The Story
Reggie Reg of the legendary Crash Crew told StarPower Collective how a group of friends from the same Harlem building turned into one of hip-hop's early crews.
Most of them had known each other since kindergarten. Two older DJs in the building, Mike and Dave, threw parties every other weekend, and at 15 and 16 Reggie and his friends helped carry the equipment down from the fourth floor and pack it up afterward. Eventually they asked to get down with them. Mike taught them to cut and mix, and within about a month they had a mixtape they were selling in junior high and high school.
By 1978 and 1979 the crew was building full routines and playing shows in the era of Sergio Valente jeans and Pro-Keds. They recorded with Mike and Dave for about three years before moving on.
Reggie's taste runs from upbeat break beats to Earth, Wind & Fire, whose music he says can lift you out of a low mood.
In Reggie Reg's Words
“If you're in a little depressed mood, you put on some Earth, Wind & Fire, it can motivate you.”
Reggie Reg
On the Playlist
- Earth, Wind & Fire
- Classic break beats
Questions & Answers
How did the Crash Crew get started?
Reggie Reg told StarPower Collective the Crash Crew grew out of friends from the same Harlem building who helped two older DJs, Mike and Dave, carry equipment to parties, then learned to cut and mix from them.
