The I.R.M. Crew, which stood for “Immortal Rap Masters,” came out of North Minneapolis and consisted of Devastating Dee (Doug Shocklee), Kel-C (Kelly Crockett, 1966-), TLC (Curtis Washington, 1966-), and Cuttin’ Kal (Calvin Jones). It also featured the beat boxing of B-Fresh, also known as I.B.M. who would later become TruthMaze. They were managed by Charles Lockhart, who owned his own record label, Cchill Productions, based in St. Paul. The group released an EP entitled The I.R.M. Crew (1986), which featured the songs “I Dream of DJs,” “Diseased America,” “Unh Baby, and Let’s Dance.”
“I Dream of DJs” incorporates the I Dream of Jeannie theme song a year before DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince sampled it for “Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble,” while nationally distributed record company K-Tel picked up “Uh Baby” as a single. They also released two 12 inches, “Baseball” b/w “The Cchill Cut” (1987); “R U Ready 2 Change the World?” b/w “Who Said Our Dee Jay Couldn’t Cut?” (1988). Due to internal burnout and the bungled distribution and management of K-Tel, the I.R.M. Crew broke up soon afterwards (Scholtes “Doomsday”).
TruthMaze, however, has continued to work in music and social activism. A poet, MC, multifaceted drummer, and social activist, he is widely considered to be one of the legends of the Twin Cities hip hop scene. It was during his time with the I.R.M. Crew that he formed the Minneapolis B-Boy Organization, a group dedicated to countering the surge of violence that crack and various national gangs brought to the Twin Cities.
[Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide]
