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The group was originally formed by a Compton club owner Alonzo Williams as a mobile DJ crew for several years and it wasn't until 1983 that they decided to record music. In 1984 the group debuted on Lonzo's Kru-Cut record label releasing the single "Surgery" followed by "Juice". Both records proved to become local electro-rap favorites “selling many units on the west coast.”
Alonzo Williams would soon find "Monalisa Young" and asked her to sing their rap-ballad called "Lovers". It would be the groups first effort of adding female vocals. Monalisa went in hearing the song for the first time, performed it and watched as this cut climbed the charts as it became one of music's first cross-over rap ballads. The success of "Lovers" helped to mark this group with a totally identifiable style of it's own and Monalisa would become their featured vocalist on several tracks including "Must Be The Music" as well as "Loveletter".
The following year the group put out their first album World Class. The group's dancer, Shakespeare, later replaced Cli-N-Tel as they signed to Epic Records releasing a string of singles and their second album Rapped In Romance.
The Wreckin' Cru enlisted aspiring rapper Ice Cube to help as a ghostwriter for the "House Calls / Cabbage Patch" single in 1987. Shortly before disbanding over financial problems, the slow jam record "Before You Turn Off The Lights" (which featured Michel'le) became a big hit all across the country's urban and pop charts by early 1988.
But even as the World Class Wreckin' Cru became one of southern California's most popular rap acts, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella were pursuing other production opportunities, one of which came from a new label (Ruthless) formed by Eazy-E. Along with Ice Cube, they wrote a single named "Boyz-n-the Hood" that was initially offered to the Ruthless act HBO, but later prompted the entire crew to form as N.W.A.
After street-level singles like "Dopeman" and "8 Ball" became huge local hits, the World Class Wreckin' Cru became less of a priority for both Dr. Dre and Yella. Even after the loverman ballad "Turn Off the Lights" entered the R&B Top 40 in 1988, they continued with N.W.A. Phases in Life, a World Class Wreckin' Cru LP released in 1990, was basically a solo release by Lonzo. Shakespeare later pursued a position as a pastor. Michel'le married Dr. Dre and released an album on Ruthless Records.
Members
Lonzo (Alonzo Williams), Andre Young (Dr. Dre), Marquette Hawkins (Cli-N-Tel), DJ Yella (Antoine Carraby), Barry Severe (Shakespeare), Mona Lisa Young, Michelle Toussaint (Michel'le), Darrell Robertson, Frank Tebo, Will Griffin.
Singles
* Surgery (12") (1985)
* Bust It Up 2 + 1 (12") (1985)
* Juice (12") (1985)
* He's Bionic/The Fly (12") (1986)
* Keep it Real Letter (12") (1986)
* Mission Pregnat (7") (1986)
* Mission Possible/World Class Freak (12") (1986)
* The Zoowoo (12") (1986)
* Turn Off The Lights (12") (1987)
* House Calls (12") (1987)
* Lay Your Body Down (12") (1988)
* Lovers (12") (1988) 
* World Class Mega Mix 89 (12") (1989)
* House Niggas (12") (1990)
* I'll Be SmOkin On Dat Dro (12") (1992)
Studio albums
* World Class (1985)
* Rapped In Romance (1986)
* The Best Of The World Class Wreckin Cru (1987)
* Fast Lane (1988)
* Phases In Life (1990)
* Turn Off The Lights (1991)
* Gold (1994)
* The World Class Wreckin' Cru Greatest Hits Plus (2000)
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