Company Flow was an American hip hop group at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/producer El-P and DJ/producer DJ Mr. Len founded the group in 1992 (see 1992 in music) in Queens, New York and rapper/producer Bigg Jus later joined.
El-P had had a disastrous experience with a record label in an attempt at a solo deal, and founded the group after serving as an intern for an entertainment lawyer. With DJ Mr. Len, Company Flow released their debut single "Juvenile Techniques" in 1993 (see 1993 in music). The follow-up, "8 Steps to Perfection", and their debut EP, Funcrusher (1996), were underground hits. Subject to a major label bidding war on Libra records, Company Flow waited until they could get a contract on their own terms. They eventually signed to Rawkus, and helped revitalize alternative hip hop with labelmates like Mos Def. Their full-length debut album Funcrusher Plus, released in 1997 on Rawkus, is widely recognized as one of the most important and ground-breaking hiphop albums of the late 1990's. After two years of pushing the album and touring, group member Bigg Jus decided to strike out on his own and the group amicably dissolved. El-P and Mr. Len followed up their debut with the instrumental album Little Johnny From the Hospital (Rawkus).
By 2000 the relationship with Rawkus had run its course, with label and group pulling in opposite directions, and Co Flow announced their departure from Rawkus. As solo artists El-P and Mr. Len left Rawkus shortly thereafter, deciding that it was also time to go their separate ways. El-Producto has started his own record label (Definitive Jux) and a solo career, as has Mr. Len with his own label (Smacks Records) and Bigg Jus on Big Dada and Mush Records.
Bigg Jus stated in 2006 that he is currently working on material for a new Company Flow album, suggesting the possibility of the group re-forming.
*From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
