Juice Crew

Juice Crew

Company type	Hip hop collective
Industry	Music
Founded	1983
Founder	Mr. Magic
Defunct	1991
Headquarters	Queensbridge, New York , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Mr. Magic, Marley Marl, Tyrone Williams
Products	Hip hop music, albums, singles
Parent	Cold Chillin' Records

The Juice Crew was a hip hop collective from the United States, predominantly featuring artists based in Queensbridge, New York, during the mid to late 1980s. This group was established by radio personality Mr. Magic and operated under the management of Tyrone Williams' label, Cold Chillin' Records. The Juice Crew played a pivotal role in introducing prominent New School hip hop figures such as MC Shan, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, Masta Ace, Tragedy, Craig G, and Kool G Rap. Renowned for their influential answer records and involvement in notable "beefs" against competitors like DJ Kool Red Alert and the South Bronx’s Boogie Down Productions, the group’s collaborative track "The Symphony" remains a significant milestone in hip hop history.

Early years

Marley Marl initially served as DJ and producer for Mr. Magic on Rapp Attack, recognized as New York’s first major-market radio show dedicated solely to hip hop, broadcast on WBLS-FM. This show was crucial in propelling the careers of many Juice Crew members. The collective’s name originated from Mr. Magic’s nickname, "Sir Juice". Before this iteration, Magic had assembled an earlier version of the Juice Crew, which included himself, record executive Sal Abbatiello, Sweet Gee, DJ June Bug, and Kurtis Blow.

As a producer, Marley Marl pioneered the group’s tradition of answer records with 1983’s "Sucker DJ's (I Will Survive)" by Dimples D., crafted as a reply to Run-D.M.C.’s "Sucker M.C.'s". Although this initial effort did not achieve major success, it laid the groundwork for the Juice Crew’s later achievements.

Roxanne Shante

In 1984, an encounter between Mr. Magic, Marley Marl, manager Tyrone Williams, and 15-year-old rapper Roxanne Shante led to the creation of "Roxanne's Revenge". This sharp retort to UTFO’s "Roxanne, Roxanne" quickly gained traction and inspired UTFO to respond with a track featuring a young artist identifying as The Real Roxanne. This exchange launched a wave of imitators in what became known as the Roxanne Wars.

MC Shan and conflict with KRS-One

In 1986, Marley Marl produced his cousin MC Shan’s follow-up release titled "The Bridge/Beat Biter". While "Beat Biter" targeted Queens rapper LL Cool J, it was the flip side, "The Bridge," that received notable radio attention and incited a response from rival group Boogie Down Productions (BDP), led by KRS-One. BDP took issue with what they interpreted as MC Shan’s assertion that Queens was the origin of hip hop, countering that the Bronx held that distinction. This dispute was intensified by an existing rivalry between Mr. Magic and Kool DJ Red Alert, who backed BDP. BDP answered with "South Bronx", followed by MC Shan and Marley Marl’s rebuttal "Kill That Noise" featured on MC Shan’s 1987 debut album Down By Law, which was also Cold Chillin' Records’ inaugural full-length release. The feud is generally regarded as being decisively won by KRS-One and BDP with their track "The Bridge Is Over". The "Bridge Wars" continued through various indirect confrontations thereafter.

Expansion of Cold Chillin' and the Juice Crew

As the Juice Crew grew, Cold Chillin' Records emerged as the main label representing its artists, notably incorporating Brooklyn high school acquaintances: rapper Big Daddy Kane and beatboxer Biz Markie. Biz had previously worked with Shanté on the 1986 track "Def Fresh Crew" and gained recognition with his Marley-produced debut single "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz", which also introduced Juice Crew vocalist TJ Swan. In February 1988, Biz released his album Goin' Off through Cold Chillin', which had secured a five-year distribution agreement with Warner Bros. Records. By 1989, Biz achieved nationwide success with the Top Ten US hit "Just A Friend". Big Daddy Kane rose to become one of the decade's best-selling and most impactful rappers. Meanwhile, Kool G Rap and his partner DJ Polo garnered critical praise despite experiencing less commercial success. Additional members joining the collective included Masta Ace, Queensbridge artists Tragedy the Intelligent Hoodlum, Craig G, and Glamorous. Glamorous initially appeared on Pop Art records before becoming part of Juice Crew's "Glamour Girls," releasing the single "Oh Veronica, Veronica" in 1985. Craig G also produced a beatbox rendition. Over time, Glamorous shifted focus to spoken word poetry and now serves as a Crisis Chaplain.

Marley Marl's Solo Project

To showcase his expanding roster and evolving production style, Marley Marl released the label compilation In Control Volume 1 in 1988. The fifth track, The Symphony, featuring Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, and Big Daddy Kane, became a landmark hip-hop posse cut characterized by its minimalist drum sample and straightforward piano riff.

Throughout the early 1990s, Marley Marl continued producing tracks, including work on LL Cool J's 1990 album Mama Said Knock You Out. This project marked his final production contribution for a Juice Crew member's record. The Juice Crew's 1991 album In Control Volume II (For Your Steering Pleasure) featured appearances from LL Cool J and Chuck D, but included fewer original members from the crew. During this period, Cold Chillin' Records encountered difficulties that led to dropping less commercially viable artists such as Masta Ace.

Enduring Influence

During the 1990s, The Intelligent Hoodlum (later known as Tragedy Khadafi) played a significant role in shaping artists like Capone-N-Noreaga—especially on their album The War Report—as well as his cousin Havoc from Mobb Deep.

In 1998, Nas acknowledged Marley Marl and The Juice Crew for providing inspiration and hope amid Queensbridge’s hardships:

The 2000 compilation Nas & Ill Will Records Presents QB's Finest paid tribute to this influence with "Da Bridge 2001," an all-star remake of MC Shan and Marley Marl's original classic featuring Tragedy Khadafi, Mobb Deep, Capone, and Nas.

The long-standing rivalry between Juice Crew and Boogie Down Productions concluded in 2007 when Marley Marl teamed up with KRS-One to release the collaborative album Hip Hop Lives, serving as a thematic follow-up to Nas' Hip Hop Is Dead.

Production began in 2008 on The Vapors, a biographical film about the Juice Crew starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Marley Marl and Keke Palmer portraying Roxanne Shante; however, it is currently paused due to casting challenges. Roxanne Shanté’s life story was later dramatized in the 2017 Netflix movie Roxanne Roxanne.

External links

• Interview with Kool G Rap on Marley Marl, the Juice Crew, crime rap, and his extensive discography