He is reported to work in the import and export industry. The pair co-wrote and co-produced Sam Smith and Naughty Boy's smash hit La La La, and worked on Jess Glynne's debut album. Blazin' Squad were an English hip hop group. he said. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). All 10 bandmates met up for drinks once Marcel, now 36, returned to the real world. Kenzie (James MacKenzie) Doug Peters / Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment Kenzie is. Much like some of his other band mates, he still gets involved in music; working as a DJ. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. King faced the media after Rovers' last minute defeat to Leigh Leopards on Friday evening. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Some members valiantly carried on, and with limited success. 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. Most have kept a finger in the musical pie, from artist management (Freek, formerly a corporate banker) and songwriting (Flava and Strider) or DJing (Tommy-B). 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. The cast of Bridget Jones's Diary then & now. His curly ginger locks are gone, replaced with a bald head and bushy beard. The pair welcomed their first child - a son they named Roman - at the end of January. Melo-D is a member of the band, but 'Melody' isn't. Strider, Rocky B, and Krazy are all members. The label issued a Greatest Hits compilation via digital download and thereby ended the contract with the group. 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The boyband/hip-hop collective, made up of 10 fresh-faced teens, went straight in at No.1 with their debut single, a cover of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's Crossroads, exactly 20 years ago today (August 31). Despite their record label wanting to drop them following the lack of success of the single, they had signed a binding contract to release an album. Sign up to the Hull Live newsletter for daily updates and breaking news. Newsbeat spoke to original Blazin' Squad band members MC Freek and Melo about reuniting and having their first headline show since 2004. . Real name, Chris McKeckney, he's believed to be working as an Engineer these days after leaving the music world behind. Reepa's mum is called Corleta. . Months earlier, So Solid Crew, the amorphous garage group from Battersea, had emerged from pirate radio obscurity into the mainstream thanks to the relentless patter of their hit single 21 Seconds. Freek also appears to be a Tottenham Hotspur fan judging from his tweets. Back in The Squad's glory days, Olivier got the date of his band's first number one and the date they signed their record contract on his arm. He's now the kind of bloke you'd see in trendy wine bars using the Clarendon filter on Instagram to show off hisPinot. They also joined Kenzie, Rocky B and Freek to form a five-piece Blazin' Squad reunion in 2009. Chris McKeckney was a major player in the Blazin Squad reunion tour two years ago. The pair co-write Sam Smith and Naughty Boy's hit single La La La - which went on to be the sixth best selling single in the UK in 2013 and even made a splash on the US charts peaking at number 19. Reepa's spiked hair has now been replaced by luscious long locks instead. These days he works as a DJ, but absolutely loves a bit of cycling in his spare time. He was vocal about supporting his pal Marcel when he appeared on the third series of Love Island and proudly declares his membership with the 00s boyband in his Twitter bio. The trio released their debut single, "Baby Goodbye" in October 2005. 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. Kenzie, 35, is one of the most famous members of Blazin' Squad following his former romance with bodybuilding reality star Jodie Marsh. In his free time he enjoys cycling and enjoying ice creams on a hot day. The burning flame at the heart of Blazin' Squad continues to flicker, however. Find out more, The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes, Blazin' Squad, in their baggy-trousered heyday, Blazin' Squad backstage at Party In The Park, 2004, Dry Cleaning: the British band with the strangest lyrics in music, The Edge: Its going to be very difficult to break up U2, Punk star Slowthai provides a breath of fresh air from self-help platitudes the weeks best albums, A Wagnerian superstar forgoes her helmet and spear, plus the best of Marchs classical concerts, How Daisy Jones & the Six faked Fleetwood Mac. [3][4], For their official debut, the band released a cover of the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song "Crossroads" for Warner Music's East West Records label. Reepa's spiked hair has now been replaced by luscious long locks instead. In his Blazin' Squad days, it's fair to say Kenzie wasn't exactly hench - but he is now! Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Twelve years on from his boy band adventure, Marcel Sommerville is taking part in the2017 series of Love Island. Despite his career change, he has shared pictures with the other Squad members and proudly declares his membership in the noughties boyband. Even the BBC gave them one star for their debut album. Blazin' Squad member James Mackenzie a.k.a. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The ten members of 00s' boyband Blazin' Squad are living very different lives as it approaches the 20th anniversary of their debut single Crossroads topping the charts. 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. He also founded his own label called DillingerGang, but it's not put much out recently. Keeping well? 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. Cosmopolitan, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. And are they getting back together? While he and Flava had their biggest hit co-writing and co-producing Sam Smith and Naughty Boy's hit La La La. Admittedly, only half of them scraped the Top 40, but the group also landed seven Top 10 hits in three years. Fans may be shocked to know that the likes of Reea, Freek and Melo-d have gone back to their birth names. He also worked as a window fitter after the band went their official separate ways. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. But he's apparently had a couple of normal jobs too. He is now in a new relationship and welcomed his first child called Roman at the end of January. 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. Their break up turned bitter when he in turn accused her of cheating with Towie star Dan Osborne, a claim she's fiercelydenied. Comeback A debut album In The Beginning was also a huge success and they went on to release a further six top ten hits. Incredibly, Lee Bailey hasnt changed a day although recent pictures of the singer are hard to come by. Can this young prodigy bring back the age of the wild virtuoso violinist? 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. Reepa - Stuart Baker Reepa - Stuart Baker from Blazin Squad then and now Stuart has now ditched the gelled hair and shaved eyebrows of his youth in favour of a grown-out locks and designer. 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. They released a single, "All Night Long", in August 2006, however, it only peaked at #54, which resulted in their record deal being scrapped and a further disbandment. Since the Squad broke up, he's also appeared with some of his old bandmates in nightclubs. To sign up for the Hull Live newsletter, click here. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Love Island 2017: who are this years contestants. Em maio de 2006, foi anunciado que Rocky-B, Reepa, Spike-E e Melo-D iriam se reformar e se apresentar como uma verso de quatro integrantes do Blazin 'Squad. 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 limited UK success of Crossroads, a number byUS hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, gave them inspiration to do a loose cover. He and best band pal Flava formed a songwriting/production team called Mojam, which has been impressively successful. As MC Reepa he is best recognized for having been a member of the rap group Blazin' Squad. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The group had six top ten hits, including "Crossroads", a cover version of the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony original. Stay up-to-date with all the news from the Love Island villa this summer with our regular newsletter. Blazin' Squad had six top 10 singles and a number one single Credit: . The album was released on 20 November 2003 in the United Kingdom, and peaked at #37 on the UK Albums Chart. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. The problem with TikToks Bold Glamour filter, Who has Dua Lipa dated? Here we take a trip down memory lane as we revisit their lives 20 years on from their glory days. 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. Poznali si w wieku 14 lat i od tamtej pory zaczli tworzy muzyk. We've not heard much from Lee Bailey after his solo musical effort The Lee Bailey Project failed to take off. Well, it seems the band's bucket of hair gel has long been abandoned, the gold bling taken to the charity shop and the sick rhymes swapped for blue collar jobs. Alongside his various stints on reality shows, James McKenzie now works as a personal trainer. 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. A live recording of a concert in Liverpool was released on DVD for Christmas 2003 but failed to achieve any commercial success. Blazin' Squad's new album In The Beginning is out this week. 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. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Kenzie dated Katie Price's arch nemesis Jodie Marsh in 2005 - the same year he also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother. BLAZIN' Squad are fondly remembered by nostalgic noughties pop fans. 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? Blazin' Squad burst onto the scene 20 years ago, clocking a No.1 hit with their debut single. That's all we can tell you really as he's kept away from the big Blazin' reunions. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 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? Actually known as Stuart Baker, the spiked hair has now been replaced with soft, brunette locks. He has had quite the career change and now works in the import and export industry. The optical illusion will leave you stumped as it's asking people to spot the ghost hiding inside the room. You may have been watching Love Island this year and thought where do I know that guy from? But thanks to the unexpected arrival of Marcel aka Rocky B on 2017's Love Island - and his constant need to subtly mention his prestigious musical past - the squad is back in our lives in a big way, and we've rediscovered the need to Flip Reverse things every now and again. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms The tricky second album. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The Crossroads hitmakers have announced a headline show at KOKO London on 26 November 2017 with seven members of the original line-up returning. ", Well no, of course not. The ten members all met through secondary school and came together through a shared love of music. Before lockdown, Tommy worked as a DJ. Most notably, they worked with Sam Smith on his hit track La La La.