One of the most bizarre, funny, and extremely skillful American hip-hop acts, Brooklyn-based Fu-Schnickens erupted in 1992 with their highly acclaimed single, Ring The Alarm, an update of the reggae tune from
Tenor Saw. Their equally heralded debut album filled with many references to martial arts and Asian culture predating the
Wu-Tang Clan, F.U.: Don't Take It Personal, contained the hits True Fuschnick, Movie Scene, and La Schmoove, (Featuring
Phife Dawg from
A Tribe Called Quest). The later collaboration gave them status as an affiliate crew of the revered
Native Tongues collective.
In 1993, Poc-Fu, Moc-Fu, and Chip-Fu returned with a Top 40 single, What's Up Doc ? featuring the NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, who had praised the group as his favorite. The lead single for Shaq's debut,
Shaq Diesel, and their following album, Nervous Breakdown (1994), also garnered the bangers Breakdown and Sum Dum Monkey. Fu-Schnickens made the amicable decision to part ways in 1996 to pursue individual creative endeavors.