{{short description|British UK Garage crew}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}{{Use British English|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist | name = Heartless Crew | image = | caption = | image_size = | alias = | origin = London, England | genre = UK garage, grime, R&B, dancehall, hip hop, jungle | years_active = 1992–2010, 2016–present | label = East West Records, Bush Bash Records | associated_acts = | website = {{URL|heartlesscrew.com}} | current_members = MC Bushkin<br />MC Mighty Moe<br />DJ Fonti }}
The '''Heartless Crew''' are a UK garage crew from North London. The group has been credited for paving the way for grime music, alongside So Solid Crew and Pay As U Go.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.anothermanmag.com/life-culture/10370/a-brief-history-of-grime-as-told-by-dj-target|title=A Brief History of Grime, as Told by DJ Target|last=AnotherMan|website=AnotherMan|date=12 June 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913222453/https://www.anothermanmag.com/life-culture/10370/a-brief-history-of-grime-as-told-by-dj-target|archive-date=2019-09-13|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://trenchtrenchtrench.com/features/pay-as-u-go-cartel-crawled-so-that-grime-could-walk|title=Pay As U Go Crawled So That Grime Could Walk|website=trenchtrenchtrench.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614160557/https://trenchtrenchtrench.com/features/pay-as-u-go-cartel-crawled-so-that-grime-could-walk|archive-date=2019-06-14|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |url=https://trappedmagazine.com/the-break-up-of-heartless-crew-pursuing-a-solo-career-more-mc-bushkin-interview/ |title=MC Bushkin (Heartless Crew) Exclusive Interview |date=16 February 2017 |access-date=2019-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104092439/https://trappedmagazine.com/the-break-up-of-heartless-crew-pursuing-a-solo-career-more-mc-bushkin-interview/ |archive-date=2019-11-04 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Its original members are MCs Bushkin and Mighty Moe and DJ Fonti.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.garagemusic.co.uk/heartless.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010226175004/http://www.garagemusic.co.uk/heartless.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2001-02-26|title= UK Garage Music, Garage Audio, Garage News and Underground Garage MP3|date=2001-02-26|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3583467/Crew-who-opened-the-garage-door.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930165217/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3583467/Crew-who-opened-the-garage-door.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2019|title=Crew who opened the garage door - Telegraph|date=September 30, 2019}}</ref>
==Career== Bushkin and Fonti are of West Indian heritage, whilst Mighty Moe's mother is Palestinian and his father is from Iraq.<ref name=":5" />
The group were established in 1992 when Bushkin and Fonti met at North London's Holloway Boys School.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.heartless-crew.net/dthbint.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041014012811/http://www.heartless-crew.net/dthbint.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-10-14|title=Heartless Crew Mixes! plus pictures, interviews, lyrics and more!|date=2004-10-14|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /> Fonti would meet up with Mighty Moe at college. Originally, the crew had more members.<ref>{{Citation|title=Geeneus with Heartless Crew| date=24 November 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKkq3khLkKo|language=en|access-date=2019-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828102705/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKkq3khLkKo|archive-date=2019-08-28|url-status=live}}</ref> The crew has stated their inspirations include Rory from Stonelove, Shabba Ranks, KRS-One, Stevie Hyper D, Inspector Longman and New Dimensions sound system, Sky Juice - Metro Media, Buju Banton, R. Kelly, DJ Brockie and MC Det.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> They started off playing at house parties and small clubs, moving through to a residency at Chimes nightclub in Hackney in 1996.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> Their first performance at Chimes nightclub was in 1994. Prior to becoming a UK garage crew, the collective ran a mobile sound system, where they would play various genres such as hip hop, R&B and ragga, before eventually specialising in UK garage due to their popularity in the genre.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
By 1998, they had joined the pirate radio station Mission 90.6 FM,<ref>Grime Kids: The Inside Story of the Global Grime Takeover - By DJ Target - Publisher: Trapeze; Reprint edition (July 23, 2019) - {{ISBN|978-1409179535}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> pioneering a mix of R&B, hip-hop, jungle and dancehall derived sounds, taking its cues straight from the Jamaican sound system tradition, while adding fresh and modern elements from UK garage. They also featured on London pirates Freek FM 101.8 and Y2K FM 90.6.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u28ExJMUOjE&list=PLtbdIz1FFskNWce_6iNbEOeyB5BiZUGoQ Heartless Crew on London pirate radio]</ref> In 2001, Heartless Crew had a notable clash with fellow UKG crew Pay As U Go.<ref name=":0" />
In 2002, they signed to BBC Radio 1Xtra, where they presented their Sunday evening programme.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/after-reunion-heartless-crew-s-mc-bushkin-to-perform-solo-in-dubai-1.161552|title=After reunion, Heartless Crew's MC Bushkin to perform solo in Dubai|website=The National|date=13 July 2016|language=en|access-date=2019-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104092436/https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/after-reunion-heartless-crew-s-mc-bushkin-to-perform-solo-in-dubai-1.161552|archive-date=2019-11-04|url-status=live}}</ref> They also released a debut compilation album, ''Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1'' on the East West record label, closely followed by their debut single, "The Heartless Theme a.k.a 'The Superglue Riddim'".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /> The single reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart in May 2002.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|last=Roberts|first=David|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|year=2006|isbn=1-904994-10-5|edition=19th|location=London|page=248}}</ref> The music video for "The Heartless Theme" was directed by Andy Hylton.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.andyhylton.com/ |title=Andyhylton.com |access-date=2019-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523111936/https://www.andyhylton.com/ |archive-date=2019-05-23 |url-status=live }}</ref> The crew were nominated at the MOBO Awards in 2002.<ref name=":5" /> They left 1Xtra in 2006.{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}}
It was announced in 2010 that the Heartless Crew split up, to pursue solo careers whilst still remaining friends.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2017/01/sidewinder-classics-heartless-crew-brunel-rooms-2005-set |title=Sidewinder Classics: A Set from 2005 Featuring Heartless Crew |website=Complex Networks |access-date=2019-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104092434/https://www.complex.com/music/2017/01/sidewinder-classics-heartless-crew-brunel-rooms-2005-set |archive-date=2019-11-04 |url-status=live }}</ref> MC Bushkin and DJ Fonti went on to present the F.A.B. (Fonti & Bushkin) show together on Rinse FM on Friday evenings between 7-9pm, however they left the station in late 2012/early 2013, with Bushkin pursuing a career as a recording artist.{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}} MC Bushkin announced he was quitting MCing in 2014.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" />
In 2016, the trio returned as a group, headlining the sold out Garage Nation Festival to critical acclaim online.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/music/after-reunion-heartless-crews-mc-bushkin-to-perform-solo-in-dubai |title=After reunion, Heartless Crew's MC Bushkin to perform solo in Dubai | the National |access-date=2016-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714225647/http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/music/after-reunion-heartless-crews-mc-bushkin-to-perform-solo-in-dubai |archive-date=2016-07-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> They have since appeared at Notting Hill Carnival, headlined the o2 Academy in Leicester and performed as special guests at Eskimo Dance in Bristol. They were also set to appear at Birmingham's notorious club night 0231 at Rainbow Venues and alongside Kurupt FM at a sold out Brixton Academy show before the end of the year. In 2017, they continued performing at in demand events, appearing at the Snowbombing festival in Austria and at Annie Mac's Lost & Found Festival in Malta.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/HeartlessCr3w/events|title=Heartless Crew|website=Facebook.com}}</ref>
==Discography== ===Albums=== * ''Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1'' (May 2002) - #10 UK Compilation Album Chart<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Single ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK<br /><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> |- | 2002 ! scope="row"| "The Heartless Theme" | 21 | rowspan="1"| ''Heartless Crew presents Crisp Biscuit Vol 1'' |- | rowspan=2| 2003 ! scope="row"| "Why (Looking Back)" | 50 | rowspan="2"| Singles only |- ! scope="row"| "Hearts in the Music" | — |- | colspan="18" style="font-size:85%"| "—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released. |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009c52 ''Heartless Crew''] (BBC Radio 1Xtra)
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Category:English dance music groups Category:Musical groups from London Category:English hip-hop groups Category:UK garage groups Category:English musical trios Category:Musical groups established in 1992 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2010 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2016 Category:East West Records artists