Crooklyn Dodgers

They appeared in three separate incarnations since 1994. The first two incarnations recorded for the soundtrack for Spike Lee films, Crooklyn and Clockers, respectively. The theme connecting The Crooklyn Dodgers songs, aside from the Spike Lee films which they were made for, is the topic matter, which tends to comment on the state of affairs in and around urban New York, as well as other issues affecting everyday life; as Jeru spouses “Chips that power nuclear bombs power my sage”.

Version 1-Crooklyn

The first group was composed of Buckshot, Master Ace, and Special Ed. Their one and only record was “Crooklyn,” produced by A Tribe Called Quest, and featured in the 1994 film Crooklyn. This song is a good example of mid – 1990s Hip Hop. It contains srcatch samples from “Who Got Da Props?” by Black Moon and “The Place Where We Dwell” by Gangstarr. It also features samples of a radio broadcast of a Brooklyn Dodgers game. The music video featured appearances by Brooklyn-born athletes Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson.

 

Version 2-Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers

The second group was composed of Chubb Rock, Jeru the Damaja, and O.C. Their one and only record was “Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers,” produced by Dj Premier, and featured in the 1995 film Clockers. This incarnation was credited as Crooklyn Dodgers ’95.

 

Version 3-Brooklyn In My Mind

The third group consisted of Jean Grea, Mos Def and Memphis Bleek, North Carolina producer 9th Wonder resurrected the group concept in 2007 for a track on his album The Dream Merchant Vol. 2, titled “Brooklyn in My Mind”.