For a time in the late 80s and early 90s, the Staten Island-based R&B group swirled doo-wop harmonies with hip-hop beats into hits like “Tender Love,” featured in the seminal hip-hop movie Krush Groove, and “Love is a House,” which hit #1 on the R&B charts. The Force M.Ds—”MD” stands for “Musical Diversity”—would even collaborate with Wu-Tang Clan chieftain Rza on his Bobby Digital solo project with “My Lovin’ Is Digi.” On the 1s and 2s is Kool DJ Red Alert, a cornerstone of early hip-hop and NYC radio mainstay.
