They were contemporaries of other hip hop groups such as Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Afrika Bambaataa, Run-D.M.C., The Fat Boys, and Warp 9. "This man was legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip hop. Following his high school graduation is when he began to take it seriously. 's early work. From 1982 to 1986, the group was at its most productive; they toured with the more successful bands such as Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, the Fat Boys, and other prominent hip hop, R&B and funk bands. One love to Ecstasy of thelegendary#Whodini, he wrote. }); #RIPecstasy to the family & friends of the legendary Ecstasy from the landmark hiphop crew #Whodini. The Renaissance Age was th age after the Middle ages. And again, they fell off the radar and were dropped by their record label. The group was managed by the rising impresario Russell Simmons and appeared on the inaugural Fresh Fest tour, hip-hops first arena package. If you love (ruled the world by Nas) and other classics, THANK WHODINI , ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (@ADtheBand) December 23, 2020. Hutchins, being the lead vocalist of the group, made some of the major decisions on which songs to add to their albums and which ones would debut as lead singles. The hip-hop community is mourning one of its pioneers as Ecstasy from the group Whodini has reportedly died. The trio was signed to Jive Records and signed a contract that obligated them to begin recording and producing albums immediately. Indeed, Whodinis breakthrough came the following year with Escape. Produced by Larry Smith (Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC), it included such smashes as Freaks Come Out at Night and the cynical Friends, which is one of the most sampled songs in hip-hop, appearing in tracks by Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Tupac, Nas and more than 150 others. Their debut release, Magics Wand (a tribute to the DJ of the same name on WBLS New York, who gave them a start), was also the first rap single on the Jive Records imprint, and the first single in hip-hop history to have a promotional video filmed. Fletcher formed Whodini with singer-rapper Jalil Hutchins in Brooklyn, NY in 1982 and signed with the influential Jive Records shortly after. He was 56. John Fletcher of Whodini, Doug E. Fresh, and Jalil Hutchins of Whodini perform onstage at Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation's 2016 ART FOR LIFE. Box 87176 Questlove mourns death, calls group 'most legendary' in hip hop. Friends is a skeptical storytelling song about deceit. Along with Run-DMC and The Fat Boys, Whodini were among the first rap groups to cultivate a high-profile national following for hip-hop music, and made significant inroads on Urban radio.The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist/chief . Hutchins earned most of his wealth from being part of the hip-hop group Whodini. Whodini are rappers Jalil Hutchins (30 November 1963) and Ecstasy (b. John Fletcher, 7 June 1964), backed from 1986 by talented old school DJ, Grandmaster Dee (b. John Fletcher, who as Ecstasy of the foundational hip-hop group Whodini was the engine for some of the genres first pop successes, wearing a flamboyant Zorroesque hat all the while, died on Wednesday in Atlanta. Ice Cube & Master P's song "You Know I'm a Ho" from The Players Club (soundtrack) is a remake of "I'm a Ho". Cool J and the Beastie Boys, as many groups had already turned to the kind of rap and rock music that crossed over easily, andOpen Sesamefailed to produce any real hits. A young Jermaine Dupri got one of his earliest breaks as a dancer for the group. This new school style had been similarly done almost a year previously on the multi-million selling debut albums by L.L. Tom Sizemore, Heat and Saving Private Ryan Actor, Dead at 61 This is sad man., RIP to Ecstasy from Whodini. Roots drummer Questlove was the first to break the news on Wednesday (Dec. 23) via a social-media post paying tribute to the veteran rapper. In his unreleased song "Let's Be Friends," he also used the theme of "Friends". Whodini Fletcher and Jalil Hutchins, the main creative force behind the group came out of the early-Eighties New York hip-hop scene that produced Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, and Run-DMC; with the latter group, Whodini shared a manager (Russell Simmons) and a collaborator (producer Larry Smith). This is sad man.. RIP to Ecstasy from Whodini.one of the most under appreciated voices in hip hop. We love doing what we do. The group received the Hip Hop Icon Award at the third annual Black Music Honors in 2018. They released Escape, their second debut album the following year, which was a huge hit with their fans. Chuck Creekmur, co-founder and CEO of AllHipHop, exclusively told theGrio that Whodini helped blaze a trail by refusing to be placed in any singular box. [5] Charts[edit] window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} In the 1990s, the band made an attempt at a comeback, and in that same year the group signed with MCA Records and releasedBag-A-Trixin 1991, which failed to have commercial impact, as it tried again to reinvent using the then-current sound of new jack swing. The band Arrested Development also tweeted their condolences to the late rapper. All Rights reserved. Too many hits! Condolences to his fam . }); Four albums of the group were certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. My God, this one hurts me so bad,I cant even believe Im posting this,Ex you know I love you thank you for every word,every conversation every good time,may your soul Rest In Power #whodini q pic.twitter.com/6RGuOankWl, Jermaine Dupri (@jermainedupri) December 23, 2020. Dr. Dre used the beat of "I'm a Ho" for the Eazy-E song "Boyz-n-the-Hood (Remix)". But this wasnt it for Hutchins. Collect, curate and comment on your files. John was living in the Atlanta area, and his passing has come as a huge shock to close friends. Find Jalil Hutchins stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Ecstasy was the lead vocalist on most Whodini songs because anything that we could play he could rap right to it in key, Mr. Hutchins said in an interview with the hip-hop website The Foundation. Fletcher served as co-vocalist in the group, with the rapper notably appearing onstage with his trademark Zorro-like hat. In 1986, after DJ Grandmaster Dee began working with the group, Whodini issued Growing Up, an anti-drug video financed by the New York State Division Of Substance Abuse. With his trademark Zorro hat, Fletcher was the focal point of Whodini. There is an article on foot binding with links to other websites By 1987, the group had earned its share of gold singles and albums. Fletcher formedWhodiniwith singer-rapper Jalil Hutchins in Brooklyn, NY in 1982 and signed with the influential Jive Records shortly after. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Jalil Hutchins, lead vocalist for the Brooklyn Hip Hop trio Whodini, recently spoke with the Murder Master Music Show about the group's longevity in the industry and his feelings about the. The only single that had success was Keep Running Back. It went on to appear briefly on the R&B chart but quickly booted off. Selena Gomez vs. Hailey Bieber: Why Everyone Thinks They Need to Pick a Side. first found as a surname in the former county of Ross-shire, where Although a hard pill to swallow for someone who spent the majority of their life recording and performing music, he moved on. Whodini was also one of the first hip-hop groups to use dancers in their stage shows. Whodini set a Hip Hop course of legendary status that we are all sure to pass on to our grandchildren. He helped his band become a household name and one of the best bands of the 80s. In the autumn of 1986 they released Growing Up, an anti-drug video financed by the New York State Division Of Substance Abuse. Like all bands, they reconnected nearly two decades later and went on a few national tours. Despite their declining success, this didnt stop them. In July 1986 they appeared at Philadelphia's Spectrum Stadium in front of an audience of 18,000.They were the first Rap Act and Break Dance troop to Tour in the UK and Europe, with U.T.F.O also appearing with them as their break dance act.They played all over Europe to full venues as no one had seen this kind of music before. Ecstasys contributions made that possible. Therefore, Jalil Hutchins has an estimated net worth of $3 million. http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/China/04/hutchins/hutchins.htm The instrumental version of "Five Minutes of Funk" was used as the theme music for WNYC TV show,Video Music Box, an influential early hip hop music video show. The group debuted with the single , releasing its . Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. One love to Ecstasy of the legendary #Whodini, he said. "Friends" is sampled in MF DOOM's "Deep Fried Frenz," from the album Mm.. Food. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Pastor Troy remixed "Friends" into a song entitled "Benz". David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78 Jalil Hutchins is an American singer and founding member of the American hip-hop group Whodini, a hip-hop group that was formed in 1981 in New York City. Talks with Def Jam Recordings for a new deal stalled, and in 1996, the group was signed by Jermaine Dupri (mentor-producer of Kris Kross and Li'l Bow Wow) to his then Columbia Records-distributed So So Def Recordings imprint. Over the next decade, Whodini would release four more albums, including their final LP, 1996s Six, executive-produced by Jermaine Dupri. masculine given name "Huchon", a diminutive form of "Hugh". In the movie Next Friday, Day-Day and Roach were singing the song "Friends" while being held captive. Period. The latter won his reputation for being able to scratch with almost every conceivable part of his anatomy. I have my own style.. Write by: . John Ecstasy Fletcher passed away in 2020. Whodini dressed with flair: leather jackets, sometimes with no shirt; flowing pants or short shorts; loafers. We were the rap group that kind of bridged the gap between the bands and the rappers, Mr. Fletcher told HipHop40, adding that he and Mr. Hutchins were mindful that hip-hop was still struggling to gain acceptance among radio programmers, and wrote songs accordingly: We wanted to curse, but we couldnt curse.. All Rights Reserved. RIP to Ecstasy from https://t.co/MiqnKeBFeK of the most under appreciated voices in hip hop. There is limited information online pertaining to his childhood and family life. },false) (b. November 29th, 1964). Jermaine Dupri's verse in "Welcome to Atlanta" samples the intro to "Five Minutes of Funk". Ecstasy was truly one of the first rap stars, Barry Weiss, the executive who signed them, wrote on Instagram. My God, this one hurts me so bad, I cant even believe Im posting this, he tweeted. He was 56 years old. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Escape went platinum, and Whodinis next two albums, Back in Black (1986) and Open Sesame (1987), both went gold. Escape contained the songs that would become Whodinis seminal hits, notably Friends and Five Minutes of Funk (released as flip sides on the same 12-inch single) and Freaks Come Out at Night., Friends, a skeptical storytelling song about deceit, was a smash in its own right and had a robust afterlife as sample material, most notably on Nas and Lauryn Hills If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)., Five Minutes of Funk which would become even more widely known as the theme music for the long-running hip-hop video show Video Music Box deployed a clever countdown motif woven through the lyrics. Its 1983 self-titled debut album was produced by Conny Plank, who had also produced the bands Kraftwerk and Neu! Born John Fletcher, the legendary MC was a member of the Brooklyn-based hip-hop group that also consisted of lyricist Jalil . We feel like as hardcore fans of hip-hop that they ever got all the flowers they were due. 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Rowling More Grace and Listen to Her, Britain's $4 Billion Boss: ITV Chief Carolyn McCall Bets It All on Talent, 2023 Music Festivals: How to Buy Tickets to Coachella, Governors Ball, Lollapalooza and More. In their early days, the group was managed by Russell Simmons, brother of Joseph Run Simmons of Run-D.M.C. Strangely, it was co-produced by Thomas Dolby, on a rare voyage outside of British pop. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Always there to reassure with advice and tips., 1987 I entered the @Defjam tour w PE. }); But hip-hop loved and adored Ecstasy and Jalil and Grandmaster Dee because they told real-life stories with a really funky beat, Creekmur continued. Most of the groups earliest material was recorded in London when Mr. Fletcher was fresh out of high school. So far, no cause of death has been announced by the family. "I can't sing," Mr. Fletcher once said. Ecstasy]SALUTE JALIL AND GRANDMASTER DEELOVE TO THE FLETCHER FAMILY pic.twitter.com/vdhDYwR7rw, DJ Premier (@REALDJPREMIER) December 23, 2020. I cant sing, he told The Los Angeles Times in 1987. I tended to be nervous looking at 15000 fans in front of me every night. Ecstasy (who wore a Zorro-style hat as his trademark); and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, a.k.a. Tributes from some of the music's world's most revered artists immediately began to surface on social media from those who knew him like producer Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J,. The hip-hop group rode the waves of the 1980s thundering and prolific hip-hop scene and found success almost immediately.