Pumpkin: Hip-Hop's First Super Producer

Hip-Hop listeners have always been entranced by the beat. The beat is the foundation of the soundtrack to our lives. It is the key element to the sound that made us brave long bus and train rides into hostile territories in search of the perfect beat. One of the early progenitors of the magnetic Hip-Hop beat was Producer Pumpkin (R.I.P.).

Pumpkin was Hip-Hop’s first super producer. He was known as the King of the Beat and Hip-Hop’s original funky drummer. Pumpkin was the drummer and lead musical arranger in Enjoy Records studio band. He also was a label producer for Profile Records. Pumpkin was a pro on live and synthesized drum kits. He mastered the use of the Linn Drum machine. Through his body of work, he became one of the most prolific producers in early Hip-Hop recordings. He produced songs like “Yvette” by the Cold Crush Brothers, "Put That Head Out" by Funkmaster Wizard Wiz, and “Here Comes That Beat” by Pumpkin and the Profile All-Stars. He also co-produced “Fresh, Fly, Wild, & Bold” by the Cold Crush Brothers.

Pumpkin also created the music for such old school classics as “Country Rock and Rap” by The Disco Four, “Rappin’ and Rockin’ the House” by Funky Four Plus One More, “Love Rap” by Spoonie Gee, “The Body Rock” by the Treacherous Three, “It’s Magic” and “Rockin’ It” by the Fearless Four, “Throwdown” and “School Beats” by the Disco Four, and most of all the early hip-hop songs recorded on Enjoy Records.

He is probably best known for his 1984 hit song “Here Comes That Beat”, featuring the Profile All-Stars. The Profile All-Stars included groups like Dr Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, The Fresh 3 MCs, and The Disco Four.

Pumpkin was a creative musical genius who played multiple instruments. Sadly, Pumpkin never received his deserved recognition. His name is almost all but forgotten when the best Hip-Hop producers are mentioned. However, Pumpkin was one of the most important musical figures in the early days of Hip-Hop recordings. He was a key creative force behind the sound of Hip-Hop during the early 1980s. Hip-Hop lost a true pioneer when he succumbed to Pneumonia, but his legacy lives on deeply entrenched in the sound of the early Hip-Hop classics.