Company Flow

Company Flow was an American underground hip hop group formed in New York City in the early 1990s, consisting of El-P, Bigg Jus, and DJ/producer Mr. Len. The trio became one of the defining acts of the East Coast independent rap scene of the mid-1990s, prized for El-P's dense, abrasive production and the group's dystopian, anti-commercial lyrical stance at a time when major-label rap was increasingly polished and radio-friendly.

Their breakthrough came with the EP Funcrusher, later expanded into the full-length Funcrusher Plus, which became a touchstone of underground hip hop and helped establish Rawkus Records as a key independent label of the era. Tracks like «8 Steps to Perfection» and its B-side «Vital Nerve» became cult favorites, admired for their jagged, sample-heavy beats and confrontational rhymes, while «Population Control» and «Bad Touch Example» further cemented the group's reputation for dense wordplay and sonic experimentation.

Bigg Jus departed after Funcrusher Plus, and El-P and Mr. Len released one further, largely instrumental record before the group dissolved around the turn of the millennium. Company Flow's uncompromising, DIY approach directly shaped the sound and ethos of underground hip hop, and El-P went on to become one of the genre's most influential producers and MCs, later forming Company Flow's spiritual successor label Definitive Jux and the duo Run the Jewels.