Legendary funkster Bootsy Collins weaves an electrifying soundscape for his rock-fueled funk track "Creepin’." He anchors this nasty groove with a badass walking bass line and a monster beat. The track features guitar wunderkind Christone “Kingfish” Ingram who unleashes some blistering fretboard fireworks. In addition to his phenomenal guitar work, Kingfish serves up a soulful blues-tinged lead vocal performance. Brass master Brennan Johns puts an exclamation point on the funk with some killer horn lines (playing both the trumpet and trombone parts).
"Creepin’" is a track from Bootsy’s 2020 album The Power of The One. The stellar collection is filled with strong tracks, and it features guest appearances from celebrated music veterans such as Larry Graham, George Benson, Victor Wooten, Branford Marsalis, Béla Fleck and Snoop Dogg. It also features appearances from young guitar prodigies Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. Additionally, esteemed scholar, author and philosopher Dr. Cornel West makes a guest appearance on the album. The Power of The One was written, produced and arranged by Bootsy and released on his label Bootzilla Records.
The full lineup for "Creepin’" was Bootsy (walking bass, Spacebass, drums and percussion, background vocals), Christone “Kingfish” Ingram (lead guitar and lead vocals), Brennan Johns (trumpet and trombone) and Alex Goldblatt (guitars).
Following the release of their debut album Cardiac Arrest in 1977, Cameo quickly established themselves as one of the baddest and most exciting funk outfits on the R&B scene. They packed dance floors and heated up the charts with their uniquely powerful brand of funk. Cameo was also killing it at their live shows, thrilling audiences with their raw talent, energy and great showmanship. By the early ‘80s, the band adopted a more electronic-based sound, replacing the horn section with synths and incorporating Simmons electronic drums into their grooves. This change gave their sound a more New Wave-ish, electrofunk feel; however, they didn’t lose an ounce of that good uncut funk in the process.
“Flirt” typifies the band’s new sonic direction, and it’s an absolute banger. It’s pure groove invention as only Cameo could do it. The track is impeccably arranged and produced. It boasts wicked synth lines, super-tight guitar riffs, and irresistible keyboards. Michael Burnett’s awesome bass work significantly deepens the groove’s funk level. His nasty thump-and-pluck breakdown is the highlight of the track.
The song was written by Larry Blackmon and Tomi Jenkins. It was the first single from the band’s eighth studio album Alligator Woman (1982). "Flirt" performed well on Billboard’s R&B singles chart, peaking at #10. The album also enjoyed significant chart action and had strong sales. It climbed to #6 on Billboard’s R&B album chart and #23 on the Billboard 200 pop album chart. The collection was certified gold by the RIAA with more than 500,000 copies sold. Alligator Woman was produced by Larry Blackmon and released on Chocolate City Records.
“Flirt” has been sampled on 14 songs, per WhoSampled.com. It was also featured on the soundtrack for the 1992 crime drama South Central.
The full band lineup for Alligator Woman was Larry Blackmon (drums, percussions, lead and backing vocals), Charlie Singleton (guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals), Gregory Johnson (keyboards, backing vocals), Michael Burnett (bass), Tomi Jenkins (lead and backing vocals), Kevin Kendrick (keyboards), Nathan Leftenant (trumpet, backing vocals) and Randy Stern (keyboards).
Cameo performing "Flirt" on Soul Train. They're lip-syncing but a cool performance nonetheless.
Jac Ross is a bright soul comet lighting up the R&B world with his superb musical gifts. The singer-songwriter/pianist has been capturing the imagination of music lovers with his incredible covers of soul classics and jazz and pop standards–as well as his original songs. He packs tons of emotional power into his vocal performances, leaving listeners in awe. The singer has established a devoted following that is rapidly growing each day.
Ross grew up in the small, rural town of Live Oak in Northern Florida. At a young age, he developed a deep spiritual connection to music. The self-taught musician began singing and playing piano at age five. He spent many of his childhood years singing worship songs at the church where his father was pastor. Ross had a great love for soul music, citing iconic legends like Sam Cooke, James Brown, Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye as major inspirations. In a 2020 interview with AFROPUNK, Ross discussed his influences and how they impacted his approach to making music: “I studied the technique of those who make music to advocate for cultural, social, and political issues, to develop my sound,” he explained. “Even today, I still study their technique in how they reached people, why their music was so effective…”
Ross continued to hone his musical skills as he grew older. He also excelled at sports, and his prowess on the basketball court in high school even drew interest from some colleges. However, his passion for music outweighed his athletic ambitions, and after graduating from high school, he focused all of his energies on building a music career.
The aspiring artist experienced many hardships and setbacks during his climb, but he kept striving to achieve his dream. He finally got his big break in 2018 when his music collaborator Mezo Riccio ran into Grammy-winning producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins at a mall in Florida. Riccio began corresponding with Jerkins and sending him songs. One of them was Ross’s track “Gotta Be Mine.” Jerkins was so impressed by what he heard that he invited the singer to his Orlando home. During the visit, Ross delivered a brilliant performance of his original song “Freedom” and Sam Cooke’s civil rights anthem “A Change is Gonna Come.” Jerkins quickly signed the singer to his label Darkchild Records and worked with him to create his debut EP.
The two recorded 88 songs together and began shopping Ross’s music around to different labels. Ross eventually found a home at Island Records in 2019. Darcus Beese, the label’s then-president, personally signed the singer. In early 2020, Ross released his debut single “It’s OK To Be Black,” a powerful social justice anthem. The song resonated with many people during those turbulent days of protest and civil unrest as thousands demanded justice in the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer. The NBA even used the song for its Black Lives Matter PSA. Ross’s second single was the spiritual song “Saved” (2020). In a 2020 interview with REVOLT, he said that the song was designed to give listeners “inspiration" and "hope."
Some of Ross’s other notable songs include “So Into You,” featuring D-Nice (2022), “I’ll Always Love You” (2023), and the country-flavored “Queen” (2024). He also contributed his vocal talents to the song “Count On Me,” which was featured on the soundtrack for the 2022 animated film DC League of Super-Pets. Ross has released one full album so far–It’s Christmas Time, released in December 2023.
One of Ross’s big career highlights was when he opened the 2nd Annual Urban One Honors in 2020, where he mesmerized the crowd with a captivating performance. The young singer received a standing ovation from the audience, which included entertainment luminaries such as Jamie Foxx, Missy Elliott, Chance The Rapper, Brandy and Billy Porter.
Additionally, Ross’s covers of classics have been receiving a lot of love on YouTube. His soul-stirring rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” currently has 2.3 million views on the popular video-sharing platform.
Ross's majestic rendition of the standard "Fly Me to The Moon"
Official video for "It's OK To Be Black"
Clip of Ross performing his original song "I'll Always Love You"
Ross's amazing cover of Sam Cooke's classic "A Change Is Gonna Come"
