{{Use American English|date=November 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{short description|American hip hop group}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Fu-Schnickens | image = Fu-Schnickens.jpg | caption = From L—R: Moc-Fu, Poc-Fu, and Chip-Fu | origin = [[East Flatbush, Brooklyn]], U.S. | genre = {{hlist|[[Hip-hop]]|[[alternative hip-hop]]}} | occupation = | years_active = 1988–1995 | label = {{hlist|[[Jive Records|Jive]]|[[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]]}} | website = | current_members = Chip-Fu <br> Moc-Fu <br> Poc-Fu }}
'''Fu-Schnickens''' were an American [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] trio from 1988 to 1995, based in [[Brooklyn]], New York.
== History == Fu-Schnickens was composed of '''Chip-Fu''' ('''Roderick Roachford'''), '''Moc-Fu''' ('''Joe Jones'''), and '''Poc-Fu''' ('''Lennox Maturine'''). ''Fu'' stood for unity and ''schnicken'' was a made-up word that meant "coalition".<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p26098|pure_url=yes}}|title=Fu-Schnickens: Biography|author=Huey, Steve|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=July 18, 2009}}</ref> The three friends from [[East Flatbush, Brooklyn]], first gained attention after performing at a hip hop event at [[Howard University]], after which the group was signed by [[Jive Records]].<ref name="allmusic"/> The group's debut single, "Ring the Alarm", entered the top ten on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Rap Tracks]] chart in 1992,<ref name="charts">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p26098|pure_url=yes}}|title=Fu-Schnickens: Charts & Awards|publisher=allmusic|access-date=July 18, 2009}}</ref> which sparked anticipation for the group's debut album, ''[[F.U. Don't Take It Personal]]'', and also inadvertently immortalized and ignited a new-found popularity for the original "Ring the Alarm", the signature tune of dancehall reggae [[singjay]] [[Tenor Saw]] from 1985, which the group sampled to create its track of the same name. Furthermore, with the hit singles "La Schmoove" (featuring [[Phife Dawg]] of [[A Tribe Called Quest]]) and "True Fu-Schnick," the album reached the top 20 on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart <ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="charts"/> and was certified for [[gold album|gold]]-level sales by the [[RIAA]].<ref name="Fu-SchnickensRIAA">{{certification Cite|region=United States|title=Take It Personally|artist=Fu-Schnickens|type=album}}</ref>
In 1993, Fu-Schnickens began work on its second album. The group recorded a fast-paced song called "What's Up, Doc?" which featured a sample of [[Bugs Bunny]] saying his famous [[catchphrase]]. But the group could not get sample clearance from [[Warner Bros.]] so the song was shelved. Meanwhile, the then-[[rookie]] [[NBA]] star [[Shaquille O'Neal]] was a media sensation. In many interviews, he talked about his love of [[hip hop music]] and stated that the Fu-Schnickens were his favorite hip hop group. This prompted the group to contact O'Neal for a collaboration. O'Neal recorded a verse that was added on to the already-recorded "What's Up, Doc?" with the group and O'Neal saying "What's up, doc?" to replace the [[Bugs Bunny]] sample. Although the group had not yet completed work on its album, the song was quickly released as a single to capitalize on O'Neal's popularity. The single was a [[Top 40|top-40]] hit in the summer of 1993,<ref name="charts"/> which briefly propelled the group into the mainstream.<ref name="allmusic"/> The group's second album, ''[[Nervous Breakdown (Fu-Schnickens album)|Nervous Breakdown]]'', did not arrive until 1994.
The group took part in a huge performance on the finale of ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]'', alongside the likes of [[KRS-One]], [[Wu-Tang Clan]], [[Naughty by Nature]], [[MC Lyte]], [[Guru (rapper)|Guru]], [[Mad Lion]], [[Yo-Yo (rapper)|Yo-Yo]], [[Das EFX]], [[CL Smooth]], and [[A Tribe Called Quest]].
Fu-Schnickens is also notable for its many references to [[martial arts films]] and [[Culture of Asia|Asian culture]] before [[Wu-Tang Clan]],<ref name="allmusic"/> which eventually helped make such references popular in hip hop music.
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== * ''[[F.U. Don't Take It Personal]]'' (1992) * ''[[Nervous Breakdown (Fu-Schnickens album)|Nervous Breakdown]]'' (1994)
===Compilation albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of compilation albums ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:11em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:16em;" | Album details |- ! scope="row" | ''Greatest Hits''{{efn|"Included four previously unreleased songs: "Cray-Z," "Original Rude Boy," "Voice of the Ghetto," and "Bring It Back"".}} | * Released: December 1995<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/greatest-hits-mw0000645709 |website=[[AllMusic]] |date= |access-date=August 6, 2021 |title=Fu-Schnickens - Greatest Hits}}</ref> * Label: Jive * Formats: CD, Cassette |- ! scope="row" | ''Fu-Schnickens - True Fu-Schnick'' | * Released: September 12, 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/true-fu-schnick-mw0000451491 |website=[[AllMusic]] |date= |access-date=August 6, 2021 |title= Fu-Schnickens - True Fu-Schnick}}</ref> * Label: [[Sony BMG]] * Formats: CD |- |}
=== Singles === ==== As lead artist==== <!-- ALL SINGLES MUST BE LISTED HERE. ANY SINGLE RELEASED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO RADIO IS CLASSIFIED AS A SINGLE. PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE -->
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |+ List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/40915-Fu-Schnickens|title=Fu-Schnickens|website=Discogs|access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/302527/fu-schnickens/chart|title=Fu-Schnickens - Chart history (Billboard)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song/1992-03-28|title=Hot Rap Songs Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song/1992-07-04|title=Hot Rap Songs Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song/1992-11-21|title=Hot Rap Songs Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song/1993-08-28|title=Hot Rap Songs Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song/1994-10-22|title=Hot Rap Songs Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref> ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="5"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| [[List of music recording certifications|Certifications]] ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/fu-schnickens/chart-history |title=Fu-Schnickens - US Hot 100 |publisher=billboard.com |access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Dance Club Songs|US Dance]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/fu-schnickens/chart-history/DSI |title=Fu-Schnickens - US Dance Club Songs |publisher=billboard.com |access-date=June 11, 2020}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US R&B]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/fu-schnickens/chart-history/BSI |title=Fu-Schnickens - US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs |publisher=billboard.com |access-date=June 11, 2020}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Hot Rap Songs|US Rap]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/fu-schnickens/chart-history/RAP |title=Fu-Schnickens - US Hot Rap Songs |publisher=billboard.com |access-date=June 11, 2020}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br><ref name="ARIA">{{cite Ryan|page=91}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| "[[Ring the Alarm (Fu-Schnickens song)|Ring the Alarm]]" | 1991 |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| 6 |align="center"| — | |rowspan="4" | ''F.U. Don't Take It Personal'' |- ! scope="row"| "[[La Schmoove]]"<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(featuring [[Phife Dawg]])</span> |rowspan="3" | 1992 |align="center"| — |align="center"| —{{efn|"La Schmoove" did not enter the Dance Club Songs, but peaked at number 36 on the [[Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales]].<ref name="DSA">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/fu-schnickens/chart-history/DSA |title=Dance/Electronic Singles Sales |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |accessdate=May 26, 2021}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>}} |align="center"| 30 |align="center"| 3 |align="center"| — | |- ! scope="row"| "[[True Fuschnick]]" |align="center"| — |align="center"| 14 |align="center"| 97 |align="center"| 18 |align="center"| — | |- ! scope="row"| "Heavenly Father"<ref>{{cite AV media notes | others=Fu-Schnickens | date=1992 | title=Heavenly Father | type=track listing | publisher=[[Jive Records]] | id=JIVE T 315}}</ref> |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — | |- ! scope="row"| "[[What's Up Doc? (Can We Rock)]]"<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with [[Shaquille O'Neal]])</span> | 1993 |align="center"| 39 |align="center"| 26 |align="center"| 56 |align="center"| 22 |align="center"| 59 | *[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]: Gold<ref>{{cite certification|region=United States|type=album|artist=Fu-Schnickens feat. Shaquille O'neal|accessdate=July 23, 2021}}</ref> |''Nervous Breakdown'' and ''[[Shaq Diesel]]'' |- ! scope="row"| "[[Breakdown (Fu-Schnickens song)|Breakdown]]" | 1994 |align="center"| 67 |align="center"| —{{efn|"Breakdown" did not enter the Dance Club Songs, but peaked at number 10 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales.<ref name="DSA" />}} |align="center"| 38 |align="center"| 7 |align="center"| — | |rowspan="2" | ''Nervous Breakdown'' |- ! scope="row"| "Sum Dum Munkey"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/sum-dum-munkey-vinyl-single-mr0001597738|title=Fu-Schnickens - Sum Dum Munkey [Vinyl Single] (12 inch Vinyl Single - Jive #42276)|website=AllMusic}}</ref> |rowspan="2" | 1995 |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — | |- ! scope="row"| "Got It Covered"{{efn|"Got It Covered" was released as a [[Split album|split single]] with "[[Summer in the City (song)|Summer in the City]]" by [[The Lovin' Spoonful]]}}<ref>{{cite AV media notes | others=The Lovin' Spoonful / Fu-Schnickens | date=1988 | title=Summer In The City (From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Die Hard With A Vengeance) | type=track listing | publisher=[[RCA Victor]] | id=09026-68307-4}}</ref> |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — |align="center"| — | |''[[Die Hard with a Vengeance#Soundtrack|Die Hard with a Vengeance Soundtrack]]'' |- | colspan="9" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |}
==References== ===Notes=== {{notelist}}
===Citations=== {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p26098|label=Fu-Schnickens}} * [http://www.goldeneravideos.com/artists/fu-schnickens Fu-Schnickens Music Videos] {{Fu-Schnickens}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:African-American musical trios]] [[Category:Jive Records artists]] [[Category:Hip-hop groups from New York City]] [[Category:Musical groups from Brooklyn]] [[Category:Musical trios from New York (state)]] [[Category:People from Flatbush, Brooklyn]]