The Fearless Four

Following the lead of solo act Kurtis Blow, the old-school hip-hop/electro outfit Fearless Four (actually a sextet) were the first rap group to be signed to a major label, namely Elektra. Founded by the Devastating Tito (MC, born Tito Jones) and Master OC (DJ, born Oscar Rodriguez Jr.), the group was originally a duo known as the Houserockers Crew, but gradually began picking up new members: Mike Ski, Troy B (formerly of the Disco Four), and the Great Peso (born Mitchell Grant) were the first, though only Peso stayed on permanently. Troy B was replaced by DLB (born Daryl Barksdale), and the lineup was later completed by Mighty Mike C (born Michael Kevin Clee) and a second DJ, Krazy Eddie (born Eddie Thompson). Fearless Four released their debut single on the Enjoy label in 1981; "Rockin' It" became a cult electro classic, with its Afrika Bambaataa-inspired sampling of Kraftwerk's "The Man Machine," as well as the soundtrack of the film Poltergeist. The follow-up, the Cat Stevens-sampling "It's Magic," helped cinch a deal with Elektra, for whom Fearless Four debuted with "Just Rock" (which sampled Gary Numan's "Cars"). The Kurtis Blow-produced follow-up, "Problems of the World Today" (1983), became the group's second most successful single, building on the new social consciousness of Grandmaster Flash's "The Message." Further singles like "Dedication" followed, but by the mid-'80s, the group's style had become passé, and they faded from sight; Master OC and Krazy Eddie recorded a few singles together from 1984-1985, including "Masters of the Scratch," but little else was heard from them. ~ Steve Huey