Mood Ruff was a Canadian hip-hop group formed in 1994 in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

. The group consisted of Odario, Spitz, Breakz, and ICQRI. Their final album ''I Do My Own Stunts'', which was released in 2005, contained their first hit, "Rocketship".

History

Mood Ruff's founding members, Odario and Spitz, met at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg. In the early 1990s the two members started recording their first demos on a karaoke machine in Spitz's basement. They first started playing their music live in 1994, in small clubs around Toronto. "We were playing at this club called the 360 in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

and there were all of nine people there, five of which were from Winnipeg," says Odario about one of their very first live shows. They also toured with punk and funk bands."Biography." Mood Ruff Official Website. 2005. 16 October 2008. http://www.moodruff.com They eventually started to gain an underground fan base all throughout Canada. In 1997 they started their own record label, Slo-Coach Records, and released their albums through this label. Also in 1997, the group founded the Peg City Holla Festival. This festival, which is held every summer, hosts a venue for hip-hop groups from Winnipeg. The festival has also had appearances by Ali Shaheed Muhammad from A Tribe Called Quest.Adams, Steven. "Mood Ruff Celebrates 10 Years Behind the Mic." Uptown Magazine. June 2002 Their first hit was a single called 'No Hooks' which received heavy rotation on Canada's Much Music video station and gained them national awareness. Their first album, ''Night.Life.Types'', was released in 1999. This album was followed closely by their second album, ''Politic Different''. Both albums received positive reviews and did reasonably well in regards to album sales. Their third album, ''Antarctica (Cold, Cold World)'', was released in 2002. This album featured ICQRI, the group's first DJ and the newest member of Mood Ruff. The album again received positive reviews, but was unable to achieve any large commercial success. Their fourth and latest album, ''I Do My Own Stunts'', was released in 2005. For this album, Mood Ruff introduced yet another new member, Breakz. ''I Do My Own Stunts'' continued the streak of critically acclaimed albums, and it also contained their first commercially successful single, "Rocketship". The group broke up following ''I Do My Own Stunts''. Odario is currently recording with Grand Analog.

Members

Spitz, also known as Eli Epp (DJ Dow Jones), one of the two founding members of the group, was a child of a military family. During his childhood, himself and his three younger brothers moved to a different city every four years. He started out as a graffiti artist but has never divulged his tag name. Born in a small village in Guyana, Odario or Garfield Williams is the second half of the founding duo. Along with his Mood Ruff obligations, he keeps very busy. He has appeared in over 15 films, and also leads a rock and roll group called Grand Analog. Kevin Williams, Odario's younger brother, joined the group before the release of Antarctica (Cold, Cold World). He goes by the name ICQRI, and is the group's resident DJ. He also has many side projects; he has worked in several films as a stunt performer. Breakz is the newest member of Mood Ruff. He appeared on their latest album, ''I Do My Own Stunts''.

Influences

Mood Ruff has a number of influences, both from hip-hop and from many other genres. Their music is noticeably influenced by the "

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" of hip-hop artists like A Tribe Called Quest,

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from New York City. He rose to prominence as part of ...

, and

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, who they once opened for. Fellow Canadian artist K-os also has influenced their sound. The group has said that while on the road they listen to other hip hop artists such as

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternat ...

and

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

. Aside from hip-hop they also have said to be influenced by

The Hives The Hives are a Swedish rock band that rose to prominence in the early 2000s during the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the album '' Veni Vidi Vicious'', containing the single " Hate to Say I Told You So ...

and 1980's pop. Odario has even admitted that Joni Mitchell is one of his favorite Canadian artists.

"Rocketship"

"Rocketship" is the fourth song on the album ''I Do My Own Stunts'', and the group's first commercial hit. The single has an upbeat and jazz-infused style which focuses on the group's love of girls and beats. The song features a sample from KRS-One's song "MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know" from his self-titled album ''

''. The song received several awards and nominations, including being named CBC Radio 3’s top Canadian track of 2005. Also the recording won a

Western Canada Music Award The ''Western Canadian Music Awards'' (WCMAs) are an annual awards event for music in the western portion of Canada. The awards are provided by the Western Canada Music Alliance, which consists of six member music industry organizations from Br ...

in 2006 for Best Rap Recording. The song also achieved regular air time on Much Vibe, MTV Canada, and Much Music."Artist Bio: Mood Ruff." Much Music. 2008. 15 October 2008.

Discography

* ''Night.Life.Types'' (1999) * ''Politic Different'' (2000) * ''Antarctica (Cold Cold World)'' (2002) * ''I Do My Own Stunts'' (2005)

References

External links

Mood Ruff official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mood Ruff Musical groups established in 1994 Musical groups from Winnipeg Canadian hip hop groups 1994 establishments in Manitoba