So Solid Crew back with a new single and an album scheduled for the summer 2010...
The So Solid Crew have just returned to the music scene with a new single "Since you went away" and an album to follow with a scheduled release date of Summer 2010. Already the video for this single is gaining lots of airplay on Youtube and the urban music video channels in the UK. And much is expected of this band who paved the way for todays Grime artists people like Tinchy Stryder, Chipmunk etc.
Lisa Maffia and Megaman recently commented about the bands earlier success. "Doing the garage thing was alright when it was hot and on fire," explains Lisa Maffia, the band's sweet-natured, glamorous frontwoman."But it got a bad stigma about it because all of the people that were following it were nothing but trouble.
"We've always had the influence of R&B, so it's nice to put the music we listen to at home into the music we make."
Megaman is more strident: "We don't live in the ghetto any more. If I brought out an album today and was to speak on those subjects, would you call that progression?
"Regardless of how much our fans want to hear garage again, if you want to hear that, go and play the old album."
It is not just the music that has progressed since 2001.
The band (no longer a "crew", because of the negative gangland connotations) have left the Battersea council estate they grew up on.
Many of them have children, and several have their own businesses.
"We used to see each other 24/7," says Maffia. "Sometimes we'd even kip at each other's houses if we had to be ready for early morning photo shoots.
"Now everyone's separated and living miles away."
With age comes maturity, and Maffia says the band are better equipped to handle press scrutiny in 2010.
"We were really naive and really young first time around," she confesses.
"We was only 19 and 20. That's really young to be given so much opportunity and to make grown-up decisions about money, how to handle situations."
In the past, she says, the group were advised not to speak to the press about incidents like the shooting that took place outside MC Romeo's birthday party at the London Astoria.
"If we'd been allowed to put over our side of the story, we would have had more longevity," she says.
Megaman agrees: "At that time, if we saw Take That get in trouble, they'd be on a panel in front of the BBC News and they'd address it. We were told just to speak through our music.
"For me, that was bad advice - which I know today. If I feel I'm in the wrong, I'll apologise."
The events at the Astoria led to an unofficial ban on So Solid playing gigs in many UK venues.
That is no longer the case, says Megaman, and the band hopes to capitalise on their high stock with DJs by touring the new material in clubs around the country.
But if it all goes wrong, at least one member has a fallback plan.
"Many years ago, I got offered to go down to Strictly Come Dancing for an audition," reveals Maffia, who was trained in ballroom, tap and Latin as a child, "and I turned it down like an idiot!"
"And now I'm absolutely gutted, because watching Alesha doing so well, I just keep thinking to myself, 'I could so do that'.
"But do you know what? I actually hope I can turn it down again."
Check out all the best So Solid Crew music videos and the best UK grime music videos in the Grime & Bassline section of Nation TV which is our dedicated UK music videos section offering the best in Grime, Bassline, R&B and Hip hop music videos.
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