2 Live Crew

The 2 Live Crew has talked about reuniting in 2004 for a final 2 Live Crew album and tour. Waters has shuffled his line-up, including singers, throughout Annihilator's run. Mixx left soon after leaving Fresh Kid Ice and Brother Marquis to record The Real One in 1998. member Randy Rampage. Mr. Before the release of their debut LP, Waters relocated to Vancouver where he assembled a whole new line-up, including former D.O.A. Mixx and Brother Marquis left Luke and Luke Records to go to Lil' Joe Records and recorded/released Shake a Lil' Somethin'. This lineup lasted two years, and these earlier tracks made up a good part of the band's first two albums.

The Crew was to reunite for an album but the reunion was short lived as Fresh Kid Ice, Mr. Waters recruited a drummer named Paul Malek and Bates found a bassist named Dave Scott. Mixx reformed again, to record "Hoochie Mama" for the soundtrack to the movie Friday. He and singer John Bates wrote and recorded a song called Annihilaltor which was never released on disk. Luke, Fresh Kid Ice, Brother Marquis and Mr. Annihilator was started in Ottawa by Jeff Waters in 1984. The New 2 Live Crew broke up in 1995. Annihilator is a heavy metal band which started with the album Alice in Hell, and now it has 12 albums including live albums.

The Supreme Court ruled this to be fair use. All for You (2004). The Crew had parodied the original on the album As Nasty As They Wanna Be without permission. Walking the Fury ([2002]). During this time the lawsuit brought about by the estate of Roy Orbison, the copyright owners of "Oh, Pretty Woman," went to the Supreme Court. Carnival Diablos ([2001]). 1994 saw Luke, Fresh Kid Ice and Verb (a new addition), regrouping as The New 2 Live Crew, issuing Back at Your Ass for the Nine-Four. Criteria for a Black Widow (1999).

Mixx released unreleased tracks from pre-Luke 2 Live Crew Deal With This under the name Rock on Crew, while Luke and Ice also released new solo albums, I Got Shit on My Mind and The Chinaman, respectively. Remains (1997). Fresh Kid Ice and Mr. In Command (Live) (1996). In 1992, a Court of Appeals overturned the obscenity ruling from Jose Gonzales, and the decision was then upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States. Refresh the Demon (1996). The 2 Live Crew members went their own ways after this. King of the Kill (1994).

Neither lived up to the sales that they experienced with As Nasty As They Wanna Be. Bag of Tricks (1994). In 1991, 2 Live Crew released the very first live rap album, Live in Concert, and Sports Weekend, a full-length studio original. Set the World on Fire (1993). The publicity then continued when George Lucas, owner of the Star Wars universe, sued Luke Skyywalker for appropriating the name from his franchise. Skyywalker changed his name to Luke and then released an extremely political solo album Banned in the USA, legally securing the rights to Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. Never, Neverland (1990). A few other retailers were later arrested for selling it as well. Alice in Hell (1989).

As a result of the controversy, As Nasty As They Wanna Be sold over two million copies. They were acquitted soon after. Charles Freeman, a local retailer, was arrested two days later after selling a copy to an undercover police officers, followed by the arrest of three members of 2 Live Crew after they performed some material from the album at a performance. That June, Judge Jose Gonzalez ruled against the album, declaring it obscene and illegal to sell.

2 Live Crew filed a suit against Navarro. Navarro warned record store owners that selling the album may be prosecutable. A lawyer affiliated with the AFA, Jack Thompson, met with Florida Governor Bob Martinez and convinced him to look in the album to see if it met the legal classification of "obscene." It was decided in 1990 that action should be taken at the local level and Nick Navarro, Broward County sheriff received a ruling from Judge Mel Grossman that probable cause for obscenity violations existed. The American Family Association, a conservative group, did not think the presence of a "Parental Advisory" sticker was enough to adequately warn listeners of what was inside the case.

The song was based on a quote from a Vietnamese prostitute in Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989) became the group's biggest hit, largely because of the single Me So Horny, which was popular in spite of little radio play. A record store clerk in Alabama was cited and fined for selling a copy to an undercover cop in 1988, though the verdict was overturned on appeal. Skyywalker decided to sell a clean version of the next album, Move Somethin' (1987).

Though the controversy did not rise to the future levels, a Florida store clerk was charged and acquitted of felony charges for selling the album to a fourteen-year-old girl in 1987. The record went gold. 1986 saw the release of 2 Live Is What We Are, featuring profane and sexually graphic lyrics. They received a record deal from Luke Skyywalker, who was a manager and eventual performer.

They released Revelation in 1985; the single sold well in Florida and Mixx and Kid Ice moved there, releasing What I Like along with Brother Marquis. Mixx and Amazing V. 2 Live Crew began in California, consisting of Fresh Kid Ice, DJ Mr. 2 Live Crew is one of the most controversial rap groups ever, largely due to the sexual themes of one album, As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989).