Outside the villa, fans were reliving the group's glory days which led to some members of the band doing the nightclub PA rounds over summer. The 31-year-old faced controversy after he allegedly cheated on Gaby Allen while the pair were on holiday together in Mexico. Marcel, 36, is engaged to Rebecca Vieira and they have a beautiful baby boy together called Roman. The single fared slightly better than the previous single but could only peak at #51 on the UK Singles Chart. At the end of 2021, they posted on the Mojam Instagram: "In a year full of ups and downs, somehow we had one of our best years to date. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Viewers have been taking the Mickey out of him for constantly mentioning that he was in Blazin' Squad. Alongside James, Mustafa has penned some massive hits as part of their duo. Its no surprise that Blazin Squads only DJ is still active in the music career as he still works as a DJ. But he's apparently had a couple of normal jobs too. A new member, Joe-E, was added to the group in a failedattempt to revive interest. This is false- Corleta Somerville is Rocky B's mum! Much like some of his other band mates, he still gets involved in music; working as a DJ. At home he hashis own record label but occasionally performs on stage with other bands, andspecialises in electronic and house jams. He's also married, referring to himself as a newlywed on Instagram, where he shares pictures of their holidays to far flung and exotic locations. When they started, they had an average age of 16 and were known by a string of ridiculous nicknames:Kenzie (James McKenzie), Freek (Oliver Georgiou), Melo-d (Chris McKeckney), Reepa (Stuart Baker), Krazy (Lee Bailey), Spike-e (Sam Foulkes), Flava (James Murray), Tommy-B (Tom Beasley), Plat'num (Marcel Sommerville)andStrider (Mustafa Omer). Blazin' Squad burst onto the scene 20 years ago, clocking a No.1 hit with their debut single. Since then he has continued to appear on television and radio shows, including appearing on Celebrity Come Dine With Me last year. Strider and Flava real names Mus Omer and James Murray have now formed a songwriting duo called Mojam. So far he's basically spent the entire time telling people he was in Blazin' Squad. Many members appear to enjoy a variety of careers, ranging from underwear line designer (Kenzie) to D-list celebrity personal trainer (also Kenzie). He tweeted: "I've used so much hand sanitiser I can see through my hands.". He's currently helping 19-year-old singer-songwriter Miller Blue break through into the industry. Members Flava, Plat'num, Strider, Freek, Krazy, Tommy-B, Melo-D, Spike-E, Reepa, and Kenzie all met at Higham Park School in Chingford, London where they bonded over a love of . Poor MarcelSomerville. As you may have noticed from the past and present picture comparison, Krazy literally looks exactly the same as he did back in the day, with his long blonde hair still in tact. After some intense detective work and a lot of 'Crossroads' on repeat, we've gathered a roundup of where all ten of the Blazin' Squad boys are now - and some handy past and present photos to help decide whether you still fancy your fave. Sams also taken part in some Blazin Squad reunion tours. Hooray. Immediately after his time in the group, Marcel Somerville had a run of reality show stints on CelebAir, The Games and The Weakest Link and he's back on reality telly now as a cast member on Love Island. Admittedly, only half of them scraped the Top 40, but the group also landed seven Top 10 hits in three years. What's more, they're doing pretty well for themselves. The ten members of 00s' boyband Blazin' Squad are living very different lives as it approaches the 20th anniversary of their debut single Crossroads topping the charts. Reepa's spiked hair has now been replaced by luscious long locks instead. He's eating ice cream in his Twitter picture though, so he must also enjoy some occasional dessert based snacking. For other inquiries Contact Us. Fans may be shocked to know that the likes of Reea, Freek and Melo-d have gone back to their birth names. All 10 bandmates met up for drinks once Marcel, now 36, returned to the real world. This week Reepa gives us the the latest on what Blazin' Squad have been up to. Here we take a trip down memory lane as we revisit their lives 20 years on from their glory days. It reached the top of the charts in August 2002, a year after So Solid Crew gained their Number One. Occasionally, he ditches the suit to join his bandmates on stage during reunion performances. That's all we can tell you really as he's kept away from the big Blazin' reunions. He has been pretty quiet of late since his solo career, dubbed the Lee Bailey Project, failed to hit the big time. He is also on a Podcast called Its Not All Dad with co-stars Jamie Jewitt and Jake Quickenden. Stuart has now ditched the gelled hair and shaved eyebrows of his youth in favour of a grown-out locks and designer stubble. The ten members all met through secondary school and came together through a shared love of music. Despite ditching the hair gel and growing a beard, the 36-year-old does not look too different from the group's heyday. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Where is Reepa now? They decided to call it a day in 2006. The label issued a Greatest Hits compilation via digital download and thereby ended the contract with the group. In July 2006, Rocky-B, Reepa, Spike-E and Melo-D made an announcement that they were going to reform as Blazin' Squad, and record and release a new album under Peach Records. View our online Press Pack. The group had six top ten hits, including "Crossroads", a cover version of the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony original. Since then he has appeared in other shows such as The Games and Celebrity Come Dine With Me. Despite ditching the hair gel and growing a beard, the 36 . They co-wrote and co-produced Sam Smith and Naughty Boy's tune 'La La La', and also worked on Jess Glynne's debut album. The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Currently he is still involved in the entertainment industry and works as a music manager for ESG Management. At the time, Marcel admitted he had made a huge mistake and regretted it as he was in love with Gabby, Cosmpolitan reported. To date, he still occasionally performs with a few members of the group but also works in the import/exportindustry. The London group had seven hits in the Top 10 before one by one they slowly exited from the spotlight -but where are they now? Some of still in the biz, while others lead quieter lives. Despite the chart success of their singles, the group failed to match their success with their second album, Now or Never, only peaking at #36 on the UK Albums Chart. Back in The Squad's glory days, Olivier got the date of his band's first number one and the date they signed their record contract on his arm. Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Lee's voice is instantly recognisable as he sang the incredibly catchy chorus on the band's number two hit, Flip Reverse. View our online Press Pack. The Squad's Reepa tells Leigh Mytton all about it. Self-proclaimed pioneers of "chav" culture, ten-piece pop/rap act Blazin' Squad scored an impressive six consecutive Top Ten hits in just two years. . "We Just Be Dreamin'" reached number three in July 2003, and "Flip Reverse", which was co-written by former member Liam D'Souza reached number two in November. He has also become a music mogul writing tracks for the likes of Leona Lewis, Emeli Sande and Professor Green. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Lovely jubbly. 23. Blazin' Squad - angielski zesp hiphopowy. Something went wrong, please try again later. Flava is now seemingly married with two kids. Reepa - Stuart Baker Reepa - Stuart Baker from Blazin Squad then and now Stuart has now ditched the gelled hair and shaved eyebrows of his youth in favour of a grown-out locks and designer. Associated With Peach Recordsin alla he julkaisivat ensimmisen singlens uudistuksen jlkeen, "All Night Long", keskuussa 2006. They have been massively successful, writing for artists including Emeli Sande, Leona Lewis, KSI, and Naughty Boy. Blazin' Squad's popularity had a brief resurgence in 2017 all thanks to Marcel's appearance in one of the most popular series of Love Island to date. Find yourself among people of a certain age today and chances are they'll be able to sing the chorus of Crossroads. Before lockdown, Tommy worked as a DJ. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. DJ Tommy, who is a fan of cycling, has not been seen with the group during any of their reunion gigs. [2] Career [ edit] In The Beginning: 2002 [ edit] His corkscrew curls have been ironed out and now Sam Foulkes is all grown up. Ed Sheeran announces he's engaged to fiance Cherry Seaborn, Blind Dates unluckiest contestant shunned for a SECOND time after being first person to be stood up on the show in 20 years, Naked photos of ex Coronation Street star Melissa Johns performing sex act leaked online by cruel hackers, Ewan McGregors scorned wife has blasted his filing for divorce as 'upsetting and disappointing', Voice UK fans wowed by inspirational singer who overcomes stammer when he performs, Who are Ant and Ox? Actually known as Stuart Baker, the spiked hair has now been replaced with soft, brunette locks. According to social media, the pair enjoy nothing more than jetting off on exotic holidays abroad. Well, the 10 mates are all from London and they met at school. We caught up with Marcel over the summer, but where are the rest these days? But thanks to the unexpected arrival of Marcel aka Rocky B on 2017's Love Island - and his constant need to subtly mention his prestigious musical past - the squad is back in our lives in a big way, and we've rediscovered the need to Flip Reverse things every now and again. Their comeback single Let's Start Again only peaked at number 51 on the UK Singles Chart and the band went their separate ways soon after. That's all we can tell you really as he's kept away from the big Blazin' reunions. Kenzie arrives at the UK Premiere of new animated film "Valiant" at the Odeon West End on March 20, 2005. Rocky B is now widely known for his appearance on ITV's Love Island and his romance with Liverpudlian Gabby Allen. We met them at the crossroads back in the early noughties, and their catchy RnB songs were stuck in our heads for days, but what happened to the 10 members of Blazin' Squad? He was a vocal supporter of Marcel during his Love Island villa stint. Blazin' Squad's new album In The Beginning is out this week. He continues to be proud of his Blazin' Squad roots, writing in his Twitter bio that he's a member of the band. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Blazin' Squad In 2001 Vs. 2017 Featuring Kenzie, Freek, and Melo-d. by Tabatha Leggett BuzzFeed Staff, UK 1. After recording a demo, "Standard Flow," at a nearby . They hit the big time back in 2002 but now 15 years has passed and a lot has changed. The group's split spelled the end of Oliver's music career as he pursued a new profession in corporate banking. Reepa, or Stuart Baker as he's known to colleagues these days, was an original Blazin' Squad member. For the past five or so years, though, he's worked as an engineer for Virgin Media. While Melo-D real name Chris McKeckney has worked as a window fitter in recent years, he's also kept one foot in the music biz. Here, we've have taken a deeper dive into what the original Squad members have been up to over the past two decades. What Blazin' Squad look like now: here's what the 10-piece boyband did next 1 The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal on season 3 2 Call the Midwife star breaks down season 12 finale 3 Angela Bassett. He has since returned to the industry but now works as a band manager instead. . He was vocal about supporting his pal Marcel when he appeared on the third series of Love Island and proudly declares his membership with the 00s boyband in his Twitter bio. Reepa, or Stuart Baker as he's known to colleagues these days, was an original Blazin' Squad member. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Blazin Squad rapper Kenzie is ripped these days, Kenzie posed with his ex-girlfriend Jodie Marsh, Mustafa aka Strider now runs a successful production company, James Murray works alongside his former bandmate Mustafa Omer, Lee Bailey who looks unrecognisable has retreated from the limelight, Stuart Baker aka Reepa has a sensible job these days, Ollie Georgiou, aka Freek, opted for a change of career, Spike-E aka Sam Foulkes is said to work in the import/export business, Melo-d has worked as a double glazing specialist. He appeared on a number of reality shows including the third series of Celebrity Big Brother, The Weakest Link, and CelebAir. Poznali si w wieku 14 lat i od tamtej pory zaczli tworzy muzyk. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Melo-D, or Chris McKeckney, still dabbles in the music biz, uploading rap tracks to his Soundcloud page. Real name Tom Beasley, hes not been involved in any of the reunions as so far. Something went wrong, please try again later. A detailed history, The ending of Sex/Life season 2 explained, Here's what Buzz from Home Alone looks like now. Trivia. He also often shares snaps of him and the band hanging out abroad or in swanky venues (pre-pandemic of course). The group have a verified Twitter account which suggests their line-up is comprised of 40 per cent of the original 10 (Freek, Spike-e, Reepa, Plat'num) and a man named Melo. He's pretty unrecognisable these days with cropped hair and a thick beard. "Here 4 One" was issued as the third single from Now or Never in early 2004, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart, but sales failed to be strong enough to warrant a third album deal. Rumour has it that Tommy was the one who came up with the idea for the band to Crossroads - leading them to chart success. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Since the good ol' days, Strider has gone on to even bigger and better things than Blazin' Squad (if that's actually possible). The remaining few (Rocky-B, Reepa, Spike-E, Melo-D and MC Vyper, who had changed his alias from Danny-B), announced they would be reforming as Blazin' Squad in the summer of 2006. He still performs with the band when they get together for reunions and still lists himself as a member on his Instagram, but he's ditched the gelled hair and shaved eyebrows in favour of grown-out locks and stubble. Friendship goals. EastEnders actress turned Strictly star Maisie Smith has sent fans into meltdown with her latest batch of smoking hot social media snaps as she posed up a storm fo the camera. Blazin' Squad had six top 10 singles and a number one single Credit: . Di. Even music snobs were hard-pressed to resist the pop charm of the teen band's chart-topping debut single 'Crossroads' when it was released back in 2002. As well as occasionally performing with other former Blazin' Squad members, Sam works in the import/export industry now. He also still has those majestic eyebrows. Stuart Baker has continued to appear on stage with some of his former bandmates for Blazin' Squad shows over the past few years, while juggling his proper job as a media manager for the BBC. So, of course, everyone is asking - just what happened to the boys? In his Blazin' Squad days, it's fair to say Kenzie wasn't exactly hench - but he is now! Following his very public but short-lived romance to Marsh, Kenzie has been with his current girlfriend since 2012 with whom he now shares daughters Wynter and Wyllow. We're assuming that Freek came to a career Crossroads at some point, because his time in Blazin' Squad was actually followed by working in banking, wearing waistcoats and sipping on red wine in Instagram pictures. Weighty Plates Records 2002, cat no: PLATE 01T, Weighty Plates Records 2002, cat no: PLATE 02T, Weighty Plates Records 2002, cat no: PLATE 03T, Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 22:17, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Hip hop group Blazin' Squad to count down New Year chimes at Preston's Bongo's Bingo", "Standard flow | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company", "Official Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company", "The Games silver medallist and pop star reveals how the reality show turned his life around", "Die ganze Musik im Internet: German Charts Albums", "Die ganze Musik im Internet Charts German Singles", "irishcharts.com Discography Blazin' Squad", "Blazin' Squad | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company", 2009 Interview & Feature on Music.Virgin.Com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blazin%27_Squad&oldid=1141605543, Chris McKeckney AKA "Melo-D" (20022004, 2006), Stuart Baker AKA "Reepa" (20022004, 2006), Sam Foulkes AKA "Spike-E" (20022004, 2006), James Murray AKA "Flava" (20022004, 20052006, 2009), Mustafa Omer AKA "Strider" (20022004, 20052006, 2009), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 22:17. He now has a wife called Zoe and often shares snaps of their luxurious holidays. he said. Heres what Wednesday Addams looks like now! But when the band disbanded, he retreated from the limelight - despite initially telling the media he would like to carry on with a career in the industry. Since his days in the band, he has certainly grown up and is now a personal trainer, inevitably still making fans droll over him. In his day job, he's a media manager at the BBC. In June 2009, Strider, Flava, Kenzie, Krazy and Rocky B announced they would be re-uniting as a five piece, and subsequently released their comeback single, "Let's Start Again". We've not heard much from Lee Bailey after his solo musical effort The Lee Bailey Project failed to take off. Incredibly, Lee Bailey hasnt changed a day although recent pictures of the singer are hard to come by. As trio Friday Hill (a housing estate in Chingford), Kenzie, Strider and Flava signed with Polydor records and even managed to stay in the Top 10 for a month with debut single Baby Goodbye. He and best band pal Flava formed a songwriting/production team called Mojam, which has been impressively successful. The former Squad member has also gone under the aliases Primetime Pro-Juice, Plat'num and Bezzle (to his friends) in recent years. Strictly's Karen Hauer teases future judging role, Creed 3 star talks building intimacy with co-star, EastEnders reveals big twist in Eve and Suki story, Emmerdale star shares future of Paddy's dark story, Sims 4 Growing Together 28% off in pre-order deal. He now works as a media manager at the BBC and is married to Welsh-born wife Zoe. Reepa - Stuart Baker Reepa - Stuart Baker from Blazin Squad then and now Stuart has now ditched the gelled hair and shaved eyebrows of his youth in favour of a grown-out locks and designer. Where are Emmerdale's missing Bartons now? Turn on your telly at 9pm and you'll currently find Rocky B / Plat'num (depending on your Blazin' era) starring on the new series of Love Island. Although he doesnt seem to use his Twitter account much, he supported Marcel when he was in Love Island. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. His curly ginger locks are gone, replaced with a bald head and bushy beard. ), but we haven't heard a peep from them on the chart since 2009. Where are the Sabrina the Teenage Witch cast now? Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. James Murray stayed close with his bandmate Mustafa Omer and performed together as MoJam. James Murray stayed close with his bandmate Mustafa Omer (Strider). He's also grown biceps bigger than the average human head, and is a father of two daughters called Wynter and Wyllow, splitting his time between New York and London while working as a personal trainer. Marcel then got them all together for their first ever full reunion in early August 2017, and they all look incredibly different. Even die-hard fans might have trouble recognising a now 35-year-old Kenzie given he's now a beefed-up personal trainer at Studio 23. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Hull City disciplinary situation as 37th-game amnesty looms large, Two City players are breathing a little easier after Friday night's game, New artisan dessert restaurant to open in Hull city centre, Heavenly Desserts has restaurants across the nation, Anger at irresponsible dog owners after pregnant sheep chased at East Yorkshire beauty spot, It follows an incident in Yorkshire where a sheep was bitten in the throat, George King explains argument with referee after Hull KR's defeat to Leigh Leopards. The former Blazin' Squad member has stayed in media, but a different kind; he is now a media manager at the BBC. But the world had moved on: guitars were ruling the airwaves and there was little nostalgia lurking for the formerly teenage group. Strider has now written songs for top-selling UK artists including Leona Lewis, Emili Sande, KSI, Naughty Boy and Professor Green. Chris McKeckney was a major player in the Blazin Squad reunion tour two years ago. Somerville has become the first Love Island contestantto make headlines from this series, but if he continues to use his "I was in a band" schtick to impress the ladies, then we might as well remind ourselves of what that "band"actually was. Somerville, a 31-year-old musician and self-confessed heart breaker from London, was one of 10 young men who comprised Blazin' Squad, agroup from Chingford, North East London, who achieved considerable chart success despite being widely ridiculed by both the music industry and general public. Their representative told The Telegraph: "There are no major plans apart from the band performing a few shows up and down the country". Despite this, however, their debut album, In the Beginning achieved gold status in the UK and spawned two further top ten hits, "Love on the Line" and double A-side single, "Reminisce/Where the Story Ends". They've had considerable success working on Sam Smith's hits 'La La La' and 'Like I Can', as well as songs for Emeli Sand and Naughty Boy. A LONG time. As MC Reepa he is best recognized for having been a member of the rap group Blazin' Squad. He's apparently working in the import/export industry now (similar to flipping/reversing) but still does the occasional gig with Blazin' Squad and has been showing his Team Marcel Love Island support online, too. Following the show, Marcel and Gabby were together for almost a year before announcing their split amid reports of infidelity on his part. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Now a far cry from his skinny days, Kenzie is buff thanks to his work as a personal trainer, and is an international DJ according to his social media profile. Family Life. For love on the line [Reepa] (Love on the line) [Krazy] [CHORUS ALL] We can chat all night and day girl When I'm home or away girl Just give me a call on my line girl You can be all mine girl And when we are talking I picture your eyes on your pretty face With the gloss on your lips, soft tanned skin And the body I'll embrace [Strider] "We want to say a massive thank you to everyone we've collaborated with this year, from in the room, to behind the scenes, we're very greatful [sic] for all your passion & hard work. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The huge success of the gelled-haired, shaved-eyebrowed teen heartthrobs spawned RnB inspired album The Beginning and a further six top ten singles. In a complete Flip Reverse, Oliver Georgiou went into banking after the group disbanded. As well as becoming a music mogul writing tracks for the likes of Leona Lewis, Emeli Sande and Professor Green, Strider also now has a wife and a cute baby son too. With the facial hair and jawline structure came a very sensible and grown up job, too. Mustafa Omer aka Strider and James Murray aka Flava are still very much involved in music. The tricky second album. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The Love Island boys reunited in early August 2017, Young Kenzie, with his then girlfriend Jodie Marsh, Now he's a buff personal trainer with a penchant for reality television shows, Chris McKeckney was a fresh faced young boy in 2002, Stuart Baker was all spiked hair and chains, Now he's got a proper haircut and a proper job working for the Beeb, Freek had one of the biggest transformations, He ended up being a suave banker who sipped wine and used Instagram filters, Cutie Marcel didn't stray far from his Blazin Squad roots, He does however look infinitely cooler now, Looking like butter wouldn't melt back in the day, Tommy B is also a keen cyclist who loves a vanilla cone, Krazy's hair sadly isn't the reason he was given that moniker, He's not been seen recently but did keep to his love of music, Sam Foulkes left his curls in the early noughties, But he's kept up with his music and still works with Blazin Squad on reunions, Mustafa Omer learnt a lot in his Blazin Squad days, And he's penned some huge hits for some massive names with James. The limited UK success of Crossroads, a number byUS hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, gave them inspiration to do a loose cover. They reunited briefly in 2011 and represented Great Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest in Germany, where they came in 11th place with their song, I Can, and they've done other reunion shows too. Now or Never is the second studio album released by British ten-piece hip hop group Blazin' Squad. Stay up-to-date with all the news from the Love Island villa this summer with our regular newsletter. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The group met at school and came together through a shared love of music and rap. He. Although he keeps his personal life on the down-low, Strider has ditched his trademark hair gel and shaved eyebrow and is now a married man with a baby. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. While doing pretty well behind the scenes, Flava is one of the Blazin' boys who tends to keep out of the spotlight himself, and is seemingly impossible to track down on social media.