On May 25th, 2008, one of rap’s most under-appreciated visionaries left this world forever. Tero Smith, better known as “Camu Tao,” was the rare case of a cult sensation within an already somewhat-niche genre. The underground rap circuit of the late-90s and the indierap explosion of the early 2000s both benefitted tremendously from the coupling of tremendous word-of-mouth and ever-improving file sharing services. As fiercely independent as these movements were, there still existed the borderline outsider artists whose work was still seen as the odd man out in circles where “odd” was the norm. While many of these names have been lost in the sands and dollar-bins of time, one name has been snowballing even as the genre is going through its most tumultuous time, and that name is Camu Tao. With premature natural deaths resulting in an almost deification of Hip-Hop artists like J Dilla, UGK’s Pimp C and Guru of Gang Starr from johnny-come-latelys aiming to overcompensate for a lifetime of overlooking, one can expect the Tuesday release of Camu’s posthumous solo debut King of Hearts to do the same for him. It’s a fantastic, albeit unfinished, record and definitely worth your purchase, but being it’s his swan song I fear it might overshadow Tao’s tremendous catalog. That in mind, here are three essential Camu Tao recordings you have to hear. MHz - “World Premier” (1998)
Camu’s breakout performance came as part of Columbus rap outfit MHz (pronounced ‘Megahertz’). Then consisting of Camu, rapper Copywrite and producer RJD2, this song got them the attention of famed New York DJ and tastemaker Bobbito who signed the group for a single deal on his famed Fondle ‘Em imprint. Camu appears second and even at a time where breaking rap conventions was popular, he delivers a verse with a flow structure that even now can only be defined as avant-garde. It was a bold first foot forward for an entire career of being one step ahead. Camu Tao - “Hold the Floor” (2001)
Produced by the late DJ Przm (who passed on in 2006), “Hold the Floor’s” turbulent avalanche of a soundscape became the perfect backdrop to display Camu Tao’s infectious personality and voracious ferocity. The first single off the Definitive Jux Presents... 2 compilation (aka DjxP2) “Hold the Floor” is to-this-day one of the most revered and respected releases of its time. Even when his contemporaries were going out of their way to sound “different” and “weird,” Tao’s eccentricities came naturally, making for a great organic combo with his technical expertise. The song cemented Camu as a solo artist, but it was his next release that showed how truly fearless he was. SA Smash - “Illy” (2003)
By this point, Camu had become a favorite in the anti-establishment independent hip-hop counter-culture. Being, as rapper and friend Cage once referred to him, “a real shit-stirrer,” Camu teamed up with rapper Metro to form the duo SA Smash and released Smashy Trashy on “independent as fuck” rally-crier El-P’s label Definitive Jux. At a time when college radio and the burgeoning blog scenes were celebrating the genre’s continuously “conscious” and “socially progressive” output as a balance to the 50 Cent-saturated mainstream, Camu sculpted a completely socially-unredeeming thugged-out wasteland that sonically commandeered the sub-genre like DMX driving a stolen ambulance. While it allowed producers like Blockhead, DJ Przm and (“Illy” producer) El-P to display their talents in a more “street” affair, Camu’s lyrics and berserk delivery added a depth to the grizzly subject matter that reflected the turmoil in a lifestyle of pure indulgence and unfiltered Id. While it puzzled critics and even the loyalest of DefJukies at the time, its growing-reputation has made it one of the label’s most treasured releases.
