The origins of Newcleus lay in a 1976 Brooklyn DJ collective known as Jam-On Productions, which included Ben "Cozmo D" Cenac, his best friend David ’ÄúDr. Freeze’Äù St. Louis, and Ben’Äôs cousins Monique ’ÄúNiquˆ© D’Äù Angevin and her brother Pete ’ÄúMaster Quadro’Äù Angevin (all teenagers and still in high school). Many members (MCs as well as DJs) came and went as Jam-On rocked parks and block parties all over the borough.¬Ý In 1981 Cozmo decided to create a recording group as an extension of Jam-On.¬Ý The group included Cozmo, his wife Yvette ("Lady E’Äù), Niquˆ©, and her future husband Bob "Chilly B" Crafton. The foursome originally took on the name Positive Messenger, but would later name their group Newcleus as a result of the coming together of their families.
By this time, Cozmo had begun to accumulate a collection of electronic recording equipment, and the quartet recorded a demo tape of material. With several minutes left at the end of the tape, Newcleus recorded a favorite from their block parties, with the vocals sped up to sound like munchkins. The track, "Jam-On's Revenge," immediately impressed producer Joe Webb, and it became the group's first single, released as ’ÄúJam-On Revenge’Äù by Newcleus featuring Cozmo & The Jam-On Production Crew in 1983 on Mayhew Records. A huge street success, the track became known unofficially as "the Wikki-Wikki song" (after the refrain); when it was re-released later that year on Sunnyview Records, it had become "Jam on Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song)."
In 1984 Newcleus topped themselves with the all-time Hip Hop and Electro classic ’ÄúJam On It’Äù.¬Ý They also established themselves as the first Hip Hop band, playing all the instruments themselves live.¬Ý They toured nationally with Cameo through ’Äô83 and ’Äô84, and then were part of the 1st national Hip-Hop tour in history, The Fresh Festival, with Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, Whodini and The Fat Boys.¬Ý Adding another all-time classic Electro song with ’ÄúComputer Age (Push The Button)’Äù and also a Breakbeat classic with ’ÄúAutoman’Äù, Newcleus has solidified their place in Hip Hop and Electro history as true innovators and pioneers in the genres.
