| Jonzun Crew | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, US |
| Genres | Electro, funk, hip hop |
| Years active | 1982–1990 |
| Labels | Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records A&M Records Critique Records |
| Associated acts | Planet Patrol Arthur Baker Afrika Bambaataa New Edition New Kids on the Block |
| Members | |
| Maurice Starr Soni Jonzun |
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| Past members | |
| Michael Jonzun Gordon Worthy Steve Thorpe |
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Jonzun Crew was an electro and early funk/hip hop group that was active in the 1980s.[1] The group was led by Michael Jonzun, his brothers Maurice Starr and Soni Jonzun, and Carl (Captain Fingers).
The group's most famous tracks, “Pack Jam (Look out for the OVC),” "Space Is The Place," and “Space Cowboy,” were featured on the group's debut album, Lost in Space (1983). Other notable tracks include “We Are the Jonzun Crew” and “Ground Control.” The Jonzun Crew sound was particularly unique because all the synthesizer parts were played live as opposed to sequenced, and despite using drum-machine hits in their tracks, most of their songs used a live drummer as the main drum track, giving their songs a unique groove and swing compared to most electro music of the era.[2]
Jonzun Crew was an electro group that carried its spin on Parliament-Funkadelic's loopy sci-fi themes throughout the 1980s and early 1990s for a handful of albums, which included singles like "Pack Jam (Look Out for the OVC)," "Space Is the Place," "Space Cowboy," and "We Are the Jonzun Crew." Florida-born brothers Michael, Soni, and Larry Johnson (better known as Maurice Starr) formed Jonzun Crew in Boston in 1981, with Gordy Worthy and Steve Thorpe filling out the lineup for different stretches of the group's existence. Starr and Michael would gain further notoriety for helping to bring New Edition and New Kids on the Block to the world; Michael (who continued using Jonzun as his last name) also went solo for a brief period on A&M, in addition to working on several other artists' releases.
In 1986, Michael Jonzun left the group. “Pack Jam (Look out for the OVC)” was often played in the background while the rundown of top hits in Germany were counted on the German language Top Hits show Formel Eins during the 1980s.
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