#BounceForWhat #30DaysOfBounce Day 2: “Brown Beats”
(“Rock the Beat” by Derek B, “Brown Beats” by Cameron Paul, “Thinkin’ About Ya” by Timex Social Club [DJ Irv remix])

https://youtu.be/bwDZhQyEWhc

“Bought 2 Triggermans and Brown Beats / So you could pop dat pu$$y in da middle of da street . . ” ~ Mannie Fresh from “Big Ballin’” by Big Tymers

If “Drag Rap (Triggerman)” is the DNA of New Orleans Bounce, then “Brown Beats” (aka “Brown Beat” or “Brown’s Beat”) is the RNA. Other songs like my beloved “Ain’t U Freshco” by Freshco & Miz and “The Tower” by Ice-T (the latter of which memorably sampled John Carpenter’s “Halloween” theme) were also heavily sampled in early Bounce, but they were more so used as additional flavoring whereas “Triggerman” and “Brown Beats” were the roots of the recipe. You will hear a “Triggerman” sample at the top of Drake’s “Nice For What”, but if you listen closely, I think you’ll agree that “Brown Beats” was a direct inspiration for the overall drum tracks supporting both “Nice For What” and “In My Feelings”.

“Brown Beats” began with “Rock the Beat”, a late 80s hit by British producer/rapper Derek B. Bay Area DJ Cameron Paul then reprogrammed that track, basically breaking it down to the drums and adding some other sounds. (For a more thorough tribute to Cameron Paul and how he inspired New Orleans DJs, see this article: http://1079ishot.com/new-orleans-bounce-cameron-paul-brown-beats/ .) Then DJ Irv flipped the beat with “Thinkin’ About Ya” by Timex Social Club and Q93 and FM98 played that remix so much, I grew up thinking Timex Social Club must be from New Orleans. (More recently, DJ Money Fresh re-released Irv’s remix as a tribute.)

Interestingly enough, “Thinkin’ About Ya” was sampled in “Why You Treat Me So Bad” by Club Nouveau, which in turn was the primary sample of “I Got 5 On It” by The Luniz. You may also recall Master P offering his take on the song in the 1998 single “Thinkin’ Bout U” with Mia X and Mo B. Dick. In that video, you’ll see Master P attempting a rather shabby rendition of a NOLA dance called the Beanie Weenie, which was recently repurposed by Bruno Mars in the beginning of his “Finesse” video. (More on the Beanie Weenie and other NOLA dances later.)

Sadly, Derek B died of a heart attack in 2009, Cameron Paul passed earlier this year due to cancer, and DJ Irv was gunned down in the St. Bernard Projects years ago. Much respect to these pioneers of Bounce, whether they knew it or not. As for Irv, before he died, he would be instrumental (literally) in the creation of one of the very first and most important New Orleans Bounce songs, but I’ll save that story for another day . .