Hip-hop was always a positive thing — for dancers who couldn't afford to go to, you know, Fame, or whatever, Phoenix Dance School, and all that kinda stuff... what you did — the street became your dance floor. You couldn't afford to get into clubs, or they wouldn't allow you in the clubs 'cause you were Black, or you were Asian. So you didn't need to go to clubs — you went under a streetlight, and you danced there all night.

— Mush Khan aka 2-phaan

KALIPHZ

This hip-hop crew was rooted in the working-class town of Rochdale, on the outskirts of Manchester, England. The group was originally formed by 2-Phaan (Mush Khan) and Jabba da Hype who had seen the Rocksteady Crew perform in 1982, and soon after became part of an emerging breakdance and graffitti scene, forming the crew Dizzy Footwurk. The pair also began doing rap-based and politically-charged spoken-word performances under the name Nu Konshus Kaliphz and ultimately teamed up with three other friends to form the first lineup of what would become the Kaliphz.

Although their early recordings kept a strong political, and particularly anti-racist focus, what followed was a series of record deals, name changes, and line-up changes as the members tried to navigate an industry that wanted their talent and energy, but wanted to shape it into something sellable. The crew scored two entries in the British pop charts: "Walk Like a Champion" featuring the boxer Prince Naseem (recorded as Kaliphz), and "Golden Brown", a hip-hop reworking of the classic track by the Stranglers (recorded as Kaleef).