Whodini

Brooklyn Origins

Whodini formed in Brooklyn in 1982 as a trio: Jalil Hutchins, the main lyricist and a vocalist; John "Ecstasy" Fletcher, co-vocalist; and Drew "Grandmaster Dee" Carter on turntables. NYC Tourism's Brooklyn hip hop guide places the members in the borough's Gowanus section. Sources date the group's founding to 1981 or 1982.

The group signed with Jive Records and worked primarily with producer and bassist Larry Smith. Their self-titled debut album (1983) was produced by Conny Plank, and the early single "Magic's Wand" had production help from Thomas Dolby. "The Haunted House of Rock" was another early single.

Escape

Whodini's breakthrough was Escape, released October 17, 1984, on Jive and produced by Larry Smith. It peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard 200 and is cited as the first hip hop album to reach the top 40 of Billboard's pop albums chart, as well as one of the first rap records certified platinum by the RIAA. The album contained "Five Minutes of Funk," "Freaks Come Out at Night," "Big Mouth," "Escape (I Need a Break)" and "Friends," the lead single, released in July 1984.

Russell Simmons managed the group in the 1980s. Whodini took part in the first Fresh Fest tour, the first hip hop tour to play large arenas across the country, and toured alongside Run-DMC, LL Cool J and the Fat Boys. Brooklyn's UTFO got an early start as dancers on Whodini's tours.

Back in Black and Later Work

Back in Black, recorded in London and released April 29, 1986, peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was certified gold. Its singles included "Funky Beat" (No. 19 R&B), "One Love" (No. 10 R&B) and "Growing Up." The "Funky Beat" video featured cameos from Run-DMC, Bobby Brown and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Fourteen of the group's singles reached Billboard charts.

Later albums were Open Sesame (1987), Bag-a-Trix (1991, on MCA) and Six (1996), produced by Jermaine Dupri for So So Def.

Legacy

John "Ecstasy" Fletcher died on December 23, 2020, at age 56. Whodini's run on Jive in the mid-1980s gave Brooklyn one of its first nationally successful rap groups.