During 2000-2002, a brief but influential window opened in urban music. Drum & bass began moving out of its London heartland and UK garage started to implode under the weight of commercial expectation. Between these forces one man, Lewis Beadle aka El-B, assembled a production crew in Streatham, south London, whose influence was to be felt for the rest of the decade.
The Ghost Camp took a little from both scenes – the bassy masculine edge from drum & bass and the sexy feminine swing from UKG – and made a new mutation, later to be named dubstep.
The roots of dubstep were sown in a shed at the end of a winding garden path in Streatham. Paid for by the funds of a failed album deal, overgrown with blackberry bushes and built by hand by the crew themselves, the shed contained Ghost studios, where during the night hours, El-B and the camp built a sound all of their own. Edgier than UK garage but sexier than the cold onslaught drum & bass was moving into, the Ghost sound was unique. “I try and marry the beautiful with the ugly,” explained El-B in an interview at the time.
The Ghost Camp consisted of several members: producers Roxy, Blaze, Nude and Es-G, DJ Jay Da Flex and MCs Juiceman and Rolla. Yet at the crew’s core sat El-B’s incredible production talents and signature sound. Having rolled on the edge of the Metalheadz camp as a teenager, never getting a “let in”, he’d gained fame in UK garage as one half of peerless UK garage outfit Groove Chronicles. Out of the ashes of this partnership grew El-B’s signature sound of pinpoint woodblock snares, ghostly edgy textures, clipped minimal tracks with fragmented R&B vocals and dark bass combined with a little black secret technology: the dark art of swing. “We’re just doing tings different. Just a little more ahead of it’s time,” he said at the time. “It’s not really 100% garage. I dunno man, we’re going too deep: what do you call it? It’s just a UK sound.”
The effect of this sound was apparent, as producer after local producer, from Skream to Kode9, Slaughter Mob and later Burial, became influenced by it. Eight years later, as dubstep blossoms into an international phenomenon, it remains peerless. Burial, undoubtedly the genre’s largest act, was quick to pay homage to El-B’s indivisible sense of rhythm in interviews. “The thing about those drums: they’re still the future” he insisted before his first album. “It’s not a lost art – people still don’t know how to do those drums. It’s an unknown thing. It’s like the last fucking secret left in music: how you do those drums. I’ve tried…”
For his part El-B was a self confessed beat freak: “I’m a rhythm man, a beat man, that’s what I’ve always done best… you’ve got to be able to strip away the song and see what’s good underneath.” Yet there was far more to the Ghost sound than the black art of swing and beat science. In essence they brought the edgy darkside to garage, years before grime’s anger or DJ Narrow’s 4x4 assault. “Personally I’d like to see the garage scene stay light and funky like it used to be, like gospel-y vocal style,” said El-B in interview at the time. “But it’s not going to stay like that so we might as well be known for doing the Dillinja equivalent.”
Yet to classify Ghost as simply dark is a clumsy simplification. There’s an edge, a tension brought about by the juxtaposition of opposites, be it the high sweet vocals in “Serious” with the low sub bass, or the use of sweet chords inherited from New York garage but played in ghostly, off-dissonant modes. There was a sense of space too, reminiscent of dub, that was markedly different to the sounds that surrounded the crew. “The best thing is to keep the song but put the most devilish backing track so you still have the two working together. The hard and the nice,” he explained in interview at the time with Kode9.
At the time Ghost were at their peak – arguably circa 2000-02 – garage was undergoing a rapid transformation. To begin with a glorious tempo plateau emerged where pretty much anything went, from traditional 4x4 US garage of Todd Edwards to Zinc’s breakbeat garage of “138 Trek.” Timo Maas’s raw “Dooms Night” house anthem got mixed into 2step, dark 4x4 or the proto grime of So Solid and Pay As U Go. But by the end of 2002 the major labels found their hands burnt by the flames of their own chequebooks and large deals for underground acts began to dry up and the scene imploded, fragmenting into three pieces: traditional garage, early dubstep and proto-grime.
“The Roots of El-B” is the first retrospective to pull together all the ultra rare white labels, lost remixes and dusty DAT tapes, to preserve for posterity the output of this transient but seminal collective.
Two Thousand
El-B Lyrics
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I been sonnin' all these rappers, call CPS
Won't see me stress
Just boss up and take these steps
Stacks these checks
Leverage to asset just to see me net like Vince Carter
Gone be ballin' in my 40s
Pacin' and motivating, you see it in how I'm walking
The keys to unlock but I'm clumsy I drop gems yeah
Focused on my focus, I been slackin'
These rappers been high cappin'
Don't listen and scroll past it
Can't do business with the opps
I said it's only the family
They rapping just for the Grammy
I'm doing it for the family yeah
Y'all actin' out of emotion, pick ya phone and Instagram it
Damnit it must suck
I'm solid I'm too cut
They listen and pay attention cuz I give 'em the truth
Speak to the youth
I'm the man of the people that paid dues
They been workin' all year just for W2's
I am not ya equal, I do not wanna be you
They been studying the come up but don't know that I see 'em
I had to separate myself, so that I could defeat 'em yeah
1000 Presidents, they out to represent
Staying solid it's so evident
We need to celebrate
I'm out for 1000 presidents to represent me
1000 presidents to represent me, yeah
1000 Presidents, they out to represent
Staying solid it's so evident
We need to celebrate
I'm out for 1000 presidents to represent me
1000 presidents to represent me
All I ever wanted was to make my parents proud
My gran, crack a smile
My granddad looking down
The city gave me the crown
It's love when it around
I can't let 'em down
And I won't let 'em down
I just played my position
Just to stay in position
Used to hate this position but then I became committed
Realized that I was different
This shit bigger than me
They walking up singing songs
It's so different to me
I, studied the game just to play it
Sit with all the bosses
Discuss how these losses turned lessons, yeah
I gave 'em power like I'm James St. Patrick
Dreams too big to be real dawg it's gotta be catfish
Dreaming by any means necessary
Yeah
But
But I'm more Malcolm than Martin
More Murda than Marcus
If we kill off the ego, it ain't nothing to stop us
1000 Presidents, they out to represent
Staying solid it's so evident
We need to celebrate
I'm out for 1000 presidents to represent me
1000 presidents to represent me
1000 Presidents, they out to represent
Staying solid it's so evident
We need to celebrate
I'm out for 1000 presidents to represent me
1000 presidents to represent me
1G
My piece of mind is priceless
My pen glide as I write this
Get a win, invest to the next got it down to science
Focused on my focus and staying balanced
And people start to stumble when they juggle with all they talents
Step into my lane
That's that road rage you can't handle
Step into my mind, and it's ideas you can't fathom
Not a rapper
I'm a farmer, I'll be growing trees
So years down the line, you can see what I see
Tell me how the people's champ so slept on
When you the chosen one, they look at you like LeBron
Like every move you make wrong
Cuz they ain't ever made it
Excuses for your greatness knowing you can be greatest
These days, I turn the news off
I put my phone down
I sit in bed and just think, don't even write down
Cuz when I put it on the page it starts to spill out
I hope they feel what I'm talking bout
End of the day I'm just a man with a song
Not a sad one
These people getting robbed and everybody got they mask on
I'm bout saving the children
And protecting the women
I see the vision like a mental collision
Yeah
Cars flipped and did damage, still walked out
I'm aiming higher you see me looking at the stars now
I'm going harder getting realer with these bars now
And before the song end
1 Thou
The lyrics to El-B's song "Two Thousand" reflect his mindset and goals as an artist. The opening lines, "I keep one eye open like CBS, I been sonnin' all these rappers, call CPS" suggest that he is vigilant and assertive in his approach to the rap game, effortlessly outshining his competitors. He remains unfazed by any challenges and chooses to focus on taking necessary steps to succeed, stacking up achievements and leveraging them to further his success.
El-B expresses his dedication to his craft and the pursuit of excellence, stating that he may not be perfect, but he is near flawless with his pen. Despite occasional clumsiness, he consistently drops gems and demonstrates his ability to unlock profound truths. He distances himself from other rappers who only rap for fame and awards, emphasizing that his purpose is to create meaningful music for his family and fans.
The chorus highlights his ambition to be represented by thousands of presidents, symbolizing his desire for influence and impact. He believes in staying true to himself and remaining solid, evident in his commitment to celebrating and uplifting others along with his own success. El-B reflects on his journey and the support he receives from his family, expressing his determination to make them proud and acknowledging the responsibility he carries.
The second verse delves deeper into El-B's mindset, emphasizing his belief in self-improvement and continuous learning. He considers himself different from others and recognizes the power he possesses as an artist to inspire and make a difference. He references iconic figures like James St. Patrick, Malcolm X, and Marcus Garvey, aligning himself with their assertive and determined qualities.
El-B concludes the song by emphasizing his focus, commitment, and the value he places on his mental well-being. He chooses to detach himself from negative influences, stressing the importance of introspection and genuine connection in his art. He aims to be a voice for the oppressed, a protector of women, and a visionary for the future, alluding to the depth and purpose behind his music.
Overall, "Two Thousand" showcases El-B's determination, introspection, and ambition as an artist. He strives to make a meaningful impact through his music by staying true to himself, uplifting others, and speaking out on important issues.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Marcus Burton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind