Harlem Spartans

Harlem Spartans is a British drill group based in Kennington, London.[6][7][8][9] Members of Harlem Spartans have acquired over 100 million streams through their music.[1] The name, "Harlem", is a nickname for their local area of Kennington.[6] The police allege that Harlem Spartans is a gang, however this is denied by the group.[10]

Harlem Spartans
OriginKennington, London
GenresUK drill
Years active2014–present
Associated acts67, Moscow17,[1] KuKu[2]
MembersAydee/Active
Anwar
Bellz
Blanco
G Smarko
JoJo
LM/Trapfit
Loski Loose
MizOrMac
Naghz Max
OnDrills
Sav
Scratcha
SD
Snow
TY
TG Millian
Zico
Past members
  • Bis (deceased)[3]
  • Splash Addict (deceased)[4][5]

Harlem Spartans is affiliated with Camberwell-based group Moscow17.[3][6] Australian drill group Onefour cites Harlem Spartans as a major influence in their music.[11]

History

Beginnings (2014–2018)

Harlem Spartans started making music in 2014, using a local youth centre as a music studio. Most artists within Harlem Spartans are from Kennington, with many of them going to Tenison’s School in Oval. Musically, like much of UK drill music, their music contains references to their local area, violence, references to beef with other groups, and is often riddled with slang.[7]

The group is known for its beef with Brixton-based group 410.[6][9] The beef has been expressed through various diss tracks, and has at times escalated to physical violence. 410 member AM released the song "Attempted 1.0" in 2018. The song contained many direct references to violence towards Harlem Spartans members. Skengdo & AM, members of 410, were later given a gang injunction from the police that banned them from entering Kennington or mentioning rival gangs in their music.

Rise to fame and success of Harlem Spartans (2018–present)

Prominent songs from the group include "Call Me a Spartan",[7] "Kennington Where It Started",[7] and Loski's songs "Cool Kid", "Hazards", and "Forrest Gump", the latter of which entered the charts. In April of 2018, Loski released his mixtape Call Me Loose.[12][8][13]

Canadian artist Drake has publicly stated he is a 'fan' of Harlem Spartans,[7] and has posted Harlem Spartan music lyrics onto his social media.[14] In 2019, Drake appeared on-stage alongside Harlem Spartans member Loski.[15] Drake credited Loski as an influence for his Scorpion album.[12]

Members

The list below includes confirmed members of Harlem Spartans. DJ Sparta DJ's for the group.[16] :

Controversy

Death of Splash Addict

Latwaan Griffiths, better known by his stage name Splash Addict or Latz, was found with numerous knife wounds after being attacked whilst on the back of a moped in Camberwell, South London, on 25 July 2018. [22] A 17 year old was arrested the following day in connection to the murder.[23] It was reported that Griffith was stabbed to death in Camberwell.[1][3][24] Later in the evening, shots were fired at homes that police suspect were homes of 410 members. One member of 410 is alleged to have attacked a Harlem Spartans member with a metal pole in the waiting room of Thameside prison.[1]

Death of Bis

On 6 December 2019, Harlem Spartans member Crosslon Davis better known as, Bis, was stabbed and killed in Bronze Street, Deptford, south-east London.[25][26][27] He was pronounced dead at 03:30 after being stabbed multiple times.[28][29] Bis was 20-years old at time of death.[30]

Mizormac jailed

Mucktar Khan, better known by his stage name Mizormac,[31] was jailed following an incident in the early hours of February 15th 2017, when a taxi containing Mizormac and fellow Harlem member Joshua Eduardo, better known as Blanco,[32] was pulled over by armed police. The police searched the pair and found a loaded gun on Blanco and a samurai sword he had attempted to conceal in his trousers, additionally Mizormac was wearing ballistic body armour and had a balaclava.[33] On 9 February 2018, Mizormac was convicted of possession of a firearm and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and sentenced to six years in prison. His co defendant Blanco was sentenced to 3 and a half years.[34]

Loski jailed

In 2016, Loski was sentenced to prison after being found in possession of a knife. In 2018 he was caught in possession of a firearm.[35]

References
  1. chrisnewell (2019-05-05). "Doing violence to music". members.tortoisemedia.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  2. "HARLEM SPARTANS & KUKU GO HARD ON WESTWOOD CRIB SESSION". GRM Daily - Grime, Rap music and Culture. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  3. Hancox, Dan (2019-01-14). "'Security has deteriorated': young Londoners pay price as city expands". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  4. Hancox, Dan (2019-01-14). "'Security has deteriorated': young Londoners pay price as city expands". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  5. "Violent drill music released by notorious London gangs is on iTunes and Spotify". Metro. 2018-07-30. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  6. "Them Pretty New Blocks: Drill Music and Gentrification in South London". Crack Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  7. "Is drill the most controversial genre of music?". British GQ. Archived from the original on 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  8. "Watch a new video from Loski, the London rapper you need to know". The FADER. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  9. "Get Familiar With UK Drill, the New Sound Exploding on the Streets of London". Complex. Archived from the original on 2019-06-11. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  10. Al-Othman, Hannah. "I Went Out On The Streets With One Of Scotland Yard's Elite Gang Crime Units". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  11. Riley, Christopher (2019-09-05). "Meet OneFour – The Western Sydney Rap Group Taking Over Hip Hop". GQ. Archived from the original on 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  12. Rathod, Nikita. "The Break Presents: Loski - XXL". XXL Mag. Archived from the original on 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  13. Bassil, Ryan (2019-01-11). "Drill Artist Loski Is Dripping with Flair". Vice. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  14. "Blanco - Return Of Bourne". Choice For Music UK Radio. 2019-02-01. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  15. "Loski Arrest Rumours: Rapper Appears In Snapchat Video 'Filmed In Prison Cell'". Capital XTRA. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  16. "Harlem Spartans: An Exclusive". The Mancunion. 2017-10-08. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  17. "Harlem Spartans Remind Us Once And For All That They're "Still On The O"". trenchtrenchtrench.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  18. "Harlem Spartans". HQ On Demand. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  19. "(HARLEM SPARTANS) ONDRILLS, LM & NM ARE "ED, EDD & EDDY" IN NEW VIDEO". GRM Daily - Grime, Rap music and Culture. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  20. "Harlem Spartans' Zico Maintains Quality Control On Drill Cut "Never Do Me Wrong"". trenchtrenchtrench.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  21. Magazine, Mr Trapped (2017-06-01). "NEW Music Vids: Harlem Spartans (Bis x Zico) - Money & Violence". Trapped Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  22. Chiara Giordano (2019-02-22). "Lambeth stabbing: Police hunt for killer after 23-year-old stabbed to death in London". The Independent. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  23. "'Security has deteriorated': young Londoners pay price as city expands | Cities". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  24. Townsend, Mark (2018-08-26). "Streets of fear: how London death toll reached 100". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
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  29. Lawrence-Jones, Charlie (2019-12-06). "Victim of the fatal Lewisham stabbing named by police as famous drill artist". getwestlondon. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  30. Weston, Christopher (2019-12-09). "Remembering Bis of Harlem Spartans: Age, real name, tributes". HITC. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
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  32. Evans, Elle (2020-04-29). "Journeying Through The Career Of One Of The UK's Well Respected MC's - Blanco". newwavemagazine. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  33. "Teen hid massive Samurai sword down his trousers as police swooped". International Business Times UK. 2018-02-09. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  34. "Teenagers caught with loaded gun and samurai sword in Camberwell jailed". Southwark News. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
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