- Justice Crew
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Justice Crew 
Background information Origin Sydney, Australia Genres Hip hop, pop Years active 2009–present Labels Sony Music Australia Website justicecrew.com Members Samson Cosray Smith
Solo Tohi
Len John Ruela Pearce
John Len Ruela Pearce
Emmanuel Rodriguez
Paul Eric Merciadez
Lukas BellesiniPast members Anastasios Tass Repousis
Omar KamaraJustice Crew are an all-male hip-hop dance and pop music group based in Sydney. They are most notable for winning the fourth season of Australia's Got Talent in 2010.[1] The group consists of Emmanuel Rodriguez, Samson Smith, Len John Ruela Pearce, John Len Ruela Pearce, Lukas Bellesini, Paulie Merciadez and Solo Tohi. Following their appearances on Australia's Got Talent, Justice Crew signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia,[2] and released "And Then We Dance" as their debut single. The song reached the top-thirty of the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[3] The group's second single "Friday to Sunday" became their first top-twenty hit and was certified platinum.[3]
Contents
Early life
Justice Crew originated from humble beginnings in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. Founding members Samson Smith and Solo Tohi originally came from New Zealand and both moved to Sydney to pursue a career in dancing. Twin brothers Len and John Pearce are of Filipino and Australian descent. Emmanuel Rodriguez entered the second season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia in 2009 and made it through the top twenty.[4] In 2009, Justice Crew entered the World Hip Hop Dance Championships competition held in Las Vegas, and became one of the many groups to represent Australia. Eventually, they placed 14th in the competition.[4] Before entering Australia's Got Talent, Justice Crew were giving free dance classes to disadvantaged children in Sydney.[5]
Career
2010: Australia's Got Talent
In 2010, Justice Crew won the fourth season of Australia's Got Talent. They were inspired to audition for the show after seeing Britains Got Talent winners of 2009, Diversity. After receiving three Yes votes from all three judges in their audition, the group went on to compete in the second semi-finals, where they received a standing ovation from the judges. They won the public vote and went on to compete in the grand finals. The first round of the grand finals was held on 8 June 2010, where Justice Crew performed their final routine. Judge Brian McFadden was impressed with their performance and stood on his seat applauding, and judge Kyle Sandilands was also full of praise of the group's performance.[6] Emmanuel Rodriguez said the group scheduling as the second last act to perform added to the pressure to perform well. He explained, "They gave us more time to be nervous. But as soon as the music started, we knew we were going to nail it". The second and final round of the grand finals was held on 15 June 2010. After the public votes had been tallied, it was announced that the winner of the season were Justice Crew. As winners, the group were awarded a prize of $250,000.[1] The group divided the prize money so each member got $28,000 each. They also invested the money into the group, planning to become a fully professional act.[7]
In an interview with New Idea magazine, Justice Crew revealed that dancing saved their lives, stating that they would have been struggling if they had not taken up dancing as a hobby. Rodriguez said, "Getting paid is a big thing. But so is being able to achieve a dream. Winning a TV show is huge!". Bellesini said, "If I didn't have dancing I guarantee I'd have been in a much worse position. Dancing pushes you further away from other stuff. It keeps you healthy and out of trouble". Tohi said, "I can guarantee you, without dancing, I'd be in jail".[8]
2010–present: Recording career
Following their appearances on Australia's Got Talent, Justice Crew helped promote the second season of The X Factor (Australia), by appearing in one of the television commercials for the show.[9] In August 2010, it was announced that the group had signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia,[2] and released their debut single "And Then We Dance" through the label. The song peaked at number 26 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for selling 35,000 copies.[3][10] On 27 September 2010, Justice Crew released a DVD also titled And Then We Dance, which featured a documentary of their first dance experiences as individuals and how they came together as a group. It also showcased their dance routines and individual tricks.[11]
The group's second single "Friday to Sunday" was released on 17 December 2010. The song peaked at number 18 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum for selling 70,000 copies.[3][10] In December 2010, Justice Crew fronted a campaign for the new underwear label, Sly, and appeared on promotional shoots for the underwear label.[12] The group's third single "Dance with Me", featuring American rapper Flo Rida, was released for digital download on 29 March 2011.[13] In April 2011, Justice Crew served as a support act for Chris Brown's Australian F.A.M.E. Tour.[14] "Sexy and You Know It" was released as the group's fourth single on 23 September 2011.[15]
Discography
Singles
Year Title Peak chart
position
AUS[10]Certifications 2010 "And Then We Dance" 26 "Friday to Sunday" 18 - AUS: Platinum[3]
2011 "Dance with Me" (featuring Flo Rida) 44 - AUS: Gold[3]
"Sexy and You Know It" — Video albums
Year Album 2010 And Then We Dance[11] - Released: 27 September 2010
- Label: Sony Music Australia (#88697800739)
- Format: DVD
Music videos
Year Song Director(s) 2010 "And Then We Dance" Marc Furmie[citation needed] "Friday to Sunday" Alex Goddard[citation needed] 2011 "Dance with Me" Matt Alonzo[16] "Sexy and You Know It" Awards and nominations
Year Type Award Result 2011 Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards[17] Aussie Musos Nominated ARIA Music Awards[18] Most Popular Australian Artist Pending References
- ^ a b Kellett, Christine (16 June 2010). "Justice Crew wins Australia's Got Talent". The Age. Fairfax Media. http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/justice-for-australias-got-talent-duo-20100616-ydxd.html. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
- ^ a b "Sony Music takes on Justice Crew". TV.com. CBS Interactive Inc. http://www.tv.com/story/23670.html. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2011 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 31 August 2011. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/httpwww.aria.com.aupageshttpwww.aria.com.auSINGLEaccreds2011.htm. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Justice Crew". Dancelounge.com.au. http://dancelounge.com.au/dancers/justice. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- ^ Firkin, Katherine (15 June 2010). "Justice Crew wins Australia's Got Talent". The Daily Telegraph. News Limited. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/tv/justice-wins-australias-got-talent/story-e6frexlr-1225880100181. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ Harris, Janice (10 June 2010). "Crew rips into talent final". Central Western Daily. Fairfax Media. http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/news/local/news/general/crew-rips-into-talent-final/1854688.aspx?src=rss. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
- ^ "Will cash cruel the cool Justice Crew?". The Daily Telegraph. News Limited. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/tv/will-cash-cruel-the-cool-justice-crew/story-e6frexlr-1225880589122. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
- ^ Davies, Rebecca (2 July 2010). "Justice Crew: 'Dancing Saved Us'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Médias. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a236762/justice-crew-dancing-saved-us.html. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
- ^ "'The X-Factor' Promo: Justice Crew". TV Central. 30 June 2010. http://www.tvcentral.com.au/2010/06/30/the-x-factor-promo-justice-crew/. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ a b c "Discography Justice Crew". ARIA Charts. Hung Medien. http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Justice+Crew. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
- ^ a b "And Then We Dance DVD – Justice Crew". Sanity.com.au. http://www.sanity.com.au/products/2190841/And_Then_We_Dance_DVD_SIGNED_COPY. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
- ^ Ewart, Paul (16 December 2010). "Justice Crew's underwear campaign". Herald Sun. Herald and Weekly Times. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/justice-crews-underwear-campaign/story-e6frf96o-1225970066579. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
- ^ "Dance With Me (feat. Flo Rida) – Single". iTunes Store. Apple Inc.. http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/dance-with-me-feat-flo-rida/id427519074. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ "Chris Brown 2011 Australian Tour". 2Day FM. Today Network. 19 January 2011. http://www.2dayfm.com.au/entertainment/music/gig-guide//blog/chris-brown-2011-australian-tour/20110119-b58o.html. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ "Sexy and You Know It". iTunes Store. Apple Inc.. http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/sexy-and-you-know-it-single/id465938324. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ Justice Crew – Dance with Me Trailer. YouTube. 17 March 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T30RX3b6HbQ&feature=player_embedded. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ Barnett, Sophie (15 August 2011). "Aussie KCA's 2011!". MTV Australia. MTV Networks. http://www.mtv.com.au/news/d889a9ba-australian-kids-choice-awards-2011-nominations/. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ "2011 ARIA Nominations Announced – Full List Here!". Take 40 Australia. Mcm Entertainment. 12 October 2011. http://www.take40.com/news/26418/2011-aria-nominations-announced---full-list-here!. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
External links
Preceded by
Mark VincentWinner of Australia's Got Talent
2010Succeeded by
Jack VidgenAustralia's Got Talent Seasons Hosts Judges Current: Dannii Minogue · Brian McFadden · Kyle Sandilands
Former: Red Symons (2007–2009) · Tom Burlinson (2007–2009)Winners Runners-up Herb Pattern · Jourdain Wongtrakun · Jal Joshua Lebumfacil · Cameron Henderson · CosentinoOther entrants Bobby AndonovOther Categories:- Reality show winners
- Australian dancers
- Breakdancing groups
- Australian electronic dance music groups
- New South Wales musical groups
- Australian hip hop groups
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