The Mod Squad (Wicked J & Sam Burton) -1992- People's Park (TNT / Priority)

• 1991-1992 : first album by 2Pac's T.N.T. labelmates Julian Brooks & Sam Burton.
• Julian Brooks aka Wicked J from "Static", "Fade Away" and "Live at African Liberation Day.
  

Discogs page. Julian Brooks youtube channel.

1. People's Park

2. Stroll

3. Everybody Must Get Stoned

4. Last Tango in Fandango

5. Let Go

6. Crisp Trip

7. Planet Choosing

8. Vines

9. I Want U 2 C

10. Ms. Massy

11. Reality Check

12. It's a Dream

13. The Word

14. B-Town Theme

15. The Way It Goes

 

The group is Julian Brooks & Sam Burton

They produced the whole album by themselves. 

Executive Producer - Atron Gregory of T.N.T. Records

Recording Engineer - Darrin Harris

 

T.N.T. family !

The album was recorded at T.N.T. studios under the supervision of Atron Gregory (executive producer of 2Pac and Digital Underground albums in 90-93), and with the help of the engineer Darrin Harris (engineer and producer for Richie Rich & 415, Digital Underground, Funky Aztecs, DBG'z and for 2Pac's '"No Part of Dis", cf. 2Pacalypse II). 

If the album keeps the Digital Underground bizarre sound, it has a more abstract and jazzy side than a funky vibe. The group name is a reference to the TV successful ABC's series 1968-1973 The Mod Squad : one white, one black, one blond girl. Three young undercover cops (cf. promo trailer ; opening & closing themes).

Wicked J : from "Static" with Force One Crew to the Mod Squad

Julian Brooks was formerly known as "Wicked J" - he personally confirmed it to me through his YT channel. He originally had a kind of reggae style and was the partner of reggae artist Cooley Ranks. They both gave a verse in 2Pac's original version of "Static" (known as raggamuffin mix), and they were backing him in African Liberation concert and in the unreleased 2Pacalypse track "Fade Away" (cf. Tales of a 90's N.I.G.G.A., 2Pacalypse II). Like they say in "Static", they were possibly forming a group named "Force One Crew", what could be a first lineup for Chopmaster J's Force One Network, maybe with Tupac. What could mean that Chopmaster J's original project was a rap thing - maybe a compilation of early Strictly Dope work remixed with other artists things, before losing some of his work in a firestorm and starting a whole new project with Dave Hollister as voice leader... 

In the very first tracklist for a second album, right before 2Pac transferred "Part Time Mutha" and "Soulja's Story" to his solo album (circa October of 1991 ?), a mysterious title "Go Head & Rock" is enlisted... So maybe the "Static Playa Mix" was made around that time - but it does not appear again in next tracklist. So that firestorm could have occurred around that time. Maybe Chopmaster J lost Force One Crew material, what led Cooley Ranks to make his way and to Julian Brooks to go towards a whole new direction with Sam Burton.

Sam Burton is essentially a producer with a very abstract jazzy-dub style. He is credited for having produced 6 tracks in Funky Aztecs' first album Chicano Blues (released in late 1992). Julian Brooks is also featured in one of these tracks : "Don Quixote".

In 1995, they released a new mini album called "Abstract EP" and then disappeared.