The Following YOU & MUSIC entry was submitted by Pufaz…
“When I listen to this track. I close my eyes, my stomach is in knots and I feel the power. The Power for what I do. This song is my hope.”

PIO SQUAD is a Czech Republic rap group which originates in the second half of the nineties of last century. It comes from Jihlava, a small city which is situated right on the border of the regions of Bohemia and Moravia. The original name was Jižní Pionýři, founded by Konef aka Efko, Delebre aka Eurodel, DJ J–Kid and DJ Matoa. Rapper Efko (28) is the youngest member with charismatic freaky expressions taking fancy for witty pointed lyrics. From the beginning he also organized the famous hip hop events in Jihlava, where the most part of main czech and slovakian groups or rappers (Indy a Wich, PSH, LA4, Vec, Kontrafakt, Čistychov) and likewise foreign ones too (Black Moon – USA, Heltah Skeltah – USA, Gramatik – Pl, Firma – Hu, etc.) has succesfully appeared. Eurodel (34) was at the beginning counted among one of the most outstanding writers of home graffiti scenes. As one of the founders of Jižní Pio he soon got respect due to his strict attitude towards the socially ticklish subjects, upon which he overtly speaks about in his lyrics (politics, religions, social unevenness, conspiracy theories etc.). DJ J–Kid was the very first DJ who played foreign rap music in the local clubs during 1995–1996 and spread it to the neighbourhoods. With refined taste he concentrates especially on great party DJing. Later he built up his own recording studio, where the most of the music of PIO SQUAD has arised, and he followed with producing music. DJ Matoa is introduced as a main producer of the group with an ability to create unusual music compositions and hard downtempo beats. In this quad Jižní Pio rides around to czech music clubs at the end of the nineties and gets an infamous reputation of the wildest live group that can move the crowd. The first collective record in the year 1999 is peculiarly a home-made audiotape with a recording of a live show from the music club called Žlutý pes in Pardubice which runs like wild–fire upon the fans. The officially released singles came thereafter in a quick succession. The first song Není pozdě came out on a CD enclosed in a Polish hip hop magazine Klan (Nr. 19, 2001). Almost at the same time Jižní Pio sent two studio recordings (Noc a Den, Odpočinek) on a czech compiled double CD, Lyrik Derby vol. 1 (2001), and Delebre appears as a guest on the first vinyl single of Prague´s group K. O. Kru (later SuperCrooo) during the same year. In 2002 one of the great events was a release of Czech-Hollandian´s CD compilation, From Amsterdam to Praha, where PIO took apart in with a classic represent hit P.I.O.. However, the beginning of a new millenium has also brought a first greater break – talented DJ Matoa had left the group and than by himself, succesfully he continues with producing and playing other styles like drum´n´bass, experimental break beats, 4×4, dub step etc.

Jižní Pio than continues in three and in May 2003 they released from their own pocket the first anticipated CD LP, Three stars. This record, full of dirty samples and unchained cheeky lyrics of Efko with Eurodel completed with flashy scratches from J–Kid has consummated the period of a classic sound of the nineties and along with a punk-rap approach has unblocked the boundaries of the average hip hop of the time. Three Stars forcably appealed to the underground community as a whole, no matter what the confessors of rap, punk, hardcore or dance music. Tracks like Z hnoje květ, P.I.O. (RMX) or Punk 3:1 featured Wladimir 518 (PSH) has immediately became street anthems. Of other guests we could mention i.e. DJ Richard (Mecca Audio, ex Peneři Strýčka Homeboye), Questablist DJ Crew from Brno, or well-known jazzman František Kop, member of the group J.A.R., in the song called Hledáme lásku. This LP is followed with a vinyl EP in the same year and PIO than played live all over Czech Republic, Slovakia and also in Poland and Germany (Meeting Of Styles festival).

In the year 2004 they founded their own independent label, Avantgarda Muzik. The first record released on this label is a rare 10´´ vinyl single Potřeby / Hledáme Lásku remix, with a legendary cover of a set of photoshots, where Efko, Eurodel and J–Kid couch themselves in the appearance of farmers who live in a hen-house together with chickens and rabbits. The mirror to the increasing bombastic rap music has been once again exposed.

Another important change followed during 2005. De Puta Madre (31), old friend of Jižní Pio who has not bindingly rapped together with Efko and Eurodel on first freestyles and performances in Jihlava in late nineties, moved back to Czech after a long stay in Spain. The group than naturally spread to one more member and yet took further, even if just for a distance, their other friend – slovakian producer called  Grandmajster Výroby. Which definitely has changed the name to PIO SQUAD and first introduced themselves with a single To je to co chceš?! on the first volume of compilation CD Nejbr Hip Hop Mix. A shift in production towards a newschool sound, foul rap full of irony and playful ambiguous lyrics has in this very pilot track indicated a grand change in their music.

Fans had waited to see the second CD LP done in the year 2006. The title Punk Is Dead gives a straight answer to the changing of the style just by its name. This record, combining elements of bouncy reggaeton, crunk, electro sounds and classic rap arised from furious collaborations of five crazy enthusiasts, has widely spread to the public and even has been awarded the Golden Angel by the Academy of popular music for the best LP of the year 2006 in the category of Hip Hop / R&B. Produced mainly by home members J–Kid, Eurodel and Grandmajster Výroby, with features from the oldest czech rapper Orion (PSH). With street anthem Bez Tebe, produced by legendary Prague´s DJ Enemy, PIO SQUAD has attacked Czech hip hop radios and for weeks they held the first place on the charts. The first Prague´s graffiti king and visionary film director Scarf (Jan Zajíček) had shot an extraordinary video on a nervous song called Chvátám. This clip, beyond all traditional rap cliché, was nominated for the best Czech music video of the year 2006.

In 2007 PIO SQUAD is in great form. In the age of spreading the new dj technologies (Serato, Final Scartch) they released classic 12´´ vinyl Musíme Jet, whose front track by the same title was produced by the young talented producer DTonate. A very succesfull video was shot on this track also, directed by Scarf´s skillful student Jan Látal. Another anthem on this EP is a smash hit Dělej si co chceš, also produced by DTonate. On this record you can find also a sweet erotic song Má Milá, produced by Dysmusax, featured with female R&B singer Dannie on a catchy hook. This song is very popular especially among the female audience. As a bonus for DJ´s you can find here three club anthems taken from the LP Punk Is Dead: Bez Tebe, Muzika and Loco Lingo remixed by DJ Mike Trafik, the producer of Prague´s group PSH.

PIO SQUAD continuously works together with Czech and Slovakian scenes and appears as a guest on many other records. Prague´s rapper Lafor aka LA4 invites them on his debut LP Panoptikum (2007) and together they sparkle in a song Všechno zlý je k něčemu dobrý. Slovakian hiphop vet Vec records on his LP Funkčný veterán (2008) together with Efko and Eurodel off the wall hit Turista, followed with half real half animated music video. PIO put another feature on the debut LP Život napsal sám (2007) from a rapper from the Eastern part of Czech, Jay Diesel, in a song called Díky.

The third long play record called Interview, PIO released in May 2008. It is again apparent on this work, that their music never stays in one place and still goes further. In contrast to preceding recordings you can find here no single beat produced by PIO themselves. Most of the tracks are produced by DTonate, on who´s skills PIO bet after succesfull collaboration from EP Musíme jet. You can listen here to the beats from DJ Enemy again, DJ Zysk and one beat from the most productive and most popular DJ Wich. DJ Matoa returns on this LP with one dubstep track called Já. However, PIO turns back for the most part to the sound of a classic rap, their lyrics are grown-up and more serious and again they speak to the listeners outside of the hip hop community. Interview is also richer with guests on the microphone – the number one guest is no doubt the legendary bucktown riders Smif N Wessun (Boot Camp Clik, NY, USA), who recorded a great feature together with PIO SQUAD right in Jihlava after their sell-out show. From Czech you can find here features from LA4, Dannie, from Slovakia Vec, Zverina, Moja Reč or Čistychov and Slipo. This record is followed with a video on a track Chtěl bych, directed again by Jan Látal. This one is another anthem, viewed just on YouTube by almost a half million viewers.  

PIO then in septemeber 2008 works together with legendary czech folk singer Jarek Nohavica and made a collective song Já tam byl on an anniversary compilation CD 20ERS, which immediately circulated around to most of the Czech radio stations. Nohavica then invites PIO for three live shows in a sell-out Prague hall Lucerna, from which the official DVD is made later.

2009 is so far in the name of collabos. PIO SQUAD recorded a hit Worldwide together with another US legend Heltah Skeltah, and a sooner recorded track with Tash of Tha Alkaholiks is still awaiting for release on an upcoming solo LP from the producer DJ Enemy. They have been also invited to appear on the first double LP Dual Shock (2009) by a Slovakian group Moja Reč, right into two songs Stoj si za tým čo si and Kopa Šrotu. Meanwhile, Eurodel has recorded a track Urob Si Sam together with another Slovakian rapper Wulgarny Luzer on his debut LP Nepochopeny (2008) or solotrack Poplach on debut of producer JSM. Efko has appeared as a guest in the track Doplněk on LP of young rapper L.D. and has collaborated with Jihlava´s hardcore group Straight.

Nowadays they have started working on their new LPs, including the solo LP of Eurodel and the new PIO SQUAD LP. All members of the group also play as Djs.