Dream Warriors (band) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dream Warriors
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| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Canadian hip hop, alternative hip hop, jazz rap |
| Years active | 1988–2002 |
| Labels | 4th & Broadway, Island, Pendulum, EMI |
| Associated acts | Gang Starr, Digable Planets, The Herbaliser, Maestro Fresh Wes, Organized Rhyme |
| Past members | King Lou Capital Q DJ Luv Spek |
Dream Warriors was a cool Canadian hip hop group from Toronto, Ontario. It started with two main members, King Lou and Capital Q. They were known for their smart lyrics and helped create a new style called "jazz rap" in the early 1990s.
Their first album, And Now the Legacy Begins, released in 1991, is considered one of the best alternative hip hop albums from that time. Later, for their second album Subliminal Simulation in 1994, two more members joined: rapper Spek and DJ Luv. They released a third album, The Master Plan, in 1996. Spek and DJ Luv left the group a year later. Even though their later albums weren't as big hits, the original duo released a popular "greatest hits" album in 1999. Their last album, The Legacy Continues..., came out in 2002.
Contents
The Story of Dream Warriors
How the Group Started
King Lou (Louis Robinson) and Capital Q (Frank Allert) started Dream Warriors in 1988. They were both from Toronto, Canada. In the same year, King Lou first appeared on a song called "Victory Is Calling" with other artists.
The duo began making music together in 1989. They joined a music production team called Beat Factory Productions. In 1990, they worked with a supergroup of Toronto musicians called Dance Appeal. They made a song called "Can't Repress the Cause." This song asked for more hip hop music to be included in the Canadian music scene.
First Album Success
Dream Warriors signed with 4th & B'way/Island Records. They released their first album, And Now the Legacy Begins, in 1991. This album had a cool jazz rap sound. Music critics really liked the album. It sold well in Canada, the United Kingdom, and across Europe. It then became a popular underground hit in the United States.
The album had several hit songs. These included "Wash Your Face in My Sink," "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style," and "Ludi." The first two songs made it into the top 20 in the UK. In Canada, the album earned a "gold" award for sales. It also won a Juno Award, which is a big music award in Canada. The song "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style" used a part of "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones. This was the theme song for a Canadian TV game show called Definition.
In 1992, Dream Warriors recorded a song called "Man Smart, Woman Smarter." This song was for the movie soundtrack of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
New Members and More Music
For their next album in 1994, Subliminal Simulation, Dream Warriors added two new members. Rapper Spek (Hussain Yoosuf) and DJ Luv (Phillip Gayle) joined the group. This made Dream Warriors a four-person group. The album got mixed reviews from critics. It featured a guest appearance by Butterfly from Digable Planets. Also, Gang Starr (Guru and DJ Premier) helped with two songs. The album also had spoken word parts between the songs. Two singles from this album were "Day in Day Out" and "California Dreamin'."
Dream Warriors released their third album, The Master Plan, in 1996. This album was not released in the US. Three singles came from this album: "Float On," "What Do You Want 'Ladies'?", and "Sound Clash" (which featured Beenie Man). Later that year, they made a hip-hop version of "Edmonton Block Heater." This song appeared on a special album called A Tribute to Hard Core Logo.
Later Years and Legacy
Spek left the group in 1997 and moved to the UK. DJ Luv also left the group in the same year. In 1999, a "greatest hits" album was released. It was called Anthology: A Decade of Hits 1988–1998. This album featured two brand new songs by the original duo, King Lou and Capital Q. Critics really liked this collection of songs. One critic said they belonged in the same group as famous hip hop acts like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. That year, the band performed in Hamilton, Canada.
In 2002, Dream Warriors released their final album, The Legacy Continues.... This album was only released in Canada. The song "Road of Many Signs" was produced by The Herbaliser. This song also appeared on their album Very Mercenary in 1999. Other songs from this final album included "Breathe or Die" and "Unstoppable."
In 2017, a second collection of their best songs, called Icon, was released.
Music Albums
- And Now the Legacy Begins (1991)
- Subliminal Simulation (1994)
- The Master Plan (1996)
- The Legacy Continues... (2002)
Song Collections
- Anthology: A Decade of Hits 1988–1998 (1999)
- Icon (2017)
Hit Songs
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN |
AUS |
US Mod Rock |
NZ | NED | GER | SWI | SWE | IRE | UK |
|||
| 1990 | "Wash Your Face in My Sink" | — | 57 | — | — | 38 | — | — | — | — | 16 | And Now the Legacy Begins |
| "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style" | — | 65 | 24 | — | 59 | 22 | 15 | 15 | — | 13 | ||
| 1991 | "Ludi" | 56 | 117 | — | — | 48 | — | — | — | 24 | 39 | |
| "Follow Me Not" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994 | "Day in Day Out" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Subliminal Simulation |
| 1995 | "California Dreamin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1996 | "Float On" | — | — | — | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Master Plan |
| "What Do You Want 'Ladies'?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Sound Clash" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999 | "Road of Many Signs" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Legacy Continues... |
| 2000 | "Breathe or Die" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2002 | "Unstoppable" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" means the song did not appear on the charts or was not released. | ||||||||||||
Awards and Nominations
Dream Warriors received several important awards and nominations during their career:
- 1991 Juno Awards
- Nominated for Rap Recording of the Year for "Wash Your Face in My Sink"
- 1992 Juno Awards
- Won Rap Recording of the Year for "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style"
- 1995 Juno Awards
- Nominated for Best Rap Recording for Subliminal Simulation
- 1997 Juno Awards
- Nominated for Best Rap Recording for The Master Plan
See Also
- Canadian hip hop
- Music of Canada
