Plucking the mode of rap from the Baltimore club scene and laying it down in the studio, Spank Rock has crafted a style all their own. The group was originally composed of MC Naeem Juwan a.k.a. Spank Rock and producer Alex Epton a.k.a. XXXchange. Introduced in Baltimore by a mutual friend, the duo made an immediate impact with collaborative efforts like “Backyard Betty” and “Rick Rubin.” Other members of the group include Chris Rockswell (Chris Devlin), Ronnie Darko (Ronald Rubarth), and Amanda Blank (Amanda Mallory).Juwan began rapping during his days in junior high and eventually settled on rap as a career in Philadelphia. Epton studied at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore before spending some time in New York as the drummer for indie band Zero Zero, an interesting beginning to a now budding rap production career. Rockswell and Darko are also part of Baltimore Bass Connection. The groups first album, Yo Yo Yo Yo Yo, was described by Juwan as “the rap version of Prince‘s 1999 album,” and “American kids ripping off European kids ripping off American hip hop,” by Epton. As one can tell from these descriptions, the album is extremely unique. Their underground style of rap is laden with breakbeats of electro and bass and in a lot of ways emulates tracks commonly heard in the Baltimore club scene. The duo’s single “Bump” was named Single of the Year in 2006 by Xfm London DJ Lauren Laverne and was featured in the hit HBO series Entourage. They’ve appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and have had tracks appear in video games like Madden NFL 07. The group has toured with acts like with Hollertronix, M.I.A. and Beck.With no true sub-genre of rap that would quite accommodate the eccentricity of Spank Rock, they stand alone as artists. Their ability to hone the appeal of club-style beats and intense lyrics, the group has fashioned something original and tremendously creative. The group doesn’t feel the need to put a label on their music and are content being lost in that gray area between genres. Nonetheless, their sound is growing more popular all the time and gaining recognition among more mainstream listeners.