Foreign Legion

Foreign Legion began in the late '80s in San Jose, CA, where layabouts Prozack and DJ Design would amuse themselves by stealing bicycles and making rhymes. Years later, after meeting and collaborating with Marc Stretch, the duo became a trio, and Foreign Legion's cynical, lyrical take on underground hip-hop was born. Full Time B-Boy, the group's debut 12" single, was issued by ABB Records in 1999; the Nowhere to Hide 12" followed a year later on Insidious Urban. With Marc Stretch and Prozack's call-and-response choruses and the quirky beats of DJ Design, the songs were an instant success. By now, Foreign Legion had established its headquarters in San Francisco, the home of likeminded artists such as Del tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Shadow. In September of 2000, the group's debut full-length, Kidnapper Van: Beats to Rock While Bike-Stealin', was released on Insidious Urban. The album presented Foreign Legion as a rap crew that wasn't afraid to poke fun over dope beats; favorite targets included themselves and the state of hip-hop music in general. After a brief hiatus, the trio returned in late 2002 with the Happy Drunk and Voodoo Star 12"s, which led up to Playtight, Foreign Legion's second sophomore full-length effort for Insidious Urban. The group embarked on a European tour in March of 2003.