Ill Crew Entertainment is the promotions and artist development division of Ill Crew Universal (ICU). Ill Crew Universal was a Hip Hop organization that had close to 100,000 members in the 1990s. This organization pioneered in utilizing the internet to connect the global Hip Hop community, developing completely independent compilation album releases and promoting shows and events. It used a combin
ation of the then emerging internet and guerrilla marketing tactics to promote its' super collective of Hip Hop emcees, deejays/turntabalists, b-boys/b-girls and graffiti artists. History
1995: Started in part to enter into the music industry as an emcee/rapper, Dabri The Ultimate MC, networked and gathered a Hip Hop crew of friends and followers he met on the BET Rap City online forum and other website/forums. He coined the group Worldwide Underground Hip-Hop Organization. Early members included DMQ, Central Enfluence, Kwaz, Bamm (of Elevated), Nakamura, Cashino and Don King Trix.
1996: Prior to developing The Worldwide Underground Hip-Hop Organization, Dabri was a webmaster and designer for The Universal Zulu Nation website. At that time, Zulu Nation promoted a strong religious message but Dabri envisioned a Hip Hop organization that was secular and entirely focused on the core culture and elements of Hip Hop. Dabri changed the name of The Underground Hip-Hop Organization to Ill Crew Universal. At this time he developed a website for Ill Crew Universal and started to recruit new members. Not long after creating the website the ICU Forum Boards exploded with activity as members were exchanging early "blog" like posts, sharing information and resources, and engaging in online battles (netceeing). Notable of these were Dolio The Sleuth, Tony Infamous, Tack Fu, Karma & Eclipse427, 7L & Esoteric, Kashal Tee, Andrew, FreeSteelo, Akiri Li, A~Ball, SpReE, Double oo7, Via Satellite™, Diesel, Architect, Jugga, Turrizt, Unsound, Uncanny, GENUFLEX, Zircon, Sysop, TRIGOD, COPE, CIK, Da Therapist, Da'Mangler and others. All of this activity help forge a sense of community and ICU created a mission statement. The ICU mission statement was as follows: "Ill Crew Universal a.k.a. ICU, is a worldwide Hip Hop alliance. Its goal is to preserve Hip Hop Culture. We are literally the Intensive Care Unit of Hip Hop." After a short time, Ill Crew Universal released a compilation album featuring member-artists simply called “ICU: The Compilation.” The release was not made commercially available and was distributed among members or used as a means of promotion.. Later in 1996, Ill Crew Universal members attended the 1996 annual Rap Sheet convention and gained the support of notable Hip Hop artists such as Guru of GangStarr, Money B. and Shock G of Digital Underground and E-Swift of The Alkaholiks.
1997: ICU gained huge growth during this time both in membership and media attention. Membership numbers swelled into the thousands and ICU released two compilation albums this year: ICU: Who's Tru and ICU: The Death of Hip Hop. The album covers, and eventually most of the future logos and artwork were designed by Brian “B-Syde” Sanchez. ICU: Who's Tru featured Architects Of Intellect, Dolio The Sleuth, Tony Infamous, Ripsquad, Tack Fu and international Hip Hop acts such as Cashino (London)/Beatsnatchers and Improwise (Australia). ICU: The Death of Hip Hop featured Karma & Eclipse427, Social Deviantz, mic.edu, Deep Thinkaz, DSP (France), returning artists from the first compilation and many others. Later that year, Ill Crew Universal gathered many members from all over the world to meet during the 1997 Rap Sheet convention in Los Angeles, California. ICU made a big splash during the event and ingratiated itself with many Hip Hop artists, entrepreneurs and music business insiders. ICU also assembled an emcee battle team consisting of DMQ, Bamm, Super Vision aka Diamond Eyez, Viscous, and A-Twice from mic.edu for the 1998 Rap Olympics battle. ICU fared decently well and faced off against Medusa from Project Blowed and then, an up-and-coming artist named Eminem. That battle resulted in Eminem winning against Medusa and finally being beaten by Juice who was the previous year’s Rap Olympics champion.
1998: Ill Crew Universal stationed its’ headquarters in a bastion of Hip Hop culture at the time:Bay Area - Oakland, California. ICU set up an office in a building shared by Hieroglyphics and ABB Records where the three groups would forge joint projects. As the costs of running Ill Crew Universal increased, the organization began to struggle since it lacked a clear business model and was not registered as a non-profit organization. A decision of instating membership dues to members would result in a certain backlash and attrition. Despite the membership fees, ICU’s membership continued to grow as it established working relationships with groups such as Black Eyed Peas, Jungle Brothers, Living Legends, Hieroglyphics, Souls Of Mischief, Hobo Junction, Mystic Journeymen, Foreign Legion, Project Blowed, Too Short, Brother J of X Clan, Chuck D., KRS-One, Davey D., MC Eight, UMC's, Cold Crush Brothers, and Jurassic 5. ICU would then release a seminal compilation album entitled ICU: The Revival. This album was a response to both the strife and success the organization was facing and included such artists as: The Coup, DVS Mindz, Social Deviantz, Truth Elemental, The Icons and more. After the album release, ICU invited members from around the globe to attend an event at La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, CA. Some of those to attend were Elevated, DVS Mindz, The Coup, Foreign Legion, The Numbs and Jac & Blak. While the public turn out for the show was dismal, the event was a success and praised by the media.
1999 - 2000: During this time Chuck D. of Public Enemy expressed an interest in purchasing the organization but Dabri declined this offer. It is reported that MTV proposed a joint venture which was also turned down. As the membership of Ill Crew Univesal was approaching 100,00 worldwide there were numerous companies interesting in either buying the organizations’ contact list or the whole of the organization. Dabri felt great concern that the integrity of ICU would not remain intact if it was sold or allowed to be pilfered. Due to financial problems, an increasing rise of membership but lack of member support, a year long downed website and other internal problems, ICU gradually became inactive. Leading members and artists of Ill Crew Universal would go on to establish their own projects, businesses and musical careers.
2005: After some discussion and encouragement from the founder of Ill Crew Universal, Dabri appointed Steve B. (Da'Mangler aka DJ Isolated) as president of Ill Crew Universal and was granted the task of bringing Ill Crew Universal back into the Hip Hop forefront. In collaboration with Dabri, Brian B-Syde Sanchez, Eric Imagiin Gomez, and Str8Jakkett(DVS Mindz), Steve attempted to reinvigorate ICU with various levels of success. In the interim of 1998 to 2005 Steve B. worked with Hip Hop Congress with networking and promoting Hip Hop culture in Colorado. Incidentally, organizations similar to ICU such as Hip Hop Congress, Hip Hop Caucus, Hip Hop Summit Action Network, The Temple of HipHop and many others would take influence or inspiration from and emerge in the absence of ICU. Steve saw a need to bridge these groups' gaps which eventually lead to a co-operation between Ill Crew Universal, Hip Hop Congress and the Universal Zulu Nation in forging an inter-organizational effort to preserve and promote Hip Hop culture. Such projects included Ill Crew Entertainment, Ill Crew University (Hip Hop encyclopedia), The Hip Hop Museum in New York City and an Artist Development program with The Hip Hop Congress. Momentum was high and between 2005-2007 Ill Crew Universal began to emerge back into the Hip Hop community. Toward the end of 2007 Ill Crew Universal again stepped back as a collective and leading members went on to develop their own labels, businesses and music careers. Present
Former leading ICU member Eric Gomez whose emcee name is Imagiin has established a music career, helped spearhead a record label called HeadNokka Media Group Inc. and writes and edits articles on web zine BootSlapRap. Brian B-Syde Sanchez is a successful writer, artist and has started an organization called Antient Arcane Antediluvian Rite. Str8jakkett from DVS Mindz has continued a renowned career as an emcee and artist. is considered a Hip Hop historian and has several projects in the works. Dabri is a published author, works in marketing and lives quietly in Southern California. Many of the former members, artists and associates of Ill Crew Universal have gone on to do remarkable things. Ill Crew Universal is in the development of a documentary film on the story of Ill Crew Universal and the "Golden Era of Hip Hop.” Ill Crew Universal is also giving support to a related organization called Ill Tribe Universal which promotes Native and Aboriginal Hip Hop culture.
