King G & The J Krew

King G and the J Crew was an American experimental hip-hop band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1989 by Greg King (King G), Jeff Mueller (MC Crawdad), and Jason B. Noble (MC Diogenes). Inspired by contemporary rap and soul artists, such as Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and LL Cool J, and equipped with Tascam 8-track portastudio, young musicians were recording sound collages with original rap lyrics on top. The band spent two full years working on their debut album, Indestructible Songs Of The Humpback Whale, released in 1992 by Hell N Ready Records. Featured on the record are Heather Cantrell, Aaron Frisbee, Will Chatham, Tim Furnish, Simon Furnish, Kevin Coultas, Drew Daniel, Ben Daughtrey, and many others. In 1990, King G & the J Crew also contributed a track to a Christmas 1990 cassette compilation on Slamdek Records – a medley of Midnight Star's Freak-a-Zoid and No Parking (On The Dancefloor) with Slint's Kent (both bands are originally from Louisville). After King G & The J Crew released Songs Of The Humpback Whale CD, they began playing live as King Kid International. This 'rock band' line-up included Jon Cook on drums, Tara Jane O'Neil on bass, and Jeff Mueller/Jason Noble singing and playing guitar. Soon afterwards, King Kind International became Rodan.