It’s not often that past and present are linked as perfectly as in Platinum Pied Pipers. With Saadiq having learnt at the feet of Barrett Strong (who, as Norman Whitfield’s co-writer, has his name on a string of hits for The Temptations and Marvin Gaye) and Waajeed being a founder member of the esteemed Slum Village, this duo can connect the dots from Detroit’s glorious Motown heritage to its present position at the cutting edge of hip-hop soul.
But that’s not enough for these two, as they explain while seated in the dressing room of London’s Cargo, where they’re rehearsing for their European tour. “The grass is always greener on the other side,” says Waajeed, expounding on their decision to relocate from Detroit to New York, despite the proliferation of like-minded acts in his native city. “Once you know the community and all the dynamics you reach a ceiling. We reached that ceiling so it makes sense to go a place that has none. People like Amp Fiddler, Dwele – I see ‘em on TV, read about ‘em in magazines and I’m really proud of them: they’re moving but they’re not breaking like The Neptunes. We wanna be up with them.”
This might seem a trifle ambitious for an underground act whose debut album, Triple P, is released on the independent Ubiquity, a quality label but as yet not known for its string of Number One hits and Grammy awards. Triple P is a superb album, carefully balanced between rap and soul, programmed or organic instruments, and with a stronger songwriting sensibility – not to mention a Latin reworking of Paul Simon’s 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover – than most.
But shouldn’t a production duo aiming to rub shoulders with The Neptunes be producing for Snoop or Usher, rather than unknown vocalists like soul singer Georgia or rapper MC Invincible? “They ain’t known yet,” retorts Waajeed. “But that’s what a pied piper does, he leads the masses to the platinum artists of the future.” “We wanted fresh blood,” expands Saadiq. “It was easy for us to get Jay Dee [ex-Slum Village, who raps on three tracks], but we wanted fresh people and fresh ideas. The people we’ve got on there are on some cutting-edge shit.” “These are the people that everybody will be listening to in years to come,” Waajeed continues. “I can say that wholeheartedly.”
If confidence is any guide, it won’t be long before Platinum Pied Pipers are living up to their name.
