Rock Steady Crew Explained

Rock Steady Crew is an American breaking and hip hop group which has become a franchise for multiple groups in other locations. The group's 1983 international hit song "(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew" (from the group's first studio album Ready for Battle) peaked at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart,^[1] and reached the top 10 in many European countries. Members of Rock Steady Crew featured in the films Flashdance and Beat Street, which ignited international interest in the b-boy subculture.^[2]

History

The group was initially formed in The Bronx, New York City in 1977 by b-boys Jimmy Dee and Jimmy Lee. The Manhattan branch was created by Crazy Legs and B-Boy Fresh. The New York Times called the Rock Steady Crew "the foremost breakdancing group in the world today."^[3]

Notable members

• DJP
• Crazy Legs
• DJ Cucumber Slice
• DJ Qbert
• Fever One
• Madchild
• Mr. Wiggles
• Q-Unique
• Rahzel
• Tony Touch
• Russell Peters
• East-3
• SkillRoy
• Jeffrey(Doze)Green
• Buck 4 (Rip)
• Kuriaki (Rip)

Former members

• Micro Mix (a.k.a. Craig Hunter)
• Frosty Freeze
• Mix Master Mike
• Ken Swift
• Rhettmatic
• Daisy Castro (a.k.a. Baby Love) - lead vocals on "(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew"^[4]

Discography

Albums

• Ready for Battle (Virgin Records, 1984)
• 30 Years to the Day (Truelements Music, 2007)

Singles

Year	Song	UK ^[5]	Certifications
1983	"(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew"	align=center	6	BPI: Silver^[6]
1984	"Uprock"	align=center	64
	"She's Fresh"	align=center	—
2000	"Used to Wish I Could Break with Rock Steady"	align=center	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Appearances in feature films

• Wild Style (1982)
• Style Wars (1983)
• Flashdance (1983)
• Beat Street (1984)
• Moonwalker (1988)
• Streets Is Watching (1998)

Sources

• The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy (DVD), Image Entertainment, 2002.
• Hip-Hop (Korean Comic) (Manhwa), IQ Jump Comics, 1998-2004.

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Official Charts Company - Rocksteady Crew - (Hey You) The Rocksteady Crew. Official Charts Company. 2020-03-19.
2. Web site: George. Cassidy. Exploring the birth of the b-boy in 70s New York. i-D. 12 February 2020. en. 26 November 2018.
3. Web site: The Dead Rock Stars Club. Doc. Rock. Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. 18 November 2017.
4. Web site: Hey You (Rock Steady Crew): The story behind the song. 29 December 2021.
5. Book: McAleer. Dave. Gregory. Andy. White. Matthew. The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles, Volume 2. November 15, 2010. Random House. 400. 9780753522455.
6. Web site: Rock Steady Crew - Hey You The Rock Steady Crew. bpi.co.uk. 15 January 2022.