In 1992, after surviving on cheese sandwiches and maximizing credit limits, Cajmere finally made an imprint on the dance community with his infectious experiment, "Coffee Pot" (It's Time for the Percolator) β Clubhouse Records. Then he moved on to more complex musical and lyrical arrangements with songs like Lidell Townsell's "Get With U" (Mercury Records).
The Cajmere and Dajae collaboration resulted in a #2 Billboard Dance Chart and International dance hit - "Brighter Days". It was at this point that Cajmere decided to start Cajual Records. Having his own label gave Cajmere the autonomy to attain his goal of developing a sound that was representative of Chicago. Later that year, he formed the sub-label Relief Records, mostly for instrumental tracks by himself and others. The label gave birth to his first Green Velvet production 'Velvet Tracks'.
When he emerged as the flamboyant, neon-haired Green Velvet to front mid-90's hits like 'Preacher Man', 'Answering Machine' and 'Flash', the shock-waves reverberated throughout house and techno scenes the world over. This elaborately garbed, lyrically wild creature scored a direct hit, putting his hometown back on house music's production map.
Jones has since brought his DJ stylings around the globe, playing house and techno under his Cajmere and Green Velvet monikers. In addition to DJ sets, he hit the road with his live show, performing original tracks in front of crowds numbering in the tens of thousands.
"I've always been quite shy and introverted in a way," says Jones. "So it was weird getting up on stage and doing the Velvet thing. It's just quite strange that I'm doing what I'm doing now." Recent stops have included Exit Festival (Serbia), Awakenings Festival (Netherlands) and T in the Park (Scotland).
In 2009, Green Velvetβs production made waves in the dance music scene yet again with βEverybody Wantsβ, this time collaborating with rap-songstress and fellow Chicago native Kid Sister. The club hit was swiftly followed up with βTurn It UPβ, which features powerhouse production duo Santiago & Bushido.
2010 will see the release of a new Green Velvet album with an exciting guest list that includes Afrojack, De La Soul, Diplo, Kid Sister, Santiago & Bushido, Tommie Sunshine and more. With a new Cajual Records residency in ChicagoββGreen Velvet & Friendsββalso to launch this year, the imprint of this artist remains fresh with the help of his network of DJ buddies from around the world.
Flash
Green Velvet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tonight I'm gonna take you on a tour
Where the bad little kiddies go
By any means necessary
Some things that you quite won't be accustomed to
So I decrypt each and everyone of you to be own individual
Camera so that you can take pictures of these bad little kiddies
So that will be 15 dollars
And prepare to enter club bad
Would you know it's not here than more than 30 seconds
And already I see a bad little kid doing bad little things
He is sucking on a balloon
Now this is not an ordinary balloon parents it is filled with nitrous oxide
Laughing gas (Ha ha ha ha ha)
But this is no laughing matter
Cameras ready prepare to flash
Now over here we have little Johnny and miss Joyce smoking on a joint
This is not the thing to fo'
I think we have to take pictures of these two
Cameras ready prepare to flash
Here we have some naughty naughty kids
They bought in some of their own liquor to the park
Now we can can not have that now can we
Six packs and pints I think not so
Cameras ready prepare to flash
The lyrics to Green Velvet's song "Flash" are a satirical commentary on the surveillance culture and moral panic surrounding youth culture in the late 90s and early 2000s. The song takes the form of a tour, where the singer invites parents to witness the "bad little kiddies" engaging in "bad little things." The singer encourages the parents to take pictures of the kids to exploit them in tomorrow's paper. The song suggests that the media is complicit in perpetuating a moral panic around youth culture, and that parents are turning a blind eye to the root causes of teenage rebellion.
The singer uses hyperbole to highlight the absurdity of the moral panic, focusing on relatively benign activities like smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol, and inhaling nitrous oxide. The lyrics are provocative and sarcastic, critiquing the hypocrisy of adults who engage in the same behaviors as teenagers but are quick to condemn them. The singer's tone is ironic, exposing the absurdity of the surveillance culture that has emerged around youth culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Good evening parents
I welcome you all to this tour.
Tonight I'm gonna take you on a tour
I will show you where the misbehaving children go.
Where the bad little kiddies go
I will take you to a dark place.
By any means necessary
I will use any method possible to show you the truth.
Some things that you quite won't be accustomed to
Some things you'll see may be shocking to you.
So I decrypt each and everyone of you to be own individual
I give each of you a camera to capture evidence of misdeeds.
Camera so that you can take pictures of these bad little kiddies
I'm giving you all a camera so you can take pictures of the disobedient children.
Doing these bad little things for tomorrow's paper
You can use the pictures taken to publish in the newspaper tomorrow.
So that will be 15 dollars
You need to pay 15 dollars for the tour.
And prepare to enter club bad
Get ready to enter the place where bad things happen.
Would you know it's not here than more than 30 seconds
It's been only 30 seconds, and we already have a bad child here.
And already I see a bad little kid doing bad little things
We've already found a child causing trouble here.
He is sucking on a balloon
The child is inhaling a balloon.
Now this is not an ordinary balloon parents it is filled with nitrous oxide
The balloon contains a dangerous gas called nitrous oxide.
Laughing gas (Ha ha ha ha ha)
The gas is called laughing gas, but it isn't a joke.
But this is no laughing matter
This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
Cameras ready prepare to flash
Get ready to take a picture of the child.
Now over here we have little Johnny and miss Joyce smoking on a joint
Here we have two children smoking marijuana.
This is not the thing to fo'
This is not acceptable behavior.
I think we have to take pictures of these two
We need to take evidence of these children smoking marijuana.
Cameras ready prepare to flash
Be prepared to take a picture of Johnny and Joyce.
Here we have some naughty naughty kids
Here we have some children behaving badly.
They bought in some of their own liquor to the park
They brought their own alcohol to drink at the park.
Now we can can not have that now can we
This behavior is unacceptable and cannot be allowed.
Six packs and pints I think not so
Alcohol cans and bottles are not allowed.
Cameras ready prepare to flash
Be prepared to take a picture of the children with their alcohol.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FLASH, KIPPER JONES, CORNELIUS CHARLES MIMS, JOSEF PARSON, DEREK ORGAN, THOMAS ORGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LukaszPalkaPhoto
This is not techno. This is TECH-YES!
@Eoind
This song has seen me in the worst states of human existence. TUNE!
@zezimatutorialspc
Me too! In Chile! JAJAJAJAJAJA
GIVE ME 5.
@pikniknb
Same
@rebeccacoleman8338
me also... absolute carnage... LOL
@montanez707
Hahaha youβre comedy! So true and these pussies are scared of a flu. I was doing coke lines from a public bathroom stall. Good times!
@nafania11
roflmao
@northbuster290
In the 90's this track was the sign that the party was going to be more serious...
@cheechierocks
Is 1995 that far away?! Am I really nearly 50?! Should I still listen to this?!
Damn right ππππ
pass the nitrous oxide ππ and the moonshine, and donβt hog the joint... cameras ready, prepare to flash.
@jadeduh4555
ππππππ
π¨π³ π π