With pimped out threads and a smooth vernacular over 1970’s inspired rhythm, Camp Lo took the hip-hop world back into a stone groove with their hit “Luchini (This Is It)”. After label problems and more label problems, Camp Lo has returned to hip-hop. They have rejuvenated themselves by starting their own label (Dymond Crook Records) and putting out their sophomore album (“Let’s Do It Again”) on their own terms. I had an introspective conversation with SONNY CHEEBA, the partner of Geechi Suede, and one-half of Camp Lo.

T.JONES: “How are you feeling?”
CHEEBA: “What’s happening, Todd!”

T.JONES: “Did you start going by a different name than Sonny Cheeba?”
CHEEBA: “Nah, it’s just another thing I did from another Blaxploitation flick. Willie Dynamite. You have to see the flick to know what I’m talking about. It’s like the ups and downs. Your man is on cloud 9 when he’s doing his thing and he’s a pimp. Then, it shows how you go from cloud 9 to ground zero.”

T.JONES: “How did you get your name Sonny Cheeba? Are there meanings behind the names?”
CHEEBA: “I was going through a couple of names when we were doing the demo. It went from Bamboo to Cheeba to Sonny Cheeba. I kept it from the Street Fighter flicks so I just ran with that. Suede got his own. It went from Geechi Dan to Geechi Tres to Geechi Suede.”

T.JONES: “How did you meet Suede and start Camp Lo?”
CHEEBA: “We met through an official friend in the Bronx named Ayanna. I knew her from school and Suede knew her from the block. We had the same name. She introduced us and we wound up being cool. When you meet a cat who has the same name and you both know where it comes from, you run with it. We wound up being cool.”

T.JONES: “Your new album is called ‘Let’s Do It Again’. Who produced it and who do you have on it?”
CHEEBA: “Ski, the cat who produced the last album (‘Uptown Saturday Night’) did ‘Let’s Do It Again’. We go with the same cats on this album. The reason why we couldn’t touch other artists was because we were stationed down her in North Carolina. That’s where we did the whole album.”

T.JONES: “Do you have a favorite song on the new LP?”
CHEEBA: “It used to be ‘Soul Train’. That used to be my favorite but now, it’s going towards ‘Carnival 4 Sha’ or ‘Gotcha’, the first track on the album. Yeah, I’ll go with ‘Gotcha’.”

T.JONES: “Why did you name the group Camp Lo? What does the name Camp Lo mean?”
CHEEBA: “At the time, the word ‘camp’ is a group of people and we run with a camp. We were running with the name ‘Cee-Lo’ so we changed it from ‘Cee’ to straight ‘Camp’. There’s that cat down in Atlanta doing that ‘Cee-Lo’ thing. (Goodie Mob). We took the ‘C’ and made it ‘Camp’ and then, we ran with the ‘Lo’. Chances are, the music we make is pretty low. You know what I’m saying? The odds are against you finding a group just like us. We expect that from ourselves… that we will make music that is not like anything else you will hear that is out at the time.”

T.JONES: “’Luchini (This Is It)’ was a major hit for you guys? Was there pressure from the Profile Records to duplicate that success? How did you deal with it?
CHEEBA: “The song ‘Luchini’ was like our walk out of Profile Records basically, because we did a song after that. There wasn’t pressure to come up with another ‘Luchini’ until we went to Arista Records. What those cats didn’t understand that we came up with ‘Chini’ and the whole first album (‘Uptown Saturday Night’) with total creative control. We didn’t have anybody telling us that we had to do something their way. We were just doing whatever felt natural.”

T.JONES: “You bounced from label to label. First, Profile then, Stimulated. What happened?”
CHEEBA: “The cat that did ‘Coolie High’ got us out of that Arista deal. We saw things weren’t going down right so we had to bounce. They were making the transition from Arista to J Records. We were getting caught up in the shuffle so we asked to get released.”

T.JONES: “Did you guys end up paying money to get out of the record deal?”
CHEEBA: “Nah, it was a publishing thing and they gave us all of our masters. We owned every song but they needed some backing bread. I guess that was worked out by the lawyers. Then, we wound up going to Stimulated Records / Loud. We did that real quick. Whatever, whatever. It didn’t work out for our best interests. I don’t think those cats are about getting bread like they really think they are about getting money. Then after that, we started doing what we are doing now. As far as doing the album, I love the album.”

T.JONES: “How and why did you start Dymond Crook Records?”
CHEEBA: “We had a couple of cats to fund us. We had a couple of cats from back in the day, that Suede knew, who put some bread into us. They understood where we were coming from musically. That’s pretty much how it went down. It’s more bread this way. It’s less machinery this way. You lose the mechanics when you don’t use the people who you have been using for years and you do it yourself. We had a lot of relationships that we had to grow on when we moved on though.”

T.JONES: “Ski (who also produced Jay-Z, Pace Won, Foxy Brown, etc.) does most of your production work. How did you meet him?”
CHEEBA: “He was there since the demo. Before that, Suede was solo but he didn’t want to rhyme by himself any more. He called me and we wound up working together with Ski. Everything was everything since then.”

T.JONES: “In other interviews, Camp Lo have been known to classify your music as ‘neo-hip hop-soul’. Can you explain that term?”
CHEEBA: “It’s definitely soul. We are definitely soul-ed out. We don’t necessarily want just the soul label but it’s definitely soul if you listen to it.”

T.JONES: “If you could give a label or description to your music, what label or description would give it?”
CHEEBA: “We have the mentality of a Jimi Hendrix as far as doing whatever feels good to cats. Then, like from a Marvin Gaye side, we layer our music with a lot of adlibs and have flows coming from left field that you probably never heard before. I don’t know really what to call it. Maybe some call it ‘Neo Soul’ because that’s the thing to rap about right now. A lot of things are neo-soul now but they are not like us.”

T.JONES: “Can you explain the meaning behind the song ‘8 Moons Ago’?”
CHEEBA: “In ‘8 Moons Ago’, my man Suede is telling us about things that happened in the past. 8 moons ago, we lost a couple of loved ones. 8 moons ago, things didn’t work out with some females. It’s just about things that happened in the past.”

T. JONES: “Have you spoken to Ish aka Butterfly from Digable Planets recently?”
CHEEBA: “Nah, we haven’t spoken to that cat in so long! I don’t have any numbers on him! I had a couple of numbers on him but he’s always switching numbers. That man is really always on the move. In the Vibe, I saw that he got some new group called Cherrywine. I heard a joint that Suede had on some kind of CD. It was definitely solid. We got to hook up with that dude because I haven’t seen him in a minute.”

T.JONES: “You hooked up with De La Soul on 2 released songs (‘B-Side To Hollywood’ from your debut LP and ‘So Good’ from Tommy Boy’s ‘Hip Hop 101’ LP). How did you hook up with them and what was it like?”
CHEEBA: “I got to big love De La Soul! We looked up to those cats for so long. Our first tour was the first tour we ever went on and we went on tour with them. It was Camp Lo opening up for De La Soul before we even had an album out. Those cats are like the most humble cats and they put us on to so many things. Everything that we needed to know, they told us. Those cats are real solid. We’ve been loving their music. We love those dudes. Everything is everything.”

T.JONES: “What emcee or group would you like to work with in the future?”
CHEEBA: “We want to work with every duo that we think is hot… every duo! Right now, it’s those Atlanta dudes, Outkast. Cats be comparing us to them. I guess since we both different, we are going to be compared. We love their music just as well. Clipse, Rae & Ghost, Method Man & Redman definitely.”

T.JONES: “What producer would you like to work with in the future?”
CHEEBA: “I didn’t really know where those cats, The Neptunes, were coming from until I heard that ‘In Search Of’ album. We’re feeling that N*E*R*D type of music. We like those dudes’ music. There’s someone else too. I don’t know if my man is ever going to go into producing, but D’Angelo’s music is crazy. I didn’t really know what time it was with that dude but his music is hot.”

T.JONES: “Movies seem to play a big role in your whole vibe. What is your all time favorite Blaxploitation  movie?”
CHEEBA: “It used to be ‘Coolie High’ but now it’s ‘Coolie High’ tied with ‘Willie Dynamite’. If you haven’t seen ‘Willie Dynamite’, you have to see it? What is your favorite one?”

T.JONES: “My favorite is ‘Superfly’. I never get sick of ‘Superfly’. The soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield is just perfect, a classic.”
CHEEBA: “I cannot lie. ‘Superfly’ is definitely up there. That is one of my top 5. I love ‘Superfly’, ‘The Mack’, ‘Willie Dynamite’.”

T.JONES: “What was it like growing up in the Bronx?”
CHEEBA: “It was real hip-hopped out. Everybody was break dancing and boogying. Stickball, slugs, running track. It was lovely out there. The BX is where cats feel safe at all day, everyday. Of course there are things that go down in the Bronx but no matter what you see or hear on the tube, that’s the heart. That’s my heart right there.”

T.JONES: “What song did you have the best time recording?”
CHEEBA: “On the first album, ‘Luchini’ was fun. We had a good time making ‘Park Joint’, ‘Spanish Harlem’, and ‘B-Side To Hollywood’. Not coming out with ‘Spanish Harlem’ as a single is something I regret. Right now from ‘Let’s Do It Again’, I had fun making ‘Soul Train’, ‘Carnival 4 Sha’, ‘How Ya Walkin’, and ‘Glow’.”

T.JONES: “Jimmie Walker was in your video for ‘Black Nostaljack’. What was he like?”
CHEEBA: “He was hilarious! He was cracking jokes all day and hoopla-ing up! Your humor switches up from back in the day to now. He did both.”

T.JONES: “Favorite alcoholic beverage?”
CHEEBA: “There’s a mix. It used to be Amaretto back then but things change. I have to say 7&7.”

T.JONES: “Drug of choice?”
CHEEBA: “Tiger Bone. You people probably don’t understand where I’m coming from with that. When you find out what Tiger Bone is, remember Cheeba told you. (laughs).”

T.JONES: “Abortion: Pro-choice or Pro-life?”
CHEEBA: “I’m pro-life.”

T.JONES: “Death Penalty- For or against?”
CHEEBA: “I’m for it. That’s bugged out, right?” 

T.JONES: “Where were during the Sept. 11th World Trade Center Terrorist Attack? How did you deal with it? How do you think it will affect hip-hop?”
CHEEBA: “I was in the crib. I woke up and I thought that I was dreaming. Cats were telling me that there were 2 buildings down instead of one. I was looking at the news telling me it was just one. That’s why I thought I was dreaming. I thought the whole east coast was about to be taken off of the map. Since 9-11, everyone thought it was the end of the world. I guess cats will be deeper into the music and looking for happiness rather than anything else. Music and licks are what everybody is into when they are not feeling right.”

T.JONES: “What is the last incident of racism that you experienced?”
CHEEBA: “Probably on the train going from New York to Carolina. This lady was on the train right? She’s in the back hoopla-ing up, laughing and joking. The next thing you know, she gets real serious. So now, it’s nothing but ebony affair throughout the whole train but this one lady happens not to be. She says, (acting in a worried female voice) ‘I can’t find my phone! Somebody has taken my phone! Where’s my phone. Call my phone! I know one of you people took my phone! I wish somebody would give me my phone back!’ They call her phone and she swears that someone on the train took it. The conductor comes over and says ‘It’s in your seat. Look in your seat.’ The lady was like ‘Aw! There it go!’. It was crazy. Sometimes, it’s non-stop action. In the near future, 40-50 years, cats are going to be forced to think a certain way going back to the 70’s peace type way of thinking. There’s got to be more love.”

T.JONES: “Are you two still Muslim? If so, how does God affect your approach to making music?”
CHEEBA: “Yeah, I’m still Muslim. I guess by being a Muslim in the U.S., it gives me more discipline on not doing certain things that everybody else is doing. Back in the day, when the kids were celebrating Christmas, I knew I couldn’t do that. Easter? We couldn’t do that. Everything was a big hoopla and we had to have the discipline not to do it. We go into the music with the same frame of mind. Since I haven’t been doing what everybody else has been doing all this time, I could only do what I do.”

T.JONES: “Have you ever made a pilgrimage to Mecca?”
CHEEBA: “Nah, I haven’t made that run. I always said that I would make that run when I’m older and when I have a lot more shorties, a lot more kids.”

T.JONES: “In songs like ‘Glow’ and ‘Luchini’, there is a love for money as well as lyrics about drinking and sex. Does the flashy image, songs about loving money and hedonism go against your religion? Do you get criticism from your fellow Muslims?”
CHEEBA: “No, because the cats that we meet that are in the business, are pretty much walking like you. That is when it goes from business to human nature. I don’t really get flak. Day to day and everyday, I’m straight positive as far as my thoughts. There are certain cats that we hoopla about music but we try to have the best time while we are here and while we are young. It is when we get deeper into our years that we have to slow down and really pay attention to what’s going on.”

T.JONES: “Camp Lo have been quoted in other interviews saying that you are ‘weirdoes’ and ‘eccentric’. Could you expand on that?”
CHEEBA: “Those words right there are not my words. Those are Suede’s words. Being weird is just doing stuff that cats are not used to. One time in Germany, we were on tour with A.Z. and The Roots. We go into the lounge we bust one Heineken bottle. We were just hoopla-ing it up… yelling and laughing. Smash! Smash! Smash! Smash! So, then, we leave right? We see Suede’s brother, Jungle Brown with the keyboard player from The Roots come into the room. They start giving us the business like ‘What y’all doing? You can’t be serious! You’re busting these bottles on the wall!’ So now, Suede and I are feeling funny but we run off. We shoot off. 15 minutes later, we come back. Guess who is busting the bottles on the wall now? Jungle Brown and the keyboard player from The Roots! Hoopla-ing it up! That was weird.”

T.JONES: “You 2 are like brothers. Did you every get into a physical fight with each other?”
CHEEBA: “Yeah, we did. We got into one on the tour bus one time… actually, twice. That was the Spearhead tour. We’re on the bus and Suede keeps yackity-yack-yack- yack! The next thing we know, we start scrapping. So, he all hype right now. I wound up hitting my head on the speaker as I hopped up. Now, he didn’t do nothing but run off with his mouth. I bust my head on the speaker when I got up and he’s running up in the store saying, ‘Look what I did to him!’ The next day, we had to do it again. We had to get it on. We had a couple of little episodes but it was nothing that maimed anybody or nothing like that.”

T. JONES: “What’s the ‘Short Eyes’ release?”
CHEEBA: “We did that exclusively for Japan. It made its way over to the states somehow, someway. I haven’t seen the play (by Miguel Pinero) but I did see the movie though. I can’t say that the EP did have to do with older cats having the eye for young, young women. I got the soundtrack (by Curtis Mayfield) and he’s talking about taking advantage of his daughter on that ‘Short Eyes’ song.”

T.JONES: “There’s a guy named Handsome on your new album. Who is he?”
CHEEBA: “That’s Jungle Brown from the first album. He changed his name but he’s the same cat. Same mind frame.”

T.JONES: “Word association time. I am going to say a name of an artist or group and you say the first word that pops in your mind. So, if I said ‘Chuck D’, you may say ‘revolutionary’. Ok?”
CHEEBA: “Alright!”
T.JONES: “Redman”
CHEEBA: “Crazy.”
T.JONES: “Eminem”
CHEEBA: “Crazier.”
T.JONES: “Jay-Z”
CHEEBA: “Smart.”
T.JONES: “Kool Keith”
CHEEBA: “Wild.”
T.JONES: “Sadat X”
CHEEBA: “Best voice.”
T.JONES: “Big L”
CHEEBA: “Harlem.”
T.JONES: “Phife Dawg”
CHEEBA: “Right Hand Man.”
T.JONES: “Jamiroqaui”
CHEEBA: “Best thing happening across seas.”
T.JONES: “Slum Village”
CHEEBA: “I’m diggin’ them! I just got hit.”
T.JONES: “Curtis Mayfield”
CHEEBA: “Short Eyes.”
T.JONES: “Brand New Heavies”
CHEEBA: “Natural.”

T.JONES: “What is the biggest mistake you have made in your careers?”
CHEEBA: “Not dropping ‘Spanish Harlem (Rockin It)’ as a single.”

T.JONES: “What are some major misconceptions people have about Camp Lo?”
CHEEBA: “Some cats have the gall to say that they weren’t feeling us when we dropped ‘Chini’ because we were commercial. They can’t be serious! We were catching that! Now, being that we are not that, the misconception of us is that we are stuck in the 70’s. The 7-0 is basically the imagery of we cats. The vibes! We want to let other cats know that in order to walk a certain way, you have to dress a certain way. Some cats just don’t know enough about the music.”

T.JONES: “What can we expect from Camp Lo in the future?”
CHEEBA: “We gonna give cats just one more shot after this album, which of course, is going to be ‘A Piece Of The Action’ where we are going to test the waters as far as music is concerned. This is just to see what’s going on as far as a certain edge about the music we going to venture off into. I don’t want say exactly what it is but we definitely got something in mind where we are going to have the whole album consistent with what we have in mind.”

T.JONES: “Will there be any solo albums?”
CHEEBA: “I was thinking that me and this cat (Geechi Suede) should have both did that.”

T.JONES: “How would you be making a living if you were not making records and in Camp Lo?”
CHEEBA: “The music business caught me right out of high school. If I never started, I would probably be getting my computer programming on. I would probably be programming some of these video games. That’s what I was going into. That’s what I went to high school for. I was going to dip into that before Suede asked for help on this thing called Camp Lo.”

T.JONES: “What were your parents like?”
CHEEBA: “My pops was kind of on the rough side. He was an ex-jitterbug, a Muslim. Ma Dukes was just my big sister. Thug Pops! Crazy Moms!”

T.JONES: “In the first album’s ‘thank you’ section, you wrote something about a woman who would not let you see your son. Have things cleared up or changed in the relationship between you and your baby’s mother?
CHEEBA: “When she lets me see my baby, it’s just a thousand headaches. It has changed somewhat. It’s the same but it’s just in the different pitch.”
 
T.JONES: “When you are with a woman, do you take the toothpick out or do you keep it in?”
CHEEBA: “Sometimes, I keep it in. Sometimes, I fall asleep with it. I never chocked on it and I don’t want to jinx it (laughs). That’s like my security blanket. It started with the flavored chew sticks. Then, it moved to the toothpick at around 12 or 13 years of  age.”

T.JONES: “What do you want on your epitaph (your gravestone)?”
CHEEBA: “Chances are, I will be writing it myself. The most misunderstood dude on the planet with the biggest heart.”

T.JONES: “Do you have anything to say for the people who are reading this?”
CHEEBA: “I know in interviews that some cats think that we think the music right now is bone-headed. How do you personally feel about it, Todd?”

T.JONES: “Well, there’s some excellent hip-hop out there. You have to look for it. The new J-Live is excellent. The Roots, Mos Def, Common are all doing unique and just plain good music that is interesting and creative. You guys, Camp Lo, are doing something original in the hip-hop world. D’Angelo is dope. John Forte just released a unique album. We have hungry emcees like Thirstin Howl III, Sadat X and of course, Gangstarr is incredible too. Emcees like Kool Keith and Del who take chances. Other music besides hip-hop is amazing too. Bands like Stereolab, Telescopes, Unisex, Trisomie 21, Stone Roses & My Bloody Valentine are incredible. There’s a lot of great music out there and most of it is independent and not played on Mtv. So, you have to look for it.”
CHEEBA: “Yes. That’s cool. That’s Kool & The Gang! I feel the same way! You are recording everything that’s being said in this interview, right? Well, that’s my finishing comment.”

Thank you for your patience CAMP LO!!!
The new album “Let’s Do It Again” is in stores now  everywhere on Dymond Crook Records!