Mantronix

Mantronix is a 1980s hip hop crew led by Kurtis Mantronik, a native of Jamaica who had moved to New York, New York in the late 1970s. There, he met MC Tee and the duo made a demo, signing to Sleeping Bag Records. Their debut single, "Fresh Is the Word" was a club hit in 1985 (see 1985 in music) and was followed by Mantronix: The Album the next year. The LP was one of the first best-selling hip hop albums in the United Kingdom. Mantronik went on to work with other groups, including KRS-One, before releasing Music Madness and signing to Capitol Records in 1987 (see 1987 in music.

Mantronix's next album was In Full Effect, an early and innovative example of hip house. Do You Like...Mantronik came next, and continued the crew's success in the UK. MC Tee then left to join the United States Air Force and was replaced with Bryce Luvah for 1990's This Should Move Ya, a full-fledged house music album. Mantronik released a few more English best-sellers, including The Incredible Sound Machine before fading away until 2000 (see 2000 in music).