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Under the MC Mint & DJ Renegade name, the duo recorded their first white-label release – "It's My Thing" – in 1989. The disc became an underground and pirate radio hit in the UK and also came to the attention of two high-profile New York radio stations (Kiss and WBLS) who eventually put the track
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Over the next eighteen months, the band continued to develop their profile. They became successful in continental Europe (particularly in France) and maintained their inroads into the US via New York, where they had developed an underground following considerable airplay and an acclaimed performance
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On 6 December 2008, Mintos announced an Urban
Species reunion via his MySpace blog. He commented "My break from music went on for a lot longer than I intended. I kept saying 'yeah, this year... this year... this year...' and before I knew it six years flew by. But nothing before its time, I always
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Urban
Species' consistent core figure and effective leader has been Peter "Mintos" Akinrinlola, but the band's line-up has at various times included other producers and rappers plus many of the best musicians from the London funk and jazz-funk scenes. The band is also known for collaborations, most
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As the success of Urban
Species grew, Mintos became the dominant force in the band. This in turn caused friction between him and Renegade, who was also finding the rigours of touring to be difficult. Not without regret, Renegade opted to leave Urban Species in 1995. He would subsequently follow a
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Further album sessions followed, with the assistance of new producer Raw Deal. During this period, Doc Slim was replaced in the band (both in the studio and onstage) by a new MC called Tukka Yout. Mintos also invited contributions from various other artists outside the Urban
Species core. These
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Inspired by this initial success (which, as an unsigned act without commercial backing, they were unable to immediately follow up), Mintos and
Renegade eventually produced a second self-funded and distributed single called "Got To Have It". This attracted the interest of British DJ
203:, England, by childhood friends Peter Akinrinlola (who took on the rapper's name of "MC Mint", later revising it to "Mintos") and Winston Small (who provided beats under the name "DJ Renegade"). Growing up in the 1980s, both shared an interest in various underground music including
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included the earlier single "Gotta Have It" as well as "Hide And Seek". It also produced three more singles – the title track (featuring singer Chezeré), "Spiritual Love" and "Brother". The latter two were hits, and the album received wide critical acclaim.
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compilation). Shortly afterwards, Urban
Species expanded from a core duo to a trio with the addition of a second rapper, Doc Slim (real name Rodney Green). Slim was one of Mintos' and Renegade's old school friends, and had an MC delivery inspired by
324:– in May 1994. The band had extended the musicality of their concerts to their recording sessions, incorporating live instruments alongside the samples and programming, and going for a spacious, organic feel to the album atmospheres.
227:. The duo began writing together in 1988. For sampleable material, they drew extensively on the stock of jazz and funk records owned by Renegade's older brother, which came to shape their organic, live-sounding musical approach.
417:, Urban Species released no new material bar occasional remixes. In the early 2000s, Mintos put Urban Species on indefinite hold to concentrate on family life and other projects. During this period he wrote material for
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and received similar critical acclaim. As well as incorporating the collaborations with Terry
Callier, the album produced two singles – the title track (co-written by and featuring Imogen Heap) and "Woman".
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and street humour. For live appearances, Urban
Species drew on a pool of live funk musicians (including drummer Andrew Missingham, bass player Yolanda Charles and guitarist Nemo Jones, as well as members of
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at the 1994 New Music
Seminar. Aiming for a truly international approach, the band also toured the Far East and Africa, where they continued to befriend other musicians and educate themselves.
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as well as various unspecified "unsigned talent". He also developed a career outside music as an entrepreneur, starting up an
Overseas Property company as well as an organic coffee business.
349:) in which the group's core membership was less important than the opportunities offered by collaboration. In 1997, the band began recording material for a second album,
293:) to ensure that they delivered full-fledged musical shows instead of DAT-based PA performances. As a consequence – and following well-received support slots for
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say. I got my groove, passion and hunger back plus I got a lot of things to say." Mintos' two main creative foils in the reunion appear to be Doc Slim and
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was originally released in continental Europe in late 1998, without a UK release until the following year. However, the album was similarly successful to
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With Mintos now in overall charge of the project, Urban Species began to move towards a more collective approach (similar to that of their contemporaries
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The band are also intending to carry out a reunion tour featuring various former Talkin' Loud colleagues, about which Mintos has commented "I spoke to
357:. The two songs featured on the EP (the title track and 'Changing of the Guard') were both collaborations with 1960s American jazz-folk-soul singer
162:) and combines live playing with samples and programming, resulting in an organic sound that has sometimes been compared to a British version of
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The first formal Urban Species track to be released was "Hide And Seek" (which appeared on the
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623:– posting on Urban Species MySpace page by Mintos, 6 December 2008 (accessed 17 August 2009)
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during the 1990s. The band's music draws on a diverse range of influences (including
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producer Raw Deal, with whom he is recording a third Urban Species album.
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640:(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 577.
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career as a hip-hop/R'n’B producer with Dub Wise Productions.
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
469:and he's like 'err, I don't know' so we'll see."
531:"Predictably Unpredictable" (Talkin' Loud, 1998)
207:(which at the time was restricted mainly to its
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267:1992–1993 – Urban Species develop their profile
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320:Urban Species released their debut album –
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534:"Blanket" (Talkin' Loud, 1999) – UK No. 56
513:"Brother" (Talkin' Loud, 1993) – UK No. 40
590:The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music
516:"Listen" (Talkin' Loud, 1993) – UK No. 47
337:1995–1997 – line-up and direction changes
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
621:"My first blog – a heads-up from Mintos"
506:"Spiritual Love" (Talkin' Loud, 1993) –
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413:Following the release and promotion of
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49:adding citations to reliable sources
670:Official Urban Species MySpace page
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373:included veteran British rappers
191:Prehistory (MC Mint and Renegade)
638:British Hit Singles & Albums
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555:NME.com entry for Urban Species
36:needs additional citations for
247:(the label for acts including
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273:Talking Loud Sampler Volume 2
130:band, best known for several
537:"Woman" (Talkin' Loud, 1998)
465:). I did speak to Rob from
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449:and (he) likes the idea.
215:subdivisions), dancehall
526:Religion and Politics EP
231:into frequent rotation.
195:The band was founded in
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636:Roberts, David (2006).
486:(Talkin' Loud, 1994) -
690:English hip hop groups
433:2008–present – reunion
389:and singer-songwriter
355:Religion and Politics
695:Talkin' Loud artists
528:(Talkin' Loud, 1997)
522:(Talkin' Loud, 1993)
496:(Talkin' Loud, 1998)
473:Selected discography
164:Arrested Development
45:improve this article
16:British hip-hop band
593:(First ed.).
409:2000–2008 – hiatus
520:The Experience EP
241:Phonogram Records
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101:February 2011
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585:Colin Larkin
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43:Please help
38:verification
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391:Imogen Heap
243:subsidiary
180:Imogen Heap
132:hit singles
684:Categories
542:References
461:from the (
379:MC Mell'O'
375:Blak Twang
307:Stereo MCs
303:Jazzmatazz
71:newspapers
455:Incognito
453:from the
295:MC Solaar
287:Incognito
249:Incognito
197:Tottenham
168:acid jazz
467:Galliano
419:S Club 7
291:Galliano
282:toasting
261:Galliano
494:Blanket
440:Blanket
415:Blanket
398:Blanket
387:MJ Cole
367:Blanket
351:Blanket
313:1994 –
280:-style
209:electro
205:hip-hop
186:History
128:hip-hop
85:scholar
644:
601:
510:No. 35
490:No. 43
484:Listen
478:Albums
402:Listen
326:Listen
322:Listen
315:Listen
217:reggae
136:reggae
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451:Bluey
385:star
383:house
278:ragga
225:blues
156:ragga
140:blues
92:JSTOR
78:books
642:ISBN
599:ISBN
447:Omar
425:and
377:and
299:Guru
289:and
259:and
223:and
221:rave
211:and
178:and
160:folk
152:jazz
144:funk
64:news
427:LHB
301:'s
213:rap
148:dub
47:by
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