This is the eighth volume of Looking 4 the Perfect Beat. I want to apologize for neglecting the L4TPB column. I’m not going to front, it’s hard some days to get to it, especially with TOV going up daily. However, we are back on it for now. This edition features two tracks a lot of heads may not have heard that are dope. They both come from the Emcee duo Camp Lo. The first track is called Gotcha, featuring Tyler Woods on vocals, and produced by Jocko circa 2002 off the Let’s Do It Again LP on the Dymond Crook imprint. The second joint is called Park Joint, off their first LP Uptown Saturday Night on Arista (1997). It was produced by Ski.
Camp Lo hit the scene with Luchini and blew up. The B-Side cut, Swing, had Ish (Butterfly from Digable Planets) on it. They had a different style all-around, from their dress to their metaphors. Most of their lyrical references are of 70s Blaxploitation flicks. This is evident in song titles, album titles, and lyrics. The first joint-Gotcha blends Tyler’s vocals, well with Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede’s rhyme styles. The beat Jocko used is the L.A. Reid & Babyface (The Deele) song called Shoot ‘Em Up Movies. The two Emcees speak on how women in their lives claim that Cheeba & Suede are running away from them-cuz of their music careers, when in their opinion, it’s really the opposite. Tyler wraps up their sentiments nicely on the chorus.
The second track-Park Joint, brings back the actual Park Jam or Block Party feel. There’s plenty of cutting to simulate the break being cut like the Dee Jay has doubles. The drums are hard, and it’s a fast track, Ski did his thing. Geechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba rip through it, alternating lines, but still having a hook that’s reminiscent of old school Emcees getting the crowd hype with the call and response chants. I don’t think either song got the amount of attention they should have…but then again, if they did, I probably wouldn’t have selected them…
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The same rings true for both of the sample tracks that the two producers used, they got little airplay in their time. The Deele’s Shoot ‘Em Movies had to contest with groups like Ready For the World, Prince-produced splinter projects, Cameo, Jody Watley, Michael Jackson, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis productions, New Edition, Freddie Jackson, Keith Sweat & Teddy Riley’s work, Loose Ends, Roger, LeVert & Anita Baker to name a few. They still made it to number 10 on the R&B chart with this cut. The song came out in 1987 on their 3rd LP Eyes of a Stranger.
The song used by Ski for Park Joint (September 13 by Deodato), is a famous break that a few other producers have used, but not to the effect that Ski did. He put a spin on the track like how Jam Master Jay did with Take Me To The Mardi Gras for Peter Piper. It was sped up a bit and filtered nicely. The original is found on Deodato’s Prelude LP (1973-alternate title 2001) on the CTI imprint. It was his eigth LP; but his best selling one by far. However, his Grammy nominations for the LP didn’t come from September 13, which is the best cut on the LP, with Billy Cobham on the drums, John Tropea on guitar, and Stanley Clarke on electric bass. Enjoy!
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