Artist description The Definition of... CrimeWave (krím wav) adj., (1) Five lyrical mavericks dedicated to the constant elevation, education and knowledge of rap and the entire hip hop universe. (2) Spiritual soldiers - true to the game. (3) Powerful rap warriors, independent leaders, political gadflies. (4) New millennium messengers - storytellers, masterminds. (5) Non-conformists, socially conscious trailblazers, channeling raw energy and potential into art. What is...CrimeWave - An independent entertainment corporation, founded in 1996 by group leader, Shamus in response to the "criminal" practices of exploitation and deception perpetrated by the music industry against the "independent" artist. Who is...CrimeWave - The group features the diverse talent and lyrical expertise of...Shamus ("aka" The Mastermind), Skar Furocious, Karachi-Raw, Fluid ("aka" Flu) and Maximillan.

Artist History The History of...CrimeWave - The first artist to release a project on the Crimewave label was group leader Shamus in 1996. His first single "Big Willie Style" sold over 10,000 copies on vinyl and cassette, and received favorable acclaim on the underground and college mix show circuit. In 1997, he released his second single, "Tight Team", which sold over 25,000 copies, debuted on Billboard's Top 50 Rap Singles at #31 and Hot R&B singles at #89 and remained on the charts for a total of 16 weeks. Heavy rotation and underground exposure helped the single chart in the top 10 on the trade charts - Impact, CMJ, Hits, Urb and Gavin.

Group Members Skar, Maximillan, Shamus, Flu, Karachi Raw

Albums Scripture Won: The Beginning Of...

Press Reviews Crimewave's sophomore project, "Serving Life" EP was released in 1998 and featured the lyrical stylings of new members Flu and Maximillan. "Serving Life" was also a milestone success for this independent group as it sold over 20,000 units, debuted on Billboard's Hot R&B albums at #85 and charted in the top 10 on most of the urban music trades. This accomplishment established the group as bonified rap masters and industry mavericks because all of their success was achieved without the benefit or support of a major or distribution deal! In 1998, Crimewave took their music to the next level adding two more members to the group, Skar Furocious and Karachi-Raw. They immediately began working on their first full-length album entitled "Scripture Won: The Beginning of..." Using the diverse talent of such superproducers as: The Beatnuts, Alchemist, Buckwild, Armageddon, Precision and The Smith Bros. to name a few. The first single, "What Side You On", released in March 2001 debuted in the top 20 on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles and sold over 20,000 copies on vinyl and CD, again without the support of a major label or distribution deal. By May 2001, the single held the #6 spot on Billboard and received critical acclaim on mix show and college circuits across the country. It also received the greatest gainer award in May 2001, advancing from #17 to the #8 spot in just one week! The second single, "Think Big", debuted at #14 and reached top 10 status in less than two weeks in October 2001 and is still going strong! It has also charted in the top 10 on Impact, CMJ, BRE, Rap Attack and Hits. "Scripture Won: The Beginning of..." hits stores on 03/26/02 and the Crimewave fam can be seen on tour in 25 major markets from April 2002 thru June 2002.

Additional Info http://www.crimewaveent.com/rap_sheet.htm

Location Bronx, NY - USA

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