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Quarashi Information
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'Quarashi' was a rap/hip-hop band from Reykjavik, Iceland. It was comprised of Hössi Olafsson (replaced by Tiny (real name Egill Olafur Thorarensen) on the final album), who was the frontman and lead vocalist of the group, Omar Swarez (Omar érn Hauksson), who served as a rapper and hype man, and Steini a.k.a. Stoney (Steinar Orri Fjeldsted), who also served as rapper and hype man. The fourth member of the group was Sölvi Blöndal, who was their producer, keyboardist, percussionist, and drummer. He also helped in the songwriting process. For live shows, Quarashi was joined by a guitarist, a bassist (Gaukur élfarsson), and a DJ (DJ Magic).
The group has a loyal following, especially in their native Iceland. Each of their records (Switchstance, Quarashi, Xeneizes, Kristnihald undir Jökli, Jinx, Guerilla Disco) have sold well in their homeland. Quarashi was a rap group, but they combined elements of rock, techno, and funk into their songs, lending an air of unpredictability in their music. Comparisons to Rage Against The Machine, Eminem, and The Beastie Boys are often heard when discussing Quarashi, but the group had their own unique style that distungished them from other famous rap/rock groups. Their influences ranged from Public Enemy (Blöndal says that P.E.'s Fear Of A Black Planet is what inspired him to make music) to Led Zeppelin, and that can be heard in their songs.
Pre Quarashi Days
Sölvi and Omar met when they were children during a protest against a U.S. military base in Iceland. They both played in several different rock, punk, and heavy metal bands, while Steini was a famous skater who had won numerous championships. He was also a well-known graffiti artist around Reykjavik. During his time as the drummer for the punk rock band, 2001, Sölvi began to develop a preference for studio production over band rehearsal-style songwriting. He also wanted to produce different types of music besides industrial rock and punk, so he quit 2001, and began making rap music.
At around the same time, Sölvi met Steini at a skate park while he was doing community service for public drunkenness. The two hit it off, and Stoney joined Sölvi in making rap music. Soon, Sölvi invited fellow former 2001 band member Hössi Olaffson (the two had met when they both went to the University Of Iceland) to join his group.
Originally, Hössi would sing, while Steini would rap, but when Sölvi heard Hössi rap, he decided that his musical group would have two rappers. All that was left was a name. Sölvi, Hössi, and Steini decided upon Quarashi, meaning "supernatural", which was Steini's nickname as a skater, and was spray-painted all over the walls and streets in Reykjavik. Quarashi was also the last name of the prophet Muhammad, the creator of the Islam religion. And so, in 1996, in a garage in a house in Reykjavik, Iceland, Quarashi was born.
Quarashi Become Stars In Iceland 1996-1999
Quarashi quickly went to work on creating music. On November 29, 1996, they released their first record, an EP entitled Switchstance, which was released under Sölvi's own record label, Lax Records. Richard Oddur Hauksson was credited on Switchstance as the fourth member of Quarashi (as the DJ), but today, he has faded into relative obscurity, due to the fact that most fans consider the original Quarashi line-up to be Sölvi, Hössi, and Steini. Only 500 copies were made of the 5 song disc, but all 500 copies were sold in a week. The EP topped the Icelandic album charts, driven by the popular title track. Today, it is rare to find a copy of Switchstance, which is now considered a collector's item. Quarashi was the first rap act to find major success in Iceland, so the demand for the group was high. The Q boys quickly went back to their studio at Bergstašarstręti, Né½jasta tękni og vésindi to continue recording the music that would make up their first album.
A year later, on October 13, 1997, Quarashi released their self titled debut album (dubbed "The Egg Album" by fans, due to the fact that an egg appears on the album cover). The album was an immediate smash, topping the Icelandic album charts thanks to its collection of catchy rap songs such as "Thunderball", "Catch 22", "Mr. Amber Shades", "Superwoman", and "Framogtilbaka". Unlike Switchstance, Steini and Hössi traded verses on most of the songs, whereas Stoney rapped more on Switchstance than Hössi. 6,000 copies of "The Egg Album" were made, and all 6,000 copies were soon sold, making the album go gold in Iceland. Like Switchstance, it is rare to find a copy of Quarashi, but the CD is found on eBay every once in a while.
Quarashi were now stars in their homeland, becoming one of Iceland's hottest musical acts, performing sold-out shows all over the small nation. Their mix of catchy rap songs fused with rock, funk, and techno, accompanied by the smooth, but sometimes silly and nonsensical rhymes from Hössi and Stoney garnered love from both fans and critics alike. Quarashi toured all over Iceland to support the album, including performances as the opening act for both The Fugees and The Prodigy, and then took a brief hiatus from making music in 1998.
On October 25, 1999, Quarashi returned with their second album, Xeneizes (named after the name given to Boca Juniors (an Argentinian soccer team) fans). Xeneizes picked up where Quarashi left off, giving fans more catchy rap songs fused with rock, funk, and techno, accompanied by the sometimes serious, sometimes silly lyrical stylings (and singing talents) of Hössi and Steini. The album also featured special appearances by Icelandic rappers Cypher (on the song "Mayday"), and Omar Swarez (on the songs "Punk" and "Stick 'Em Up"), who was not an official member of Quarashi yet (he had rapped on some of their songs in the past though). Xeneizes was another hit album for Quarashi, topping the Icelandic album charts due to such catchy tunes as "Surreal Rhyme", "Jivin' About", "Model Citizen", "Tambourine Cut", "Show Me What You Can", and "Xeneizes". Several United Kingdom record labels began showing interest in Quarashi, but the group turned down all offers. 6,000 copies were made of Xeneizes, and once again, all sold out, making Xeneizes the second Quarashi album to go gold in Iceland.
Quarashi Comes To America- 2000-2002
thumb|Quarashi was introduced to the American public in 2002 with the release of Jinx. (Left to right: Steini a.k.a. Stoney, Hössi Olaffson, Omar Swarez, and Sölvi Blöndal)
Quarashi had never specifically ventured to find a record label in the U.S., and were content with their success in Iceland. But by the time Xeneizes was released, American record labels had started paying attention to the group. In the meantime, Omar Swarez officially became the fourth member of Quarashi, becoming the third rapper in the group.
After hearing the Xeneizes album, specifically, the song "Stick 'Em Up" (which, according to Sölvi, sounded like something Limp Bizkit would do), EMI Music Resources contacted Quarashi to perform at the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival hosted by EMI in conjunction with Flugleišir in New York City in the fall of 1999. The group performed two shows to rave reviews. The EMI emissary met with Quarashi, and the group went into a studio to record six songs (four with vocals), with the EMI emissary watching them.
In February 2000, Quarashi began negotiations with record labels, wrote some new songs, and performed shows for record executives. During one of those shows at the New York City club Brownies, a stage monitor blew up, nearly causing a riot, which added to the appeal of Quarashi in the record executives eyes. On April 27, 2000, it was announced that Quarashi had signed a deal with EMI Music Resources, a deal which gave the group creative control. Soon after, they were signed to independent record label, Time Bomb Recordings.
On August 31, 2000, Sölvi Blöndal, Hössi Olafsson, Steini a.k.a. Stoney, and Omar Swarez, otherwise known as Quarashi, announced that they had signed with Sony Music Entertainment Incorporated under the Columbia Records label. The deal was to last for 6 albums, the first of which would be produced in collaboration with Cypress Hill DJ, DJ Muggs, and Brendan O' Brien, who was the recording director for the Red Hot Chili Peppers breakthrough hit album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Quarashi moved to what they called a "crackhouse" in New York City to make their American debut album.
During the recording of the album, Sölvi Blöndal and Hössi Olafsson produced the soundtrack for the Halldór Laxness play, Kristnihald undir Jökli, which was directed by Bergur éór Ingólfsson, and ran in the Borgarleikhśs in the winter of 2001. The album, released on September 22, 2001, was filled with original music made by Sölvi and Hössi, and was released under the Quarashi name. Only 500 copies of Kristnihald undir Jökli were made, but most of the copies were sold, and today, the CD is a rarity. The album fused traditional Icelandic music with rap, rock, funk, and techno, similar to the other Quarashi albums. Also during the winter of 2001, Quarashi held a concert with the Icelandic Symphony and the band Botnlešja in the Hįskólabéó, which is notable for being the first time that an Icelandic rap act performed a live concert with the Icelandic Symphony.
Quarashi's first single from their American debut album, "Stick 'Em Up", was released in February 2002 to much fanfare. The music video, which was a parody of the film Snatch, was on heavy rotation on MTV2, and there was quite a bit of hype for their next album, which was titled Jinx.
At long last, on April 9, 2002, Jinx was released in America. Jinx was a collection of 5 new songs ("Mr. Jinx", "Baseline", "Malone Lives", "Copycat", "Weirdo"), and 7 tracks from Xeneizes ("Stick 'Em Up", "Tarfur", "Transparent Parents", "Xeneizes", "Fuck You Puto", "Dive In", "Bless") that were rerecorded. Hössi and Omar traded verses the most in Jinx, while Stoney played hype man, and rapped on "Tarfur", "Transparent Parents", and "Xeneizes". The album received mixed reviews. Some critics loved the group's eclectic mix of rap, rock, funk, and techno. While others saw the group as ripoffs of other, more successful rap/rock acts like the Beastie Boys and Limp Bizkit. Despite "Stick 'Em Up" receiving heavy rotation on rock radio stations and MTV2, and reaching Number 27 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, and despite Jinx recieving praise from several critics, Jinx debuted at Number 104 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, and then fell 40 spots to Number 144 one week later. Jinx never cracked the Top 40.
Quarashi encountered some problems during their time at Columbia Records. For one, complications in their contract delayed the release of Jinx. Originally scheduled for release in January 2001, the album was pushed back to February 2002, and then to April 2002, when it was finally released.
Another problem Quarashi encountered was that they were marketed as a rap/rock band, when they were actually a rap group that used rock and punk guitar riffs, funk samples and techno beats in their songs. While Quarashi is seen in Iceland as unique and creative, in America, which has a market filled with rap/rock bands such as 311, P.O.D., and Linkin Park, Quarashi was seen as nothing more but a carbon copy, designed to cash in on the slowly declining rap/rock genre. Despite Quarashi stating in numerous interviews that they were, infact, not a rap/rock band, they were still considered one by both critics and the American public. Because of this point of view, and because of Columbia Records' weak marketing of Quarashi, the group faltered in the U.S. By November 2002, it was safe to say that Quarashi had faded away into obscurity in America.
Still, despite not becoming the very popular and massively successful group that they are in Iceland, Quarashi did find some success and got some reconigition in the United States. They were apart of ad campaigns for MTV2 and Levi's Low Rising Jeans. Spin Magazine declared Quarashi to be one of the "Bands To Watch" for 2002. The singles from Jinx, "Stick 'Em Up" and "Mr. Jinx", have been used as background music in several movie trailers and T.V. shows such as 2 Fast, 2 Furious, Alias, Smallville and commercials for the NBA On TNT. Some of the songs from Jinx have appeared in several video games including Amplitude and Transworld Snowboarding, while "Mr. Jinx" was apart of the soundtrack for the bestselling Madden NFL 2003. The music video for "Mr. Jinx" was in regular rotation on MTV, MTV2, and Much Music, and was voted as the MTV Viewers Pick for one week back in September 2002, although the video would be shown on the three music video channels for about 3 months, and then was never shown on any of those channels ever again. "Stick 'Em Up" was nominated for a 2002 MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction. And perhaps most importantly, Quarashi was a part of the Vans Warped Tour in the summer of 2002. Since the Warped Tour is one of the biggest and most anticipated tours in the U.S., it was considered a big deal for Quarashi to be apart of the 2002 edition of what is known as "punk rock summer camp" that went all over the U.S., and featured such famous rock acts as NOFX, Good Charlotte, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
After the Vans Warped Tour ended, Quarashi began a tour of Japan, where they had better luck in getting fans and finding success. Japan is only second to Iceland in terms of Quarashi fans, with the Jinx album being a huge hit in "The Land Of The Rising Sun". The Q boys then traveled to Europe, and then Australia, but were only moderately successful on those continents.
After spending the summer and fall of 2002 performing around the world, Quarashi took a break to relax back in Reykjavik. In the end, Jinx ended up selling a little more than 300,000 copies in America. While this was considered a success by the boys of Quarashi, it was looked at as a huge disappointment by Sony, as the album failed to make Quarashi the mega-successful rap/rock group they were banking on. Because of this, rumours started circulating that Quarashi was going to be dropped from Columbia Records. Meanwhile, Hössi Olafsson was growing tired of being a member of an internationally touring musical act, and let it be known to his fellow Quarashi members that he was thinking of leaving. He also claimed that he was forgetting how to speak Icelandic due to being away from Iceland for long periods of time.
Bye Bye Hössi- 2003
And so, right before Christmas 2002, Hössi Olafsson, one of the founding members of Quarashi, bid farewell to the group to enroll back into the University Of Iceland in order to learn the Icelandic language all over again, and to get away from the music industry in order to lead a normal life. Quarashi announced Hössi's departure on their official messageboard on January 3, 2003. It was a shock to fans that Olafsson, who was only 23 years old at the time, would leave the group just after they released their first album in America, the first of 6 albums they were supposed to release while being apart of the Columbia Records label. However, they soon accepted the reality that the lovable Hössi, who was considered by some to be the lead vocalist of Quarashi, was gone, and was most likely never to return. Nonetheless, Sölvi vowed that Quarashi wouldn't end, and that they would find a new rapper to replace Hössi. Hössi is still at the University Of Iceland as a member of the Class Of 2006. He is still involved in the Icelandic entertainment industry, appearing in an Icelandic comedy film, and he has also written several articles for Icelandic newspapers since he left Quarashi.
The now 3 members of Quarashi disappeared under the radar for the first half of 2003, as they searched for a new rapper. Quarashi popped up in July with a brand new song, "Mess It Up", which featured Steini trading verses with underground Icelandic rapper, good friend, and member of the Icelandic rap group, O.N.E., Opee (real name élafur Pįll). The song was released only in Iceland, and was a hit, reaching Number 1 on the Icelandic Mainstream and Alternative Singles charts, and winning the Icelandic EFFEMM Award for Song Of The Year for 2003, and the EDDA Award for Video Of The Year for 2003. Rumours circulated that Opee would be the newest member of Quarashi, but Opee turned down the spot, saying he wanted to concentrate on O.N.E. He did two more songs with Quarashi, "Orš Morš" featuring legendary Icelandic musician Jóhann G. Jóhannsson, and "Shady Lives", an unreleased track. Opee also performed with Quarashi at Menningarnótt (Culture Night) in Reykjavék in August 2003, before going back to O.N.E.
Quarashi disappeared again in the summer of 2003, as they continued their search for a replacement for Hössi. Then that fall, Sölvi heard a song called "Straight Execution" from an underground rapper from Iceland. The moment Blöndal heard this song, he knew he had found the newest member of Quarashi. Blöndal had seen this rapper before, as he had a been a judge in a freestyle rap competition which this rapper had competed in. Sölvi had been impressed when he heard this rapper freestyle in the competition, and he was impressed when he heard this song. So, Sölvi called the rapper on the phone, and told him he was to be the newest member of Quarashi. His name is Egill Olafur Thorarensen, but he raps under the name Tiny.
Hello Tiny- 2003-2004
In December 2003, Quarashi opened their online blog, which would serve as their official website. On the site, they announced that Tiny was the newest member of Quarashi. Tiny is a short 21-year-old who bears a resemblance in both voice and appearance to Eminem, and dresses and acts like a thug which immediately distinguished him from Hössi's "nerdy" persona. There was mixed reaction to the announcement. Some fans refused to accept a Quarashi without Hössi. While others welcomed Tiny with open arms, and were ready for Quarashi's new sound. The Q boys went back to work, rehearsing and writing songs in their Reykjavik studio, with a goal to release an album by the end of 2004. Anticipation was running high, as Quarashi fans all over the world wondered if the white rap group from Iceland could still bring the goods with a new rapper on board.
The fans didn't have to wait long, however, because in January 2004, on their official website, Quarashi released the song and video for "Race City", the first song recorded with Tiny in the group. The song had the type of sound fans had come to expect from Quarashi, and the video featured the typical over-the-top antics that most Quarashi videos have, except that Tiny and his Eminem sounding voice were what was heard the most and not Hössi and his Zach De La Rocha sounding voice. Many fans thought that the song would be released as the first single from Quarashi's new album, but the song was later taken off the album when Sölvi decided that "Race City" didn't reflect the new direction Quarashi was taking. Now, it is considered by fans to be a song made to introduce Tiny to the world. "Race City" was still released as a single, reaching Number 1 on the Icelandic Alternative Singles Chart. Most Quarashi fans loved the song and video, and some were now ready to accept Tiny thanks to "Race City".
On February 24, 2004, the rumours about Quarashi's future at Columbia Records/Time Bomb Recordings came true as it was announced that Columbia Records had dropped Quarashi from the label due to the disappointing sales of Jinx. Quarashi was also released from their EMI Publishing contract. Quarashi announced that they would search for a new record label that would release their albums all over the world.
In April 2004, Quarashi began recording their next album, their first one with Tiny, and their sixth (and what would turn out to be their final) record overall, which was under the working title of "Payback". In June, Quarashi released the first single off their new album on their official website, "Stun Gun". The song showed the new direction Quarashi was heading into, as it featured a harder, more hip-hop oriented sound, showing that the Q boys were moving away from the more techno and funk oriented beats of songs past. "Stun Gun" also showed the difference between Tiny and Hössi when it came to lyrics as Tiny's harsh, mean-spirited rhymes were a lot different than Hössi's relativity calm and silly rhymes that were filled with pop culture references.
The change in direction was met with mixed reviews. Some fans feared that the more hip-hop oriented sound would make Quarashi sound like American mainstream rappers, and therefore, take away their appeal. Other fans loved the change, feeling that after doing four albums in seven years which had similar sounds, a similar style, and similar lyrics, that it was time for Quarashi to head in a new direction. Whether fans liked the changes or not, one thing they all agreed on was the fact that Steini should have appeared on the album. Steini had chosen not to participate on the new Quarashi album in order to concentrate on his solo career. Stoney told the fans that even though he didn't participate on the album, and was working on a solo album, that he was still a member of Quarashi.
Guerilla Disco- 2004-2005
On October 14, 2004, Quarashi released their fifth and final full-length album and sixth record overall, Guerilla Disco. It was released only in Iceland under Skéfan and Dennis Records. The album was met with mostly positive reviews, as fans embraced the new sound and style. Tiny rapped the most on Guerilla Disco, with Omar playing hype man on some songs, and trading verses with Tiny on others. In fact, there were some songs on the album where Omar would play hype man and trade verses with Tiny at the same time. Tiny's rhymes impressed fans greatly. Some of the songs on Guerilla Disco were about experiences from Tiny's own life. For example "Stars", which is about losing a friend, which is what happened to Tiny before he joined Quarashi. Tiny used to live with his manager, and he was going to make a solo album with him, but when Tiny joined Quarashi, he had to say good bye to his manager, and their friendship soon vanished. Tiny's stories, which were told through his rapping, (a style similar to some Beastie Boys songs on the License To Ill and Paul's Boutique albums) struck a chord with the fans, and while some fans weren't ready to fully accept Tiny just yet, they could admit that he was a talented rapper.
Guerilla Disco was another hit album for Quarashi in Iceland. 6,000 copies of Guerilla Disco were made, and all 6,000 copies were sold in 10 days after its release. The success of Guerilla Disco proved to Quarashi that the fans were okay with the more hip-hop oriented sound, gangsta rap vibe, and more meaningful lyrics with a little bit of a Quarashi "edge" added in. It also proved to them that Quarashi fans were okay with Tiny being in the group. Other tracks on the first album with Tiny onboard included "Pro", "Brass Knuckles", and "Dead Man Walking".
Quarashi had returned to touring earlier in the year, as a way to have the fans warm up to Tiny, and as a way to promote Guerilla Disco. The group performed at an Iceland awards show (which was Tiny's first live performance with the group) in January 2004, and then traveled to Japan once again to perform at the Sonicmania show in Tokyo that February. The Q boys also performed during a long weekend in Iceland called "The Verslunarmanna Helgi", where they played gigs at Saušįrkrókur (a small town in northern Iceland), and Akureyri (often called the capital of northern Iceland). Quarashi also performed as the opening act for both 50 Cent and The Prodigy, when those two popular musical acts traveled to Iceland.
In November 2004, Quarashi teamed up with the stars of the popular Popptévé (the MTV of Iceland) T.V. show, 70 Minutes, to make a song and music video called "Crazy Bastard". The video was a parody of several pop, rap, and rock acts like Britney Spears, and featured the stars of 70 Minutes rapping, while Omar and Tiny played hype men. The song and video became a fan favorite, and when more copies of Guerilla Disco were made, "Crazy Bastard" was added as a bonus track on the CD.
In January 2005, it was announced on the official Quarashi website that Quarashi had signed a deal with Sony Japan to release Guerilla Disco in "The Land Of The Rising Sun". On March 3, 2005, Quarashi released Guerilla Disco in Japan. The album became a huge hit, on the strength of the single "Payback", as Quarashi's giant fanbase in Japan came out in droves to purchase the album. The album, slightly changed a bit for the Japanese release (the track listing is different, and there are also 2 remixes and 2 new tracks, one of which is "Race City"), peaked at #2 on the Japan Top 40 chart, selling 30,000 copies in its first month of release. Quarashi took another hiatus in May, leaving fans to wonder when their next album would be released.
The End Of Quarashi- 2005
On August 5, 2005, Sölvi Blöndal did an interview in the Fréttablašiš where he announced that Quarashi had broken up, saying that being a member of Quarashi wasn't fun anymore. Omar Swarez later confirmed this to be true on the official Quarashi messageboard, saying that he had originally intended to quit the group, but instead, the Q boys decided it was time to stop making music together. Quarashi fans all over the world were heartbroken after hearing this. After 9 years, six records, and a bunch of unreleased tracks, Quarashi was no more.
The four members of Quarashi have moved on to do their own projects. Steini now spends his time caring for his newborn child, and is still working on his solo rap album, rapping under the name ca.1. Steini's album is due for release sometime in 2005-2006. Omar Swarez now writes and draws for an Icelandic comic book, and is the star of a series of commercials for Smirnoff Ice, with the commercials being shown in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Sölvi is still producing music, and is also thinking of getting into directing plays. Little is known of what Tiny is going to do now that Quarashi has broken up, though he may decide to pursue a solo career in Iceland.
For a short time, rumours circulated that Sölvi Blöndal had signed a record deal with Sony to release Guerilla Disco in the U.S.A. in September 2005. This has been confirmed as false by Omar Swarez on the official Quarashi messageboard.
Band Members
The final Quarashi line-up was as follows:
* Egill Olafur Thorarensen a.k.a. Tiny born January 17, 1984
* Omar érn Hauksson a.k.a. Omar Swarez born January 28, 1975
* Steinar Orri Fjeldsted a.k.a. Steini a.k.a. Stoney born July 7, 1976 and
* Sölvi Blöndal born January 3, 1975
This was the group's lineup from 2003 until their breakup in 2005. Hössi Olaffson founded the group with Sölvi and Steini in 1996, and served as one of the rappers, but left in 2002. Egill Olafur Thorarensen replaced Olafsson as a member of the group in 2003.
Frequent contributors to the band included:
* DJ Magic (DJ)
* Bjorn Ingimundarson a.k.a. DJ Dice a.k.a. Q-Rep (DJ)
* Richard Oddur Hauksson (DJ)
* Smįri Tarfur Jósepsson (Guitarist)
* Gaukur élfarsson (Bassist)
* Magga Sténa Blöndal (Singer)
* Vidar Hįkon Gislason (Bassist/Guitarist)
* Hrannar Ingimarsson (Keyboardist/Guitarist)
Discography
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| 'Year' | 'Title' | 'Label' | | 1996 | Switchstance (EP) | Lax Records | | 1997 | Quarashi | Lax Records/Pop Mśsék | | 1999 | Xeneizes | Japis | | 2001 | Kristnihald undir Jökli | Sproti | | 2002 | Jinx | Columbia Records/Time Bomb Recordings | | 2004 | Guerilla Disco | Skéfan/Dennis Records | |
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