With Hitman Howie Tee, the DJ Innovator

I've been spinning this record over and over recently, and it finally dawned on me that I should write about it.  "DJ Innovator" is the second single by Chubb Rock with Hitman Howie Tee off their self-titled album on Select Records in 1988.  To me it's the stand-out track on that slightly shaky first album, when Chubb was still putting on that fake, gruff voice, as opposed to his natural, smoother style he eased into ever since.  But this song, with that killer sample, has never stopped making me bob my head from the back of my mind all these 35+ years later.

Both men are credited with the writing and production here, though only cousin Howie (yeah, not sure how many of you knew they were cousins?) does the scratching.  The first big draw is obviously that one soul sample, including that beautiful "aahhhaaaHHHHHH" vocal line that gets looped with it.  That's practically the whole instrumental right there, layered with some extra drums and some simple but damn catchy cuts.  The title and hook actually comes from Chubb's first single, "Rock 'N Roll Dude," where Howie Tee does a short rap at the end, saying, "well, I'm a DJ innovator when it comes to scratch, and anything I wanna scratch I'll scratch.  There's no matchin' my style!  I get wild, so just shut your face.  And students, don't ever try to bass with HOWIE TEE!"  So now on this record, they're just stuttering that opening line, "well I'm a D, well I'm a D, well I'm a DJ innovator," turning it into a super funky earworm of a hook.

Lyrically, it starts out as a relatively straight-forward ode to the DJ: "my DJ is very scary.  He has a multitude of cuts, and he's also very alert and modeled to things that are new."  There's a nice mini-scratch breakdown midway through the song, with Chubb pointing out, "he goes berserk... and wild," but they're a little soft in the mix, so you have to pay attention.  And it's easy to get distracted once Chubb's sense of humor breaks out and he starts spinning terrific braggadocio tales:

"Many major record labels made offers to steal us;
And even Soul Train, huh!  Don Cornelius
Said to come on over with my pen and pad
All the way to California - he'll pay for the cab.
And the gesture is quite understood:
He knows talent when he sees it 'cause he's on my wood
For being an artist and a good producer.
They want me to do a duet with Luther.
But it's okay 'cause I like the brother,
That Kentucky Fried Chicken eatin' mother!
To compete with me, he has to eat more salads.
I'll do the rap, and he'll do the ballad."

For you younger readers, that would be Luther Vandross he's clowning on.  It's such a crazy, wonderful song that still shines to this day.  And another fun aspect of "DJ Innovator" can be found on the back of the album cover.   I never discovered this until many years later, because I grew up with the cassette, which has the same illustrated front cover.  But only the LP has cartoons with quotes from every song on the flip.  That's Howie on Janet Jackson's left arm saying, "I had to show my talent sooner or later."

There's also a B-side, "I Feel Good," which was on the album, too.  And as you can see, it got a comic panel as well.  This instrumental's more stripped down, without the same kind of absorbing sample as the A-side, though Tee's cuts are a little sharper.  Chubb's voice conflicts a little more with this track as his lyrics go from silly to sappy: "now me and Howie are getting paid properly, driving automobiles and owning property.  Like Bonanza, acres and acres; and we're getting front row seats to watch The Lakers.  Johnson has magic.  James is very worthy.  Kareem is 41, so addio!  Arrivederci.  I'm not dissing, that's what I'm not about.  I'm so happy that my album is out ...And maybe this great feeling was sent from above, 'cause I'm happy and peppy and bursting with love."  But I like how he twists it into something tough with the last line, "Chubb and Howie Tee, yo, we in effect.  Don't understand?  Make sure it's understood that you're livin' only because I feel good."

So it's not one of Chubb Rock's best known records, but to me this single's a real classic.  Every version of the 12" (retail, promo, imports) has the same track-listing: the vocal version and Instrumental for both songs.  I've seen an "extended 12" long version" listing online, but it's just the vocal version followed by the Instrumental, just like on all the vinyl.

Anyway, all of that just to say: RIP DJ Howie Tee