Down South

Richmond, Virginia-based rappers Shawn J-Period and Soda Pop (ably assisted by DJ Myorr) combined a winning mix of jazz, funk, reggae, bluegrass and salsa on their debut recordings for Atlantic. The smooth, lolling rhythms proved intriguing but too insubstantial in their own right to convey the mix of reality/party themes, despite production expertise from the Beatnuts, T-Ray and others. However, the promotional single, ‘Southern Comfort’, with a guest vocal by label mates Jomanda, was strong. Rather than being dedicated to the alcoholic drink, it was addressed to their former locale, the trio having shipped over to New York. Down South had formed in 1990 when Pop and J-Period, who are first cousins, met Myorr at high school. Myorr had formerly worked in a lowly position at Def Jam, and it was his connections that led to them signing with Atlantic.