History of Whodini (80's rap trio).

Whodini is a hip-hop trio formed in Brooklyn. They managed to become one of the first rap groups to incorporate R&B motifs into their music... Thus - Whodini became pioneers of the "new jack swing" genre! Among the cult hits of the band can be distinguished: "Magic's Wand", "The Haunted House of Rock", "Friends"... By the way: it was "Magic's Wand" that became the first song in rap genre, for which a video was shot! And Whodini's live performances were the first concerts of their kind with break-dancers!

Whodini has a lot to boast about: 14 of the group's hit tracks have made it to the American Billboard, and 4 albums have achieved platinum status... Why exactly are Whodini so important to rap culture? And why did the group cease to exist at the height of its popularity?

The beginning of the journey

Along with Run-DMC and The Fat Boys, Whodini were one of the first rap groups to break through to radio and be recognised by the general public... The trio was formed in 1982. At the same time the guys signed a contract with indie label Jive Records and were soon on the Olympus of fame! The group recorded a sea of hit singles, many of which even made it to the local top charts and R&B station ratings! It's worth noting that Whodini owed much of their success to bassist Larry Smith, who produced a significant part of their releases... He had previously worked with Run DMC (early years).

Given the fashion of the far 80s, Whodini's music included a rich synthesiser sound with a slightly dark electronic drum beat...

Debut records...

In 1982 Whodini released their debut single "Magic's Wand"! The track became the first in the history of rap music for which a music video was filmed... By the way: the well-known synth-pop pioneer Thomas Dolby assisted in the production of the single! To this day, "Magic's Wand" remains the epitome of rap culture of those years....

A year later, the eponymous debut is released! Produced by the influential German producer Connie Plank, the album was released in several variations: both on vinyl and cassette.

The band's second single was "The Haunted House of Rock", which was released in time for Halloween! This time Whodini managed to combine the carefree attitude of The Fat Boys and the virtuosity of Run-DMC!

https://youtu.be/gjG69bDrG7E

The single itself is quite heavy in its sound. In it the band skilfully refers the listener to various monsters and boogeymen - from Dracula to Bloody Mary....

Success!

The albums Escape (1984) and Back in Black (1986) soon followed. Both works were warmly acclaimed by critics and the public alike... By 1987 Whodini had already built up a great reputation! The trio had several gold singles and albums! Tours with arenas of thousands of people followed, but fame seemed to elude the ambitious rap collective....

It is worth emphasising that the peak of Whodini's activity was between 1982 and 1986. It was during this period that the trio was more productive than ever! The debut album was followed by tours: Whodini toured with such stars as Run-DMC, LL Cool J, The Fat Boys... Whodini became a member of the iconic Fresh Fest tour! In the summer of 1986, the trio performed at Spectrum Stadium in Philadelphia. The arena drew an estimated 20,000 spectators... What's more! Whodini were the first artists in their genre to tour the UK and Europe!

A creative crisis...

The trio's fourth studio effort, titled Open Sesame, made it clear to fans that the easy beats and catchy rhymes were no more... Whodini emphasised harder vocals and a more controlled arrangement with guitars and bells... The album was again produced by Larry Smith (with the exception of "Be Yourself" and "I'm Def (Jump Back And Kiss Myself)").

Unfortunately, this time the band didn't manage to produce any big hits... For the next few years Whodini released singles, but very, very rarely... Rather, they did it because of their obligation to Jive Records. Thus, one of their later records was "Anyway I Gotta Swing It", recorded especially for the horror film "Nightmare on Elm Street 5: Dream Child".

Not surprisingly, Whodini soon had problems with their record company. As a result, Open Sesame became their last album for the 80s... The band took a break.

Reunion

At the beginning of the new decade, Whodini reminded themselves again! The trio signed to MCA Records, followed shortly after by the album Bag-A-Trix! Production was traditionally handled by Larry Smith. Several tracks were co-written with Major Jam Productions (they also produced 4 tracks from Bag-A-Trix). But the record was not a commercial success...

In 1994, the hit track "It All Comes Down to the Money" was released!

A few years later Whodini signed a contract with Columbia Records and released the album Six. Production this time was handled by Jermaine Dupri. The main single from the release was the track "Keep Running Back", which appeared at the R&B top for a while:

Conclusion

After the album Six the band never released any new records... However, regularly the trio's old music was re-released on various old-school compilations. Whodini were still touring, which certainly delighted their loyal fans. Between 2007 and 2018, the band was honoured with a number of awards, and also - was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Sadly, in December 2020, there was no Fletcher: the musician died at the age of 56...