Words by Fatboi Fresh (@1andOnlyFatboi)
When it comes to the art of dancing and dance music, Chicago has a deep-rooted history in terms of innovation and taking existing sounds and sub-genres and making them bigger and better. In the late-80s and early-90s, no movement in Chicago was bigger than the house scene. DJs and producers like Steve “Silk” Hurley, Farley “Jackmaster” Funk and juke music pioneer DJ Slugo captured the Chicago masses with classic songs and sold out venues.
The sounds of the Westside of Chicago may not have been as popular as the Southside, but were just as impactful on the local house music scene. Artists like DJ Jammin’ Gerald, Scrap Dirty a.k.a. DJ Wicked Rob, DJ Chip and the subject of this piece, legendary producer Soundmaster T, were true trailblazers and pioneers. In 1994, the Chicago juke music scene was taking over the house music scene in the same fashion that the current “bop” movement has made waves this year. In the south, another sub-genre of hip-hop dance music called “booty music” was getting national attention, virtually giving Chicago juke DJs no choice but to incorporate booty music in their sets in order to keep the party going strong.
Soundmaster T, being a well-known DJ at the time, crafted a song that not only became a classic in the Chi-Town music scene, but also a globally recognized dance hit known as “2 Much Booty (In Da Pants).” In the decades after “ 2 Much Booty,” Soundmaster went on to release heavily slept-on radio hits like “ Facedown” and “Birthday Song,” but unfortunately neither could match the success of his 1994 breakout hit. But 20 years later, Soundmaster T is showing no signs of fatigue and is still cranking out hits with artists such as Jah Rista, Bo Deal and Twista. So I caught up with Soundmaster T to get the real story in his own words. In order to know where Chicago is headed musically as a city, we must also know where we have been. This is our history. Though I’m sure you could have asked him better questions, humor me and check out the interview below.
FSD: How did “2 Much Booty (In Da Pants)” come to be?
Soundmaster T: I was a DJ before I was a producer, and I used to watch the girls to see what would make them go crazy. One night at the Factory on Madison, DJ Jammin’ Gerald was playing my song “Booty Rocking Everywhere” and we saw a girl with a booty so big it was coming out her pants. I said “she’s got too much booty in her pants” and right then I new I had a hit. I went to the studio the same night and recorded it.
FSD: What was the Chicago music scene like back then?
Soundmaster T: Back then Chicago house music was still going hard. But rap was starting to take over. After the 2 Much Booty Tour, I opened my own recording studio and the rest is history.
FSD: How did you feel when Luke covered your song?
Soundmaster T: Luke never covered my song, they just used it in their shows like a lot of other artists did — just type it in on YouTube.
FSD: I recently heard “Dance” on a Sun Drop soda commercial. Do you still get royalties for the song?
Soundmaster T: It was used in a Sun Drop commercial, So You Think You Can Dance, the Nick Cannon movie The Underclassman and Date Movie. So yes, I still get royalties.
[Click Below For Next Page]