7up w/ Group 1 Crew
The Gospel Guru caught up with Manwell, Blanca, and Pablo best known as Group 1 Crew for a quick 7up session. Group 1 Crew burst on the scene in ’07 with their hit song “Can’t Go On”. Since then the rest has been history, and Group 1 Crew hasn’t made any plans to slow down just yet.
Group 1 Crew music has been featured on numerous shows, including FOX’s The Simple Life, Style Network’s Kimora Lee Simmons: Life in the Fab Lane, and The CW’s One Tree Hill. Most recently, “Breakdown,” from their latest project has been airing in promotion of the reality series “Khloe & Kourtney Take Miami.” Sit back, relax, and get a bit of 7up with Group 1 Crew.
1. Describe the Group 1 Crew in three words. Passionate, Energetic Dreamers
2. How do you remain relevant in the music industry? We try to just stay true to who we are. I think each member of the group is very relevant outside of the music. We keep our ear to the street on things going on in our personal lives and the lives of our friends and our peers. So relevance becomes part of our music with out us really having to try:-)
3. Why do you feel that you are necessary for Christian music? I don’t think there are many groups out there in the christian industry doing what G1C does. Our music is very unique and In my opinion fills a void for a lot of young people looking for legit pop/hiphop music with a positive message.
4. What are some challenges that you face being in the music industry? There’s been a few challenges that we’ve had to face these last few years. I think the biggest one for me has been stereotypes. People tend to listen to the sound of our music rather than the message, and when they hear something that to them sounds “worldly” they shut it out. I think because our music is different we don’t necessarily fit the mold like other artist may. We make music out of the box and sometimes get criticized for that.
5. What can we expect from the Group 1 Crew this year? We are currently working on a spanish EP that we hope to drop by the end of the year or beginning of next! Also we will be going on a few tours this fall… one with Shonlock and rapture ruckus, the other with Mercy Me on the rockin road show.
6. Who are some artists that you look up to in the industry and why? There are honestly so many artist that I look up to in this industry. We’ve grown to have so many great relationships with artist we’ve met on the road and its always so inspiring to see all the hard work and dedication that they put into their music behind the scenes. Artists like Natalie Grant, Toby Mac, Kirk Franklin, Skillet and so many others. These artists have been in the game for 10-20 years, have gone through ups and downs but have never lost site of their mission.
7. What advice would the Group 1 Crew give to a new artist? Stay true to who you are and what God is speaking to you. It’s easy to get caught up in the business side of things sometimes and the daily routine of being on the road, but you have to always remember why it is you do what you do, and never lose that drive.
