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.

 

Prince Ital Joe -1997- Prince Ital Joe (Death Row)

• Unreleased Death Row album recorded in 1996-1997 
• Prince Ital Joe, long time 2Pac friend and collaborator

 

Discogs page

Listen that album in YouTube

 
1. No More Games feat. Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg
2. Some Day
3. Jamming on the Radio feat. Yo-Yo
4. 2Pac Tribute feat. Kurupt, Coolio & Jewell
5. Don't Test Me (Acting Shady) feat. K-Ci & Jojo
6. Sea of Love
7. Whatcha Gonna Do feat. Daz Dillinger
8. Ras Mob
9. Stereo Type feat. WC
10. Wicked Run
11. True Love
12. It Ain't Easy feat. Low Life Gangstas

Executive producer : Daz Dillinger

The album knew an unofficial release recently

Authentic reggae singer & mainstream success with Marky 'Mark' Whalberg

In the 80's, Prince Ital released some reggae singles in a traditional Jamaican style. But he is of course mainly known for his mainstream collaborative album with Marky Mark Whalberg in 1994 (and the remix companion in 1995). The project was mixing dance music with hip hop & reggae for a huge commercial success. In this Death Row album, you can easily hear that dance vibe he is used to improve with his ragga style (in many songs like "Some Day" or "Sea of Love"). 

Early Hip-Hop / Reggae singer

Hip hop fans prefer to remember his contributions for 2Pac (in Makaveli, The 7th Day), Dogg Pound ("Respect" in Dogg Food in 1995). And they are not wrong because Prince Ital was doing features in the west coast hip hop before his mainstream success with the bad boy actor. In 1993, he is featured in Yo-Yo's "Givin' it Up" for her 3rd album mainly produced by Ice Cube. This has been his first significative disc appearance and maybe that's why he invited her here.

Even before that, Prince Ital Joe also recorded in 1992 a song for Dr. Dre album Chronic, "Mr. Officer" ! But Dre finally chose to remake the song with Snoop and Daz Dillinger. It became "The Day The Niggaz Took Over" and this early Prince Ital song remained unreleased...

A long time 2Pac friend & collaborator

In the early 1993, Prince Ital recorded the song "Thug Life" with 2Pac and Big Syke, a song that was the first step of Pac 's famous third project, but unfortunately stayed unreleased until today...

So Ital was at the basis of Thug Life and that's probably why 2Pac invited him in the late '96 to record three songs with him and his group Outlaw Immortalz for his new project Thug Life Volume 2 : "What's Next", "Penitentiary Bound" and above all "Hit Em Up original". 

Ital was not in One Nation (or eventually if "Street Life" could have been included in a west side second part), but what is funny is that another well-known hip hop contribution is to "Mirror, Mirror" published in One Million Strong in 1995, a song by Smooth B, partner of Greg Nice, heavily featured in One Nation.

 

This first solo album knew a promo release in 1997.

Casual cursed Death Row artist

Like we saw, he missed the opportunity to shine in Chronic. In beginning of 1996, Ital recorded "Street Life" with Daz Dillinger and Val Young, promised to be a real street anthem. Daz gave his verse to Snoop for his new Doggfather album. 2Pac is added in June. But finally the song will be scrapped from Snoop album and from the Death Row compilations... 

The entire Dogg Pound, augmented of Snoop and Nate Dogg were there, alongside with other west coast heavyweights (Coolio & WC, who were partners in the Maad Circle) and New Jack superstars K-Ci & Jojo to help him to record his first solo album that knew an official promo release in 1997. But because of Snoop and Kurupt leaving Death Row ? It failed to break the curse...