![]() At this stage the look of Prince and Michael Jackson’s Thriller outfits were cool, glitzy purple leather suits, sequin suits not unlike the glam-rock look running parallel to this scene, Dre was growing tired of the image and considered Lonzo’s direction to be soft and yearned to control his own expression in music. World Class’s success was building a strong army of fans in the underground scene and each member a valued reputation. With this they released a string of singles and also their second album, Rapped In Romance. ![]() This was 1984 and both cuts became electro-rap favourites in the west coast club circuit and sold many units across the coast.īy 1985 Kru-Cut had produced World Class’ début album called ‘World Class’ with CLi-N-Tel leaving to control his own direction in life, leaving the group’s dancer Shakespeare to step up to be the prominent MC as they signed with Epic Records. With the rapping of another local talent, Cli-N-Tel he opened his own label under Macola Records called Kru-Cut Records and their first recorded singles were "Surgery" and "Juice". Before this eventuated World Class were almost the sole performers in the club, managed by Alonzo who smooth-talked his way into obtaining a record deal from CBS Records for the group and was using money generated from sales to build an inexpensive four-track recording studio at the back of the club to cut records for his acts. This period would also create history as Dre and Yella would cross paths with a teenage performing group called CIA (Criminals In Action) starring O’Shea ‘Ice Cube’ Jackson, Dre’s cousin Tony ‘Sir Jinx’ Wheatob and Darrell ‘K-Dee’ Johnson who caught the attention of regular patron, local drug dealer Eric ‘Eazy-E’ Wright who was looking to capitalize on this new fad and turn his business legal. Dre’ Young who were resident DJ’s on KDAY-AM radio station on the hip-hop show as members of the Mixmasters Crew and hustling their own mixtape productions on the side of working in Eve’s on weekends. Lonzo revamped his club and hired local DJs Antoine ‘Yella’ Carraby and Andre ‘Dr. As the ‘80s arrived, so did electronic funk, sampling drum beats fused with old school rap format. The club opened with Detroit–born Unknown DJ directing the music program whose main influence derived from an east coast flavour, Afrika’s Soulsonic Force, Orbit and Scorpio. Seeing the popularity of this new craze, he entered the market of running nightclub performances. Before opening ‘Eve’s After Dark’ in 1979, Lonzo transformed from locking to DJing dances under the name of Disco Construction. World Class Wreckin’ Cru (so-called because of the amount of equipment they had to tear down to pack away every night.) showcased themselves in a club owned by the visionary force behind this movement, former ‘locking’ dancer, Alonzo Williams. ![]() World Class would also serve as a vehicle for spawning new talent to dominate not only the west coast but re-evolve the complete atmosphere and philosophy of hip-hop music itself. As they started to produce local hits, they were known as west coast’s first glimpse of rap music and their success was based on a new wave mystique swimming against the current of contemporary trend. Seen during the unidentified period after the reign of disco and before the explosion of hip-hop, World Class kept the party hopping with their pre-dated beats and electronic sampling. The World Class Wreckin’ Cru was an innovative group existing inside the electro-funk movement evolving from the downtown Los Angeles west coast scene.
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