JJ Fad: First Ladies of Ruthless
Before NWA exploded on the scene there was another Ruthless Records group taking the industry by storm and laying the foundation for what would be Hip Hop history.
JJ Fad (Just Jammin’ Fresh and Def), was a group of young ladies discovered and signed by Eazy E. MC JB (Juana Bums), Baby-D (Dania Birks) and Sassy C (Michelle Franklin) became the first female rap group to be signed to Ruthless, and became the first female Hip Hop group to be nominated for a Grammy. Since then, their music has been sampled numerous times and is on every DJ’s playlist as a go-to party starter. Their hit Supersonic is the true definition of the 1980’s ‘L.A. Sound’; Up tempo, party themed Hip Hop with a signature electro undertone. It moved from a local favorite (selling over 400,000 units) to a national sensation, quickly going platinum. Supersonic’s success effectively gave Ruthless Records commercial attention.
Their growth in popularity came with it’s fair share of criticism as not being ‘real Hip Hop’. The talking heads questioned whether having a broader fan base took away from their credibility. We spoke with MC J.B. on how that effected the group. She expressed their ‘commercial’ success opened the door for other artists and solidified respect for Hip Hop as a genre. It was the criticism from the Hip Hop community that lead the group to one of their biggest lessons in this industry: Staying true to yourself. JB stressed that being yourself as an artist is the most important and fulfilling characteristic that you can have.
That the success and variety of Hip Hop stemmed from artists being able to be artists; “Take it or Leave it. “As young women…as artists, we were surround by people who had our best interests at heart, and who allowed us to be ourselves”. That is a recipe to the group's success. Today JJ Fad is as active as ever. After taking a break, the ladies are back on the mic, touring and getting a lot of love. “The best part is seeing the fans come out and feeling their energy”. It’s that love that is moving MC J.B., Baby D, and Sassy C back in the booth; “As artists, we are always going to have something to say and something to give to our fans". JJ Fad is currently on tour with the Freestyle Explosion Tour, Check for them in your area: www.freestyleexplosion.com
