Flynt Flossy knew he had everything he needed to be a success in the music video business. But the suits in the corporate offices made it impossible for him to get where he wanted to go.

He finally arrived thanks to his own vehicle: Turquoise Jeep.

Turquoise Jeep Records is an ensemble of artists brought together by Mr. Flossy and his friend, Whatchyamacallit, in early 2009. Others involved in the enterprise include Pretty Raheem, Slick Mahony, Tummiscratch and Yung Humma.

Seriously. You can't make these names up. (Because they already have.)

Their specialty is simple hip-hop dance videos that make you want to dance, sing and laugh. And, like so many classic songs you hear on the radio, most of their music is built around a young man's desire for a young woman.

Their success was built on the popularity of their unique and addicting YouTube videos. Suddenly computers and smart phones across the country were tuning into "Stretchy Pants," "Fried or Fertilized," "Cavities" and their biggest hit, "Lemme Smang It."

Turquoise Jeep will be pulling into Pittsburgh tonight for a show at 6119 Penn Ave. in East Liberty. We couldn't hook up with the guys for an interview, but the Internet -- which helped bring them to life -- is full of good stuff about them.

"People debated their seriousness almost instantly and tried to find explanation for the combination of green-screen backgrounds, strange camera-work and unconventionally minimal direction and choreography," writes King Worm of UCLA Radio. "Regardless, due to their hilariously catchy lyrics and dedication to their comedic style, the ensemble gained much notoriety over the year and have been touring for the recent past quite successfully. ...

"What was really surprising about their performance was an intermixing of new comedic sketches and impressively cohesive choreography with all of [their] material. The band has gone leaps and bounds away from their awkward videos of the past and now function, above all else, like a tightly knit and incredibly effective comedy troupe."

The videos on YouTube kept people buzzing until TJR issued its first album in December 2010.

This is how Mr. Flossy explained it to Maxwell Williams, a writer with Flaunt Magazine:

"Well, me and Watchyamacallit, we always worked together, so it was about that time when we was like, 'Hey, we're just gonna put everything together,' and we had all the talent around us, so we just said, 'We're just gonna make Turquoise Jeep Records.' I was tired of a lot of labels. I had an argument with an exec, he was saying, 'Sometimes you wanna be an artist, you wanna be free with it.' So I was like, 'Hey, I'm just gonna start my own thing.' I had all the means to do it. Me, Watchya, Tummiscratch, everybody. So, we just made it happen, you feel me?"

I would explain some of these songs and their lyrics to you, but there are too many editors involved in the production of this preview. So you'll have to use your imagination.

Which is exactly what the men at TJR want you to do. Your imagination, your sense of humor and your dancing shoes.

"Our music is made for all people," Mr. Flossy told Nick Murray, a blogger with The Village Voice. "There's no discrimination over here at Turquoise Jeep Records -- nothing but love, feel me baby? So on behalf of TJR, we want to say thank you to all our fans from everywhere that have been keeping the Jeep ridin'. Our fans are a major part of the reason we keep going. We love y'all! KEEP THE JEEP RIDIN'."

It doesn't take a lot of Googleing to discover that "Keep the Jeep Ridin'" is the group's anthem. Fans chant it and sign their emails with it.

But if you're going to the Pittsburgh show, you'll certainly appreciate their latest song: "Treat Me Like a Pirate." Let's let David Drake, a writer with Complex Music, explain what's special about this one:

"'Treat Me Like a Pirate' is the best track the group has released since 'Lemme Smang It' because it's genuinely funny in the way only Turquoise Jeep can be, but with a high level of replayability. OK, sure, the pirate stuff should be so corny. But ... this is sicker than your average Turquoise Jeep video/rap video/anything."

Mr. Drake goes on to call it "The perfect balance of craft and laziness. The special effects in the video are cartoonish and ridiculous; the setpieces are hokey, and it makes sense, because who takes a rap song about pirates seriously? At the same time, it's obvious that this required some tender loving craft. ...

"It's unapologetically comedy-rap, but it doesn't mock the idea of rap music. Typically, comedy-rap is an unforgivable genre. If you want to make comedy rap, why not just become a rapper? Rap is already funny. Why segregate yourself? Which is why this song is so great; it succeeds at being a hip-hop song, and at being comedy."

The crowd will be plank-walking tonight at 8:30 at 6119 Penn Ave. There's a $15 cover.

First Published: April 17, 2013, 12:45 a.m.