The Freestylers formed in 1996 when DJs and dance music producers Matt Cantor, Aston Harvey and (initially) Andrew Galea joined forces. All three of them had been involved in the British dance music scene since the 1980s. Cantor had recorded as Cut n' Paste and Strike with Andy Gardner (Plump DJs). Aston Harvey recorded as Blapps! Posse best known for the 1990 breakbeat dance hit "Don't Hold Back" before working with Definition of Sound, Rebel MC and DJ Rap (as DJ Rap and Aston). Harvey joined with Galea under the name Sol Brothers before Cantor was recruited to form the Freestylers. The group took their name from their first sample "Don't Stop The Rock" by Freestyle. The trio's first single "Drop The Boom (AK-48)" on their own Scratch City Records in 1996 becoming a dancefloor hit in the UK and Miami. The band released the Freestyle EP in 1996 on Freskanova (Freskanova's parent label, Fresh, had released Cantor, Galea and Harvey's previous work). Andrew Galea left the Freestylers shortly after the release of the Freestyle EP. After the departure of Andrew Galea, Matt and Aston formed an 11-piece band (initially an idea of their record label, Freskanova). This consisted of the 2 producers (Cantor and Harvey), a scratch DJ (Mad Doctor X), a guitarist (Tony Ayiotou), drummer (Clive Jenner), bass guitarist (Joe Henson), 2 MCs (MC Navigator and Tenor Fly) and 3 breakdancers (Coza, Marat, Tim). The band's first album We Rock Hard was released in 1998. The single "B-Boy Stance" became a singles hit in the UK in 1998 featuring the contributions of rapper Tenor Fly. In 1999, the Freestylers enjoyed success in the U.S. with track "Don't Stop" reached the top 10 of the Billboard dance charts and "Here We Go" becoming a MTV Buzzworthy clip. We Rock Hard sold well in the US selling over 150,000 and reaching the top 30 of the Billboard Heatseeker chart. Following the success of B-Boy Stance, the ban
1 | Push Up | Raw As Fuck |
2 | Planet Patrol - Play At Your Own Risk | Electro Science |
3 | Freestyle Noize | We Rock Hard |
4 | Davy DMX - One For The Treble (Fresh) | Electro Science |
5 | Warning | We Rock Hard |
6 | Herbie Hancock - Rockit | Electro Science |
7 | Afrika Bambataa & Soul Sonic Force - Looking For T | Electro Science |
8 | Check the Skillz | We Rock Hard |
9 | Get A Life | Raw As Fuck |
10 | Rockers Revenge Feat Donna Galvin - Walking on Sun | Electro Science |
11 | Tyron Brunson - The Smurf | Electro Science |
12 | Right On | Raw As Fuck |
13 | Punks | Raw As Fuck |
14 | Ruffneck | Zoolander Sountrack |
15 | Here We Go | We Rock Hard |
16 | B-Boy Stance (Freestylers Revenge Mix) | Plastic Compilation Volume 2 |
17 | Rockers Revenge feat. Donna Galvin - Walking on su | Electro Science |
18 | Don't Stop | Digital Empire 2 - The Aftermath (Disc 2) |
19 | Newcleus - Jam on It | Electro Science |
20 | G.L.O.B.E & Whiz Kid - Play That Bear MR DJ | Electro Science |