| Dream Warriors | |
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Origin |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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Genre |
Hip hop, Jazz rap, Alternative hip hop, Political hip hop, Golden age hip hop, Conscious hip hop |
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Years active |
1988 - 2002 |
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Labels |
Island Records, 4th & Broadway, Pendulum Records, EMI Music Canada, ISBA Music Entertainment Inc., Megaforce Worldwide, BeatFactory Productions Inc., EMI United Kingdom, Ninja Tune |
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Members |
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Associated acts |
Ishmael Butler, Gang Starr, DJ Premier, Guru, Beenie Man, The Herbaliser, Slim Gallard |
Dream Warriors were a rap recording duo, later a quartet. Beginning as a duo when they formed in 1988, Capital Q (born Frank Albert) and King Lou (born Louie Robinson) had set up their own company, BeatFactory Productions with Rupert Gayle before signing their first record deal with 4th & Broadway. It was through that label, their debut album, And Now, The Legacy Begins, was released in 1991. Although their first single, "Wash Your Face In My Sink", came out before it, it was the follow-up single, "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style", for which they would be best known. That same year, they participated in a supergroup called Dance Appeal, which consisted of various Canadian music acts of the day from various genres and they cut a single titled, "Can't Repress The Cause", as a benefit to have the first urban radio station be brought to Canada. It wasn't a success, since a country radio station was set up there instead. Dream Warriors' second single sampled from Quincy Jones's "Soul Bossa Nova" and it became the theme song for the Canadian game show, Definition. The album was a UK Top 20 hit and went gold in the duo's native country, as well as earning a Juno Award. The late Slim Gallard was featured on their song, "Very Easy To Assemble But Hard To Take Apart", which was also his last recording. Another pair of members, Spek (born Hussain Yoosuf) and DJ Luv (born Phillip Gayle) joined the group. Their second album, Subliminal Situation, appeared in 1995 through Pendulum Records. It was less successful than their debut and less received, even more so in the U.S., being met with mixed reviews. Guests on the second album were Digable Planets' Ishmael Butler (who provided vocals on "Tricycles and Kittens") and Gang Starr's DJ Premier and the late Guru, the latter two appearing on different versions of the track, "I've Lost My Ignorance (and I Don't Know Where To Find It"). Their third album, 1996's The Master Plan, on EMI Music Canada, did even more poorly, being their worst-selling album to date and didn't get an American release. That same year, they featured dancehall artist, Beenie Man, on the single, "Sound Clash". Spek and DJ Luv departed after this album, reducing the unit to a duo once again. In 1999, Dream Warriors were featured on The Herbaliser's "Road of Many Signs". They made and dropped one more album, The Legacy Continues, through ISBA Music in 2002, before disbanding.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- 1991: And Now, The Legacy Begins
- 1995: Subliminal Situation
- 1996: The Master Plan
- 2002: The Legacy Continues