The UK pop charts had proved themselves ready for an influx of urban music, and East West Records, an imprint of Warner Music, snapped up teenage rap group Blazin' Squad a year earlier. He is still involved in the music industry, however, as he works as a DJ. He got Blazin Squads first number one and the date they signed their record contract on his arm but after spending time with experts, the ink was updated to a more spectacular tribute to their efforts - complete with a smoking microphone. The rapper hilariously tried to keep his time in the boyband a closely guarded secret, before choosing to disclose the revelation to fellow islanders one by one. This is false- Corleta Somerville is Rocky B's mum! Their debut album featured three hit singles, including Love on the Line and Where the Story Ends, and their follow up, Now or Never, had another, Flip Reverse. You may have been watching Love Island this year and thought where do I know that guy from? Despite ditching the hair gel and growing a beard, the 36-year-old does not look too different from the group's heyday. ", Well no, of course not. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. We caught up with Marcel over the summer, but where are the rest these days? Read more: 'Simon Cowell is powerful b****** but shouldn't bring back X Factor' says ex star. Did they meet at the Crossroads after their breakup? Although he keeps his personal life on the down-low, Strider has ditched his trademark hair gel and shaved eyebrow and is now a married man with a baby. Outside the villa, fans were reliving the group's glory days which led to some members of the band doing the nightclub PA rounds over summer. They reunited briefly in 2011 and represented Great Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest in Germany, where they came in 11th place with their song, I Can, and they've done other reunion shows too. He is reported to be a successful cyclist and over the years has taken part in a string of races including the CC Hackney Road Race in April. She says that she feels strange when she sees teenage girls screaming over her son, but knows that he enjoys it! Answer: Melody. Releasing new music wouldnt be off the table either.. Critics' main complaint was that Blazin' Squad posed as the next threat on the garage scene, but were actually more like East 17, the Nineties boy band who hailed from the nearby ends of Walthamstow. Trivia. And are they getting back together? The cast of That '70s Show where are they now? It's been a long time since we've thought about Blazin' Squad. James Murray stayed close with his bandmate Mustafa Omer (Strider). Melo-D is a member of the band, but 'Melody' isn't. Strider, Rocky B, and Krazy are all members. Self-proclaimed pioneers of "chav" culture, ten-piece pop/rap act Blazin' Squad scored an impressive six consecutive Top Ten hits in just two years. While doing pretty well behind the scenes, Flava is one of the Blazin' boys who tends to keep out of the spotlight himself, and is seemingly impossible to track down on social media. He is now in a new relationship and welcomed his first child called Roman at the end of January. Despite the chart success of their singles, the group failed to match their success with their second album, Now or Never, only peaking at #36 on the UK Albums Chart. What do Blazin Squad look like now, when was Marcel Somerville on Love Island and what are the lads doing now? Although he doesnt seem to use his Twitter account much, he supported Marcel when he was in Love Island. He's pretty unrecognisable these days with cropped hair and a thick beard. Actually known as Stuart Baker, the spiked hair has now been replaced with soft, brunette locks. Even the BBC gave them one star for their debut album. The limited UK success of Crossroads, a number byUS hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, gave them inspiration to do a loose cover. Where are the Sabrina the Teenage Witch cast now? Arsenal fan Sam Foulkes now works in the import and export industry, while re-teaming with some of his bandmates for the odd Blazin' Squad show. About Blazin' Squad. King faced the media after Rovers' last minute defeat to Leigh Leopards on Friday evening. He keeps out of the limelight for but after Marcel's stint on Love Island, Oliver was invited to appear on E4 show Tattoo Fixers to get the ink on his left bicep updated. He's apparently working in the import/export industry now (similar to flipping/reversing) but still does the occasional gig with Blazin' Squad and has been showing his Team Marcel Love Island support online, too. Here, we've have taken a deeper dive into what the original Squad members have been up to over the past two decades. The 10-piece boyband from London went on to achieve seven Top 10 hits in various flip-reversed line-ups (remember the Friday Hill reboot circa 2005/2006? He is now married to Welsh-born wife, Zoe, and the pair are often seen jetting off abroad to exotic and mountainous locations. Artists including Professor Green and Leona Lewis have used their songs. His corkscrew curls have been ironed out and now Sam Foulkes is all grown up. After some intense detective work and a lot of 'Crossroads' on repeat, we've gathered a roundup of where all ten of the Blazin' Squad boys are now - and some handy past and present photos to help decide whether you still fancy your fave. After dipping his toe into the music scene hes now moved into imports and exports. The group met at school and came together through a shared love of music and rap. To date, he still occasionally performs with a few members of the group but also works in the import/exportindustry. So, of course, everyone is asking - just what happened to the boys? Reepa is still in the media industry as a manager at the BBC. But he's apparently had a couple of normal jobs too. EastEnders actress turned Strictly star Maisie Smith has sent fans into meltdown with her latest batch of smoking hot social media snaps as she posed up a storm fo the camera. Find yourself among people of a certain age today and chances are they'll be able to sing the chorus of Crossroads. Associated With The group's split spelled the end of Oliver's music career as he pursued a new profession in corporate banking. As well as becoming a household reality TV icon, Marcel Sommerville works as a producer and founder of an independent music label called Dmode. He continues to be proud of his Blazin' Squad roots, writing in his Twitter bio that he's a member of the band. Even music snobs were hard-pressed to resist the pop charm of the teen band's chart-topping debut single 'Crossroads' when it was released back in 2002. Melo-D, or Chris McKeckney, still dabbles in the music biz, uploading rap tracks to his Soundcloud page. While some of the fresh-faced group went back to their day jobs, others have continued to court the limelight. Kenzie dated Katie Price's arch nemesis Jodie Marsh in 2005 - the same year he also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother. Since the good ol' days, Strider has gone on to even bigger and better things than Blazin' Squad (if that's actually possible). Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Blazin' Squad member James Mackenzie a.k.a. After Blazin' Squad, they became the successful production duo Mojam. He has had quite the career change and now works in the import and export industry. Occasionally, he ditches the suit to join his bandmates on stage during reunion performances. The single fared slightly better than the previous single but could only peak at #51 on the UK Singles Chart. Admittedly, only half of them scraped the Top 40, but the group also landed seven Top 10 hits in three years. When they started, they had an average age of 16 and were known by a string of ridiculous nicknames:Kenzie (James McKenzie), Freek (Oliver Georgiou), Melo-d (Chris McKeckney), Reepa (Stuart Baker), Krazy (Lee Bailey), Spike-e (Sam Foulkes), Flava (James Murray), Tommy-B (Tom Beasley), Plat'num (Marcel Sommerville)andStrider (Mustafa Omer). Real name, Chris McKeckney, he's believed to be working as an Engineer these days after leaving the music world behind. Rumour has it that Tommy was the one who came up with the idea for the band to Crossroads - leading them to chart success. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. James and long-term partner Leah Jade Stowell share a son and daughter, and he regularly shares proud snaps of his family on Instagram. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 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He's eating ice cream in his Twitter picture though, so he must also enjoy some occasional dessert based snacking. Blazin' Squad also had a number two single, the really quite rude chat-up banger Flip Reverse, in 2003. The former Blazin' Squad member has stayed in media, but a different kind; he is now a media manager at the BBC. The London group had seven hits in the Top 10 before one by one they slowly exited from the spotlight -but where are they now? Melo-d seems to be the member who's proudest of his Blazin' Squad roots, remaining a solid member of the band and appearing up and down the country at various reunion gigs for a bit of a 'Crossroads' sesh. Blazin' Squad burst onto the scene 20 years ago, clocking a No.1 hit with their debut single. His debut single "Crossroads" with the Blazin' Boys hit the #1 spot on the UK music charts when he was 15 years old. Kenzie has certainly grown up since his band days, Reepa has ditched his spikes since the '00s. Blazin Squad released two albums in their original line-up (Picture: PA) In 2005, members Kenzie, Flava and Strider formed Friday Hill and released two singles - Baby Goodbye and One More Night. Viewers have been taking the Mickey out of him for constantly mentioning that he was in Blazin' Squad. Their representative told The Telegraph: "There are no major plans apart from the band performing a few shows up and down the country". While he's back to being close with the boys these days, he also previously performed as a solo act called The Lee Bailey Project, which is still visible on MySpace. They released a single, and their the group's fourth, and final, record deal dumping followed. Aim for the stars and if you miss at least you will land on the moon.. #gooner. Ollie, who is reportedly Marcels best friend, is married and is also a dad. He. All 10 bandmates met up for drinks once Marcel, now 36, returned to the real world. Reepa, or Stuart Baker as he's known to colleagues these days, was an original Blazin' Squad member. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Poor MarcelSomerville. The cast of Bridget Jones's Diary then & now. "Its [sic] been a lot of fun & we're and looking forward to sharing what we've been working on for 2022. Twelve years on from his boy band adventure, Marcel Sommerville is taking part in the2017 series of Love Island. In October 2005, the group released their debut single, "Baby Goodbye", which reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart, selling over 80,000 copies. Following the show, Marcel and Gabby were together for almost a year before announcing their split amid reports of infidelity on his part. The ten members all met through secondary school and came together through a shared love of music. While continuing to do pretty well in the music industry, Flava is one of the Blazin' boys who tends to keep out of the spotlight himself, and is seemingly impossible to track down on social media, but he hasn't changed much from the '00s. In 2005, Strider, Flava and Kenzie signed a record deal with Polydor records, and began recording an album under the name Friday Hill, named after a location in their hometown in Chingford. 22 photos of Disney Channel stars then and now. Where are the original Loose Women hosts now? Now a far cry from his skinny days, Kenzie is buff thanks to his work as a personal trainer, and is an international DJ according to his social media profile. Home: TV: Radio: Talk: Where I Live: A-Z Index: Games: Chat: Vote: Win: Quiz: Club . Well, the 10 mates are all from London and they met at school. He also often shares snaps of him and the band hanging out abroad or in swanky venues (pre-pandemic of course). Turn on your telly at 9pm and you'll currently find Rocky B / Plat'num (depending on your Blazin' era) starring on the new series of Love Island. "Here 4 One" was issued as the third single from Now or Never in early 2004, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart, but sales failed to be strong enough to warrant a third album deal. According to his LinkedIn, Chris, who had a spell with peroxide blond hair and nose ring, has worked in double glazing. They co-wrote and co-produced Sam Smith and Naughty Boy's tune 'La La La', and also worked on Jess Glynne's debut album. Since the good ol' days, Strider has gone on to even bigger and better things than Blazin' Squad. This single was the first to reach the UK Top 40, and debuted in the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart of 31 August 2002. When their second album failed to reach the dizzying heights of their first, they were dropped from their label and forced to split in 2003. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. You'll have to find the ghoul in under 11 seconds, so can you do it? He still performs with the band when they get together for reunions and still lists himself as a member on his Instagram, but he's ditched the gelled hair and shaved eyebrows in favour of grown-out locks and stubble. What ever happened to the Blazin' Squad boys? Here we take a trip down memory lane as we revisit their lives 20 years on from their glory days. The Squad's Reepa tells Leigh Mytton all about it. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Immediately after his time in the group, Marcel Somerville had a run of reality show stints on CelebAir, The Games and The Weakest Link and he's back on reality telly now as a cast member on Love Island. However, after their showbiz careers stalled the Squad wound up on very different paths. Also known as Tom Beasley, the former boyband member is still working the decks up and down the country as a DJ. More recently in 2013, he gave the pop game another shot by teaming up with Adam Rickitt, Gareth Gates, Dane Bowers and Kavana for ITV2's The Big Reunion for new manband 5th Story. He's since found love with current girlfriend Rebecca Vieira and they welcomed a son together called Roman in 2021. He's also married, referring to himself as a newlywed on Instagram, where he shares pictures of their holidays to far flung and exotic locations. However, he's not given up on music altogether. In 2005 the Chingford lad came second on Celebrity Big Brother aged 19, and made headlines that same year when he began dating former glamour model Jodie Marsh, 43. The Love Island boys reunited in early August 2017, Young Kenzie, with his then girlfriend Jodie Marsh, Now he's a buff personal trainer with a penchant for reality television shows, Chris McKeckney was a fresh faced young boy in 2002, Stuart Baker was all spiked hair and chains, Now he's got a proper haircut and a proper job working for the Beeb, Freek had one of the biggest transformations, He ended up being a suave banker who sipped wine and used Instagram filters, Cutie Marcel didn't stray far from his Blazin Squad roots, He does however look infinitely cooler now, Looking like butter wouldn't melt back in the day, Tommy B is also a keen cyclist who loves a vanilla cone, Krazy's hair sadly isn't the reason he was given that moniker, He's not been seen recently but did keep to his love of music, Sam Foulkes left his curls in the early noughties, But he's kept up with his music and still works with Blazin Squad on reunions, Mustafa Omer learnt a lot in his Blazin Squad days, And he's penned some huge hits for some massive names with James. His stint instigated a mini reunion as three fellow Blazin' Squad members made an appearance to perform Flip Reverse. He now has a. As you may have noticed from the past and present picture comparison, Krazy literally looks exactly the same as he did back in the day, with his long blonde hair still in tact. Reepa is still in the media industry as a manager at the BBC. Di. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. "Wishing everyone a very happy, prosperous new year.". . These days Kenzie is a personal trainer and DJ, whose attends plenty of pool parties, glam nights out, and DJing all over the world. Self-proclaimed pioneers of "chav" culture, ten-piece pop/rap act Blazin' Squad scored an impressive six consecutive Top Ten hits in just two years. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. He ilmoittivat mys julkaisevansa uuden albumin uudella levy-yhtill, Peach Records. Ed Sheeran announces he's engaged to fiance Cherry Seaborn, Blind Dates unluckiest contestant shunned for a SECOND time after being first person to be stood up on the show in 20 years, Naked photos of ex Coronation Street star Melissa Johns performing sex act leaked online by cruel hackers, Ewan McGregors scorned wife has blasted his filing for divorce as 'upsetting and disappointing', Voice UK fans wowed by inspirational singer who overcomes stammer when he performs, Who are Ant and Ox? Since the Squad broke up, he's also appeared with some of his old bandmates in nightclubs. But perhaps it'll all. In June 2009, Strider, Flava, Kenzie, Krazy and Rocky B announced they would be re-uniting as a five piece, and subsequently released their comeback single, "Let's Start Again". He was part of a supergroup called 5th Story, compiled while he was appearing on ITV's Big Reunion. From Blazin' Squad, that's where. The chances are that Kenzie is the boy you remember the best, as he went on to appear on a couple of different reality TV shows like Celebrity Big Brother and The Big Reunion, and now lives a very lavish Insta-lifestyle. MC Freek, Rocky B, Melo-d, Reepa, Krazy, Spike-e, Flava . He appeared on ITVs Love Island where he never missed a chance to drop the fact he was one of the Blazin Squad members. Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman chokes up over death of friend Darius Campbell Danesh, Beatles' star Paul McCartney devastated as brother-in-law John Eastman dies. Following his very public but short-lived romance to Marsh, Kenzie has been with his current girlfriend since 2012 with whom he now shares daughters Wynter and Wyllow. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. He is now married to wife Karina and the couple share two kids. His curly ginger locks are gone, replaced with a bald head and bushy beard. Assuming it was Marcel. After years away from the limelight, Marcel appeared on the third series of Love Island and came in fourth place with Gabby Allen. Lat year Marcel revealed vile trolls had targeted his son with cruel racist remarks. Blazin' Squad's popularity had a brief resurgence in 2017 all thanks to Marcel's appearance in one of the most popular series of Love Island to date. It's been almost 20 years since Blazin' Squad were riding high in the UK charts with their debut single Crossroads heading straight for the Number One spot. In 2003 they were considered so relevant that their rendition of Flip Reverse was used to relaunch Top of the Pops. But their album, Times Like These, struggled in the charts. The most office-based of the lot is Reepa,who works as a media manager at the BBC. He's now the kind of bloke you'd see in trendy wine bars using the Clarendon filter on Instagram to show off hisPinot. Reepa, or Stuart Baker as he's known to colleagues these days, was an original Blazin' Squad member. He is now dad to daughters Wynter and Wyllow, who he shares with his girlfriend of 10 years. When not in the studio he can usually be found on the running track hanging out with Strider and Krazy. They then stormed the charts with their debut single Crossroads - which reached number one in 2002. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Another member of the band who has had a change in career is Sam Foulkes, aka Spike-E. He tweeted: "I've used so much hand sanitiser I can see through my hands.". He is from England. Blazin' Squad biography and history on AllMusic including birthday, best songs, existing and new album information, and more. The remaining few (Rocky-B, Reepa, Spike-E, Melo-D and MC Vyper, who had changed his alias from Danny-B), announced they would be reforming as Blazin' Squad in the summer of 2006. But what happened after the band split in 2005? The former Squad member has also gone under the aliases Primetime Pro-Juice, Plat'num and Bezzle (to his friends) in recent years. DJ Tommy, who is a fan of cycling, has not been seen with the group during any of their reunion gigs. The pair welcomed their first child - a son they named Roman - at the end of January. The former Blazin' Squad member has stayed in media, but a different kind; he is now a media manager at the BBC. Strider, Freek, Krazy, Tommy-B, Melo-D, Spike-E, Reepa, and Kenzie all met at Higham Park School in Chingford, London where they bonded over a love of hip-hop. The hair gel loving lads resurfaced in the spotlight when Marcel Somerville, aka Rocky B, went into the Love Island villa and was at the centre of reality romance. . They co-wrote and co-produced Sam Smith and Naughty Boy's tune 'La La La', and also worked on Jess Glynne's debut album. Kenzie, now 36, became one of the most recognisable membersof the group following a series of TV appearances and high profile relationships after the band went their separate ways. He has been pretty quiet of late since his solo career, dubbed the Lee Bailey Project, failed to hit the big time. He now appears to have completely disappeared from the spotlight. Poznali si w wieku 14 lat i od tamtej pory zaczli tworzy muzyk. Even though the releases were issued as underground white labels, "Standard Flow" sold enough copies to chart as Blazin' Squad's first Top 100 chart entry, peaking at number 78 on the chart of 17 August 2002 with three weeks in the countdown. [2], The band released a number of white label singles on the Weighty Plates label featuring remixes of the track "Standard Flow" from their album In the Beginning. Teachers Dear Diary: Blazin's Reepa hits the clubs Updated 25 October 2002, 11.58. 5. In February 2006, they released a second single, "One More Night Alone", which reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart. Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set. It features the rap version of "We Just Be Dreamin . But when the band disbanded, he retreated from the limelight - despite initially telling the media he would like to carry on with a career in the industry. Ten teenagers from Chingford who enjoyed a brief, but indeed blazing, time in the limelight in the early Noughties. Oh, and he makes occasional squad reunion appearances with a few of the other lads too.
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