Phunk Junkeez

The Phunk Junkeez are an American rap rock band from Phoenix, Arizona that formed in 1991 and have established a strong underground following. The band has toured the U.S. extensively, even making it as far as Japan.

The band plays music fusing a number of different styles, from hardcore punk to trip hop.

Eventually, the band was signed to Trauma Records/Interscope Records and have released six albums over the last 23 years.

The band has had member changes over its 24 years, especially on guitar, but three original members still make up part of the band to this day: Soulman (singer), Jumbo Jim (bass) and DJ Roach (singer and DJ).

History

The Phunk Junkeez founders, Kirk Reznik (a.k.a. "K-Tel Disco") and Joe Valiente ("Soulman"), started performing to prerecorded beats under the name "White Boy Rap," a name Soulman used for solo performances. Later, they performed as an opening act for such artists as MC Hammer and Run-D.M.C. That project turned into "BumRap" in 1987, followed by the "Phunk Junkeez" in 1990. In 1991 the two rappers, Reznik and Valente, joined forces with "Last Laugh" members Todd Mahoney on guitar and Jeff Holmes on bass (Holmes stayed on until 1994 as a production/tour manager). Soon after, Kirk & Joe merged with a local band, "Freak Squad," and later that year brought in DJ Roach Clip from their rap days. The band members included Jumbo Jim (bassist), Mike Kramer (guitarist), and Disco Danny Dynamite (a.k.a. Disco Danny D, Disco Dan, DK Mueller) on drums. The Phunk Junkeez were a massively popular act in the Valley throughout the early 1990s, playing huge, illegal warehouse keggers and routinely drawing more than 1,000 fans into clubs. DJs Soulman and Roach Clip are both natives of Alaska and grew up in the same trailer park, although never met until both had grown up and moved to Arizona.

Phunk Junkeez (album)

Phunk Junkeez is the Phunk Junkeez' first album, released in 1992 under their label Naked Language. It was re-released on March 21, 2002, under the Ichiban label.

Track listing

References