{{short description|American hip hop band}} {{More citations needed|date=March 2011}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Spooks | image = <!-- Put only the image name (e.g. Example.png) without the Image: prefix. --> | caption = | image_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels. Set the value as a number without "px". --> | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.<br>Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. | genre = Hip hop | years_active = 1994–2006 | label = {{hlist|Artemis|Antra|Koch|Epic }} | website = | past_members = Booka-T<br>Hypno<br>Ming-Xia<br>Joe Davis<br>Water-Water (deceased) }} '''Spooks''' was an American hip-hop group, active from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spooks|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/spooks/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215024006/http://www.mtv.com/artists/spooks/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 15, 2017|website=Mtv.com|accessdate=14 February 2017}}</ref> The members of the group got together in 1994, taking their name from the 1969 novel by Sam Greenlee, ''The Spook Who Sat by the Door''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-01-25 |title=TV and Radio: Work in progress |url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/jan/25/tvandradio.television |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref><ref>[http://www.mvremix.com/urban/interviews/spooks.shtml "Spooks: Infiltrating Your Mind Through Music"], Interview conducted by Todd E. Jones, MVRemix, 2004.]</ref>
==Career== After attaining success throughout Europe and North America with their album ''S.I.O.S.O.S., Vol. 1'', Spooks garnered a hit with the single, "Things I've Seen", which featured in the Laurence Fishburne film ''Once in the Life'' (2000) as well as the intro for the European version of the American TV series ''Dark Angel''. Shortly afterwards, Spooks followed up with the number 16 on the top 40 charts hit "Karma Hotel." Spooks had sold several million records internationally and was eligible for a European and America platinum plaque. They also reached gold status in five countries. Back home in America, "Things I`ve Seen" hit number 11 on the hip hop singles charts and "Sweet Revenge" hit number 6 on the r&b singles charts. Water-Water left the group before their second album ''Faster Than You Know'', and died in a car accident in September 2003, days before the album's release.<ref>[http://drownedinsound.com/news/8034-death-of-an-mc Chris Nettleton, "Death of an MC" (on Water-Water's death)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612012912/http://drownedinsound.com/news/8034-death-of-an-mc |date=2012-06-12 }}, Drowned in Sound, September 22, 2003.</ref>
==Discography== ===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="8"| Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|AUT<br /><ref name="album">{{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Spooks&titel=S%2EI%2EO%2ES%2EO%2ES%2E+%2D+Volume+One&cat=a|title=Spooks – ''S.I.O.S.O.S. – Volume One''|website=austriancharts.at|language=de|access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|BEL<br /><ref name="album"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|FRA<br /><ref name="album"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|GER<br /><ref name="album"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|NLD<br /><ref name="album"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|NZ<br /><ref name="album"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|SWI<br /><ref name="album"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|UK<br /><ref name="OCC">Peaks in the UK: * All except noted: {{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/10078/spooks/|title=Spooks songs and albums {{!}} full Official Chart history|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=May 18, 2025}} * "Faster Than You Know": {{cite web|url=https://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_S.HTM|title=Chart Log UK: DJ S – The System of Life|website=zobbel.de|access-date=18 May 2025}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''S.I.O.S.O.S. Volume One'' | *Released: February 8, 2000 *Label: Antra, Artemis, Epic *Formats: CD, LP, cassette | 39 | 19 | 55 | 73 | 94 | 36 | 73 | 25 |- ! scope="row"| ''Faster Than You Know...'' | *Released: September 23, 2003 *Label: Koch *Formats: CD, LP, cassette | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |}
===Singles=== {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="10"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| AUT<br /><ref name="charts">{{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Spooks&titel=Things+I%27ve+Seen&cat=s|title=Spooks – Things I've Seen|website=austriancharts.at|language=de|access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| BEL<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Spooks&titel=Things+I%27ve+Seen&cat=s|title=Spooks – Things I've Seen|publisher=Ultratop|language=nl|access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| DEN<br /><ref name="charts"/> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| FRA<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Spooks&titel=Things+I%27ve+Seen&cat=s|title=Spooks – Things I've Seen|website=lescharts.com|language=fr|access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| GER<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/suche?artist_search=Spooks&do_search=do|title=Discographie von Spooks|website=offiziellecharts.de|language=de|access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| ITA<br /><ref name="charts"/> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| NLD<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Spooks&titel=Things+I%27ve+Seen&cat=s|title=Spooks – Things I've Seen|website=dutchcharts.nl|language=nl|access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| SWE<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Spooks&titel=Things+I%27ve+Seen&cat=s|title=Spooks – Things I've Seen|website=swedishcharts.com|access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| SWI<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Spooks&titel=Things+I%27ve+Seen&cat=s|title=Spooks – Things I've Seen|website=hitparade.ch|language=de|access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| UK<br /><ref name="OCC"/> |- ! scope="row" | "Sweet Revenge" |rowspan="2"|2000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 67 |rowspan="3"|''S.I.O.S.O.S. Volume One'' |- ! scope="row" | "Things I've Seen" | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 6 |- ! scope="row" | "Karma Hotel" |rowspan="4"|2001 | — | 34 | — | 55 | 83 | — | 65 | 48 | 78 | 15 |- ! scope="row" | "Yes" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="2" {{Non-album singles}} |- ! scope="row" | "I Believe" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ! scope="row" | "Swindley's Maracas" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ''S.I.O.S.O.S. Volume One'' |- ! scope="row" | "Faster Than You Know" |rowspan="5"|2003 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 117 |rowspan="5"|''Faster Than You Know...'' |- ! scope="row" | "Still Gonna Do It" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ! scope="row" | "Crazy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ! scope="row" | "Change" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ! scope="row" | "Don't Be Afraid" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p416235|pure_url=yes}} The Spooks] on Allmusic *[http://imusic.am/artist/4841 The Spooks] on imusic.am *[http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Spooks-Biography/BE5DDB51A69A4C6748256B9000180FAF Spooks Biography] *http://www.last.fm/music/Spooks *[http://www.MingMusik.com Ming-Xia's solo recordings] *[http://www.drownedinsound.com/in_depth/9217 Interview with Joe Davis and Booker T] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519233301/http://www.drownedinsound.com/in_depth/9217 |date=2009-05-19 }} on drownedinsound.com
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Spooks, The}} Category:American dance musicians Category:East Coast hip-hop groups Category:Hip-hop collectives Category:Rappers from Philadelphia Category:Hip-hop groups from Philadelphia