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CRATE DIG: Legendary 90s Hip-Hop/R & B Producer "Buttnaked" Tim Dawg

26 Aug

Welcome to the newest regular feature here at True Genius Requires Insanity, the “Crate Dig.” As you may already be aware, we strongly feel as though it’s time to advocate a “back to basics” movement in music. We feel that instead of everyone being an innovator, that some of us need to be preserving the importance of original source material. To that end, the “Crate Dig” will feature members of the TGRIOnline.com staff, the “Hustlers of Culture,” digging through their mental crates to remember the songs that made them appreciate music. There will be some amazing, and yes, embarrassing choices here, but always the key impact is to remember when music was not something to be over studied, remixed, downloaded, forgotten and torn asunder. We’re remembering when music was simply a song you liked, and really couldn’t tell you more than a sentence or two why. Sit back, reminisce, and enjoy the building blocks of music appreciation.

Horace Brown’s 1996 hit “Taste Your Love,” written by “Buttnaked” Tim Dawg
Christopher Williams’ “Every Little Thing You Do” (Tim Dawg Remix)
Song: (Too many to mention)
Year released: 1993-1998
Year “discovered” by me: 1993
Reason discovered: Obsessive listening to Friday and Saturday night live mixes by club DJs
Between the ages of 15 and 20, the most important person in hip hop and R & B in my world was producer “Buttnaked” Tim Dawg. One of the most key components to the early success of Sean “Puffy” Combs’ vision of meshing gang culture, fashion and music into a volatile and chart ready mix, Tim Patterson was the producer of note on nearly every 12″ remix of every major early hit of the Uptown Records/Bad Boy Entertainment era. Tim Dawg’s remixes in many ways were my Friday nights. I wasn’t a big partier in high school, and in college I didn’t party until junior year, so whether it was WPGC or WKYS or Flava 1580 in DC, or Providence College’s WDOM on Saturdays during freshman year or WBRU always on Sundays while I was in school, his remixes were a major part of my teenage years.
Even more amazing to me was in doing research for this piece learning that he was the songwriter behind one of my favorite songs of all time, Horace Brown’s 1996 regional hit single “Taste Your Love.” The Trackmasters remix of that song portended the future of Bad Boy, as it was politely grimy, sex driven lyrics over swinging uptempo R & B. To hear the track in 2010, and to realize that in 1996 the track was completely fresh and brand new as a concept really shows the development and diversity of R & B over time.

At a time, Christopher Williams ran neck and neck with Jodeci for being the most influential R & B performer in my life. I was definitely a socially maladjusted nerd, so in my mind dressing and acting like my R & B heroes was the best look for gaining acceptance. Jodeci was pretty much firmly entrenched until one night in ’93 a DJ dropped the Tim Dawg remix of “Every Little Thing You Do.” I wasn’t really a big fan of the original, as it lacked the gangland attitude, overt sexuality and sneer of my preferred brand of R & B. Tim Dawg gave that song teeth, made the dance floors ignite, and in many ways set the precedent for my teenage years.

From Mary J. Blige’s What’s the 411? remix album to working with the Notorious B.I.G., the Lost Boyz, Lil Kim and so many more, Tim Dawg is a true lost legend of hip hop music who should NEVER be forgotten.