of 1998, they launched the music video for "Would You Like to Party?", which remained on MTV Russia's charts for a duration of five months, sparking a renewed interest in hip-hop and breakdancing across Russia. Their popularity grew further with appearances on youth-oriented television programs in 1999, including The Tower on RTR and Until 16 and Older... on ORT, where they provided breakdance tutorials. These were followed in 2001 by their involvement in the Fresh TV show broadcast on TV-6.
Internationally, the crews gained prominence through participation in Germany’s annual breakdance competition Battle of the Year (BOTY). A notable achievement includes the Merzlikin brothers from Jam Style Crew securing third place in 1996 as part of the German Flying Steps team. On the home front, they were regular performers at the Adidas Streetball Challenge festival from 1998 until 2001.
History
The St. Petersburg-based breakdance ensemble Jam Style Crew was established in 1995 by siblings Alexey and Alexander Merzlikin, who had been engaged in dance since the early 1990s. Prior to forming Jam Style Crew, they danced with various groups; however, with only one significant Moscow crew named B-People at the time, there was an opportunity to create a new team. The Merzlikin brothers earned recognition within St. Petersburg’s scene and became official backup dancers for the rap group Black and White starting in 1989. In 1990, after signing with French label Vingt Heures Productions, they toured France. Their exit from Black and White eventually led to that group's disbandment.
Following a brief stint with Bachelor Party, the brothers initiated their own rap-dance project called Children of the Swamps in 1993, which failed to gain traction. Subsequently, they founded Jam Style Crew alongside Bredis Konstantin. After traveling to Berlin in 1997—where they secured a contract with CLC Berlin and performed at various clubs—their reputation within Russia grew significantly. Following victory in a major competition and a subsequent German tour, they returned home. In 1996, they launched Station 106.8, a freestyle rap radio station that operated for three years.
By the late 1990s, Jam Style Crew had collaborated with prominent artists such as Mister Maloy and S.T.D.K., acquired sponsorship deals, and produced music videos. In 1999, they rebranded as Jam Style And Da Boogie (JS&DC), expanding their lineup to five members and releasing their debut video "You Wanted A Party," which featured Zora Mikahilovna. Soviet DJ Alexander Tolmatsky signed them with the aim of promoting his son Detsl; however, this arrangement did not yield expected benefits for the group. The collective persisted until 2000 when Konstantin "Masta BK" Bredis departed to establish Triathlon. By 2001, remaining members consolidated under the Da Boogie Crew name.
The ensemble disbanded in 2002 after Alexey Merzlikin discovered that their second album, Still At The Party, had been distributed illegally by Land Records. Additionally, individual members were pursuing solo endeavors rather than functioning as a single unit, leading the Merzlikin brothers to exit the project.
Jam Style Crew
- Alexey Merzlikin (born December 2, 1970, Leningrad)
- Alexander Merzlikin (born November 19, 1972, Leningrad)
- Konstantin "Masta BK" Bredis (active 1993–2000; born December 8, 1972, Leningrad)
- Vladimir Bakatov (active 1995–1997; born December 1, 1974, Leningrad)
Da Boogie Crew
- Kirill "DJ Topor" Popov (born September 22, 1973, Moscow)
- Alexey "Mattress" Chernov (born September 14, 1974, Moscow)
- Dmitry "Dimon-Gormon" Generalov (born April 17, 1978, Moscow)
- Anton "Kentosha/DJ Mixmaker" Sobko (active 1995–1996)
Discography
Jam Style & Da Boogie Crew
- 2000: We wanted a Party
Da Boogie Crew
- 2002: Still at the party
Da Boogie DJ's
- 2000: Samplissimo (mixtape)
- 2001: B-Boy Funk Vol.1 (mixtape)
- 2001: Breakz Vol.1 (mixtape)
- 2004: Remix album (Da Boogie DJ's, Лигалайз и П-13)
- 2005: Breakz Mix (mixtape)
- 2005: Da Boogie DJ's (MP3)
Videography
- 1998: “Did you want a party?”
- 1999: "The coolest" (Дельфин & Jam Style & Da Boogie Crew)
- 1999: "Dance with us"
- 2000: «Russian Funk»
- 2001: “They won’t catch us!”