Biography
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Years Active
1992 – 1997 (5 years)
This hip-hop crew was rooted in the working-class town of Rochdale, on the outskirts of Manchester, England. The group was originally formed by 2-Phaan (Mush Khan) and Jabba da Hype who had seen the Rocksteady Crew perform in 1982, and soon after became part of an emerging breakdance and graffitti scene, forming the crew Dizzy Footwurk. The pair also began doing rap-based and politically-charged spoken-word performances under the name Nu Konshus Kaliphz and ultimately teamed up with three other friends to form the first lineup of what would become the Kaliphz.
Although their early recordings kept a strong political, and particularly anti-racist focus, what followed was a series of record deals, name changes, and line-up changes as the members tried to navigate an industry that wanted their talent and energy, but wanted to shape it into something sellable. The crew scored two entries in the British pop charts: "Walk Like a Champion" featuring the boxer Prince Naseem (recorded as Kaliphz), and "Golden Brown", a hip-hop reworking of the classic track by the Stranglers (recorded as Kaleef)."
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