"The day Camp Lo came out was the day hip-hop smiled," says producer Ski, who handled the lion's share of the group's 1997 debut, Uptown Saturday Night. Layered in Geechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba's unorthodox flow and '70s slang, the album was a refreshing standout amid the shiny suits and bottle poppin' that was dominating the charts at the time. "We plotted everything out before we even started recording the music," explains Suede. "The whole '70s Black exploitation, the slang, the sound that we wanted to be on, just everything. The duo's chemistry built over time." Cont'd...
"Originally a solo artist, Suede met Ski in the Bronx, and the pair began making music together. From time to time, Suede would play tracks for his friend and fellow rapper Cheeba, before suggesting they form a group, in 1994. With Ski handling most of the production, the duo recorded at his apartment and banged out timeless songs like "Sparkle," "Coolie High" and "Luchini AKA This Is It." Although not a commercial success, Uptown Saturday Night presented a new chapter in New York hip-hop and is widely regarded as a project that was ahead of its time. "A lot of people didn't really understand it," says Suede. "They thought the slang was too far out. They thought the way we dressed wasn't cool ... But when "Coolie High" came out, that just changed everybody's mind..." Now years later, "Geechi and Sonny take a moment to look back on their sparklin' debut..." - XXL. They discuss several of the records off their debut, including "Luchini," "Sparkle," and more... (Updated).
