Monkey Bwoy, EZ Duzit, Mr Smood, Nuff Zed, Fling It Up, Chatter Box, Bingy B, Ras Mout & John.
影響
My house influences are ,Tony Humphries, The Masters At Work, Blaze and Larry Levan (RIP).
For soul they are Norman Jay (High on Hope), The Soul II Soul Sound Crew, and DJ Spinna and for hip hop DJ Red Alert, The Kid Capri and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
風格近似
Close your eyes for a moment and try to remember the funkiest jam you’ve ever been to. Think of that one jam that has no comparison. The sexy lights are dim but not too low, the drinks are ice cold and the vibes are tight. All the attendees at the party are looking fly while deeply engrossed in dance floor par-ticip-action. The bass and treble tease your ears while each classic track magically mixes in and out. It’s exactly the situation that calls for, no begs for a massive collective sing-a-long.
Fondly recall this funkiest jam you’ve ever been to. Was it in 79’, 89’ or perhaps 99’?
Time’s up! Open your eyes.
It’s April, 2007. It’s a brisk Friday night, in a gorgeous dimly-lit club on King St. West. Around 300 party people have gathered for what the promoter aptly calls “the sole purpose of gettin’ down.”
The party is real and is steadily becoming Toronto’s place to be every month.
The flyer pronounces the party as “What It Is” and for my money it has to be the funkiest party happening citywide. Hosted each month by Promoter Kwame Younge and DJ Dave Campbell, there is truly nothing like it.
Kwame Younge along with Dave Campbell or “DC” as he’s affectionately known have distilled their vision of dance, partying, funk, soul, house and reggae music into an entity known as “What It Is…” and to the crowd assembled tonight at this funky affair, what it is, is abundantly clear. Their flyer advertising this party cheekily cautions: “No stiffs, no fakes and no wallflowers” and it appears that everybody in the house tonight has taken heed, bartenders included. Not one sedentary bum on a chair or barstool can be seen throughout. It’s a particularly awesome sight to behold, and doubly reminiscent of the piece that Artist Ernie Barnes painted on Marvin Gaye’s “I want You” album cover. You know the one entitled “Sugar Shack”. It’s the painting with the lithe and limber caught up in the funky throes of a stone groove.
Back to the party where Dave Campbell, our more than capable DJ on this cold Friday night is launching into full swing mode. He intently shuffles back and forth between the two turntables and his laptop. He intermittently glances down upon the hundreds of dancers, nodding and smiling now and then to the folks on the dance floor before him.
It was all begat, Kwame and Dave recall inside a tiny, dark low-ceilinged basement in what was then the Beaches. “DC had to play over a washer and a dryer, talk about humble beginnings.” Kwame recalls. “Even back then, it was all about the people and the music,” adding. “The party outgrew that low basement and gradually developed into what it is, now…No pun intended.” And grow it did. A party that started out with dozens, now claims hundreds. The pair’s purposely casual and relatively low-key vibe has withstood the pomp and glitz of the 90’s and is now cementing a legacy as one of the Toronto’s must attend events.
“It’s really about putting the music first ,” says Campbell, “everything else is secondary.”
Although the current moniker for their monthly parties was recently established, the groove that What It Is is has been in full effect since 1992. For Younge and Campbell who are going into their 15th year as a collaborative force, there seems no slowing down. “The groove is continuous”, says Kwame Younge. “We’re forever finding ourselves in a position to give the people what they want, kinda’ like the O’Jays.” He quips. Indeed.
The What It Is.. monthly parties are tonic to hundreds of Torontonians looking for release from their daily grind and pressures of the 9 to 5. Once a party is planned and advertised utilizing their vast database of e-mail addresses and phone numbers (Yes phone numbers! They stand by some old-school promotion ) word spreads quicker than the speed of light. Plans are made, dates are circled and babysitters are booked. People across the city keen to learn of the next party and prepare accordingly. The particular and careful way in which they have the parties promoted/marketed have ensured the pair reach a distinct, dance friendly and musically savvy crowd. Given it’s unrelentingly soulful appeal of What It Is and its’ penchant for real musical variety, it’s not unusual to see T.O.’s top DJ’s, Promoters and even Performers out taking in a large helping of this good time.
Many disciples of their groove cite the unpretentious and soulful vibe of the parties matched with Dave Campbell’s inimitable style of playing for their support. Clifton Joseph, a noted Journalist, Producer and Dubz Poet at-large is one such devotee. “The cats simply have got something you just can’t get anywhere else in this town.” He shares. “Where else other than in my own living room, am I gonna hear Yellowman, Barry White and James Brown ?” This varied and comprehensive way that Dave Campbell programs and spins the music is another marvel altogether. At any given party, a list so extensive as to include the greatest artists from all genres of music is put to work. Talk about deep crates! It is all at the same time predictable and unpredictable! A house set could weave some Loleatta Hollaway and then Mr. Fingers into some classic Chaka then speed through Fish Go Deep’s latest release, finally stopping on a Kerri Chandler or Omar re-mix. Similarly, a reggae set beginning with Jimmy Cliff’s 007 can blend into some Steel Pulse and end on a Sizzla Kalonji track. This meshes with the axiom of no good tune being too old, and no good tune being too new.
Campbell, who has played virtually every dance club in Toronto over the course of his illustrious career, has a much simpler way of putting it. “It’s never been about the popular hits for me where this thing (What It Is) is concerned, it’s about the vibe and the dancers” He adds. “On another level, it’s a rich history of great Black Music that I try my best to honour.”
Try and cop a flyer for one of their upcoming parties, they’re not only eye-catchingly attractive but also quite clever and worthy of collecting. Fridge doors and corkboards across the city don’t lie. One never knows what concept they will exploit next!
The theme names for a What It Is… party are equally compelling.
They’ve gone from the “Downstroke” to “Chocolate City” in a collective nod/pound to Parliament-Funkadelic, to their current extrapolation of the famous NBA logo for the upcoming (short for Non-stop Boogie Action) party.
The pair have many ambitious plans to guarantee the continuity of their jams, part of this planning, is the realization that more people are going to get turned on to the groove. The increasing popularity of their parties has seen them forced to opt for larger venues to accommodate their soul seeking constituents.This, however, hasn’t blinded Kwame Younge nor Dave Campbell to the reason they do what it is that they do. “The jams do get bigger and so do the spots we hold them in, but it’s essentially still a welcoming and comfortable funky soul thing, no matter what.” They fully intend to forge forward, to keep on pushin’ by putting the music first, they also pledge to keep defending the funk and in doing so give the people what they need. One funky soul at a time.
With the dancefloor as his canvas, the turntables his brush, the records
his paint. UK born. Dave Campbell blends songs and styles as the great painters blend colors, creating an enchanting, interactive dance gallery with every performance. As club goers responds to the beat barrage, his desire to take them higher becomes a personal challenge that always culminates in everyones satisfaction. Yet the 18-year DJ veteran is still seeking to perform the perfect mix, the perfect display of music mastery.
Such dedication to his craft is what separates Dave Campbell from other DJs. His passion for music can be witnessed at every performance. Dave weaves multiple music genres such as R & B, House, Old School, Retro, Disco, Neo Soul, Acid Jazz, Hip Hop, and Latin grooves into the mix, depending on the club and patrons.
Wielding the power of music as his guide, Dave has traveled the Globe embracing, and sharing in the evolution of music. He has performed in the Philippines, Los Angeles, New York, Europe and every major and not so major Canadian City.
Over the years Dave has performed with Jazzy Jeff (also an inspiration), Kid Capri, and the late Jam Master Jay, opening and closing parties for the Toronto Film Festival including the Planet Africa functions 9 years running.. He's received awards such as 1996 House DJ of the Year and . Dave was also voted Toronto best Urban DJ in 2003. His success comes from being totally in tune with what people want to hear and need to feel. His respect for each environment he performs in allows him to be flexible with his selections and still garner the same enthusiastic response every time. Some of those environments have been legendary institutions in Toronto such as the many, many warehouse parties, The Twilight Zone, Kremlin, The Cameron House, Guvernment, and for 7 years, he provided musical treats to party goers at Fluid's CandyLand Thursdays.
From beginning to end, DC tantalizes ones musical palate with never-ending melodic mixes, accompanied by earth shaking rhythms. To attend a Dave Campbell party is to be anointed with the spirit of life, love, and undeniable soul.
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AS PER USUAL YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY OF THE HOOK OF THE CHIZAINS. LACING THE MASSIVES WITH THE WIKEDES CHOONS. BIG UP AND SALUTATIONS EVERY TIME MR. DJ. DAVE CAMPBELL
Okay first of all, that pic you put on my page is just WRONG! Haha!
But let me be the first to say here CONGRATS for you-know-what. You're my big brother and I'm extremely happy for you (and you-know-who). Not sure if you've announced to the world, so I won't say much more... but again, CONGRATS!!!!
Whadya do that's so special that has Naomi Campbell saying 'Thank You' on yer page, all in Glitter font & shit?
...you need to do a follow up to IG's song & call it "Abuse that DJ Power!"
