Highland Place Mobsters/ I was so stupid at 19

I don't know what made me think of this group. I guess because lately I've been reflecting on my video ho days (ho is short for honey in my case- haha).

A website dedicated to New Jack Swing described HPM as such:
That summer, HPM was unveiled in all its glory with a debut single, "Let's Get Naked." Made up of Derrick "Boo Boo" Culbreath, Melvin "Elocc" Davis, "Chip" Theophilus "Maniac" Glass, and Dallas Austin himelf, HPM could be likened to Jodeci in that it featured two lead singers ("Boo Boo" as Jojo Hailey, "Maniac" as K-Ci, "Elocc" the rapper as Mr. Dalvin and Dallas as Devante - both were relatively silent and mysterious producers). Their style was rugged, laced with profanity, irreverent lyrics and perhaps most of all -- a defiance against convention. While their album failed to reach commercial success, the effort should be noted for living up to it's banner: revolutionary street music. Each member of the Highland Place Mobsters went on to other things: Melvin Lee Davis is now a session bass player and both Derrick Culbreath and Theophilus Glass are session singers affiliated with producers such as Tim & Bob, and Timbaland.

I will share an embarassing but funny story of how dumb I was at 19. I am so glad I grew up and got smarter. My Video Girl confessions are not as spicy as what's her face's, but they are funny. Thank GOD I wasn't willing to do whatever to be a star, even though I really wanted to be in the industry. I'd a felt REALLY dumb if I'd done the "Vanessa Del Rio" with folks just cuz they were somewhat famous at the time. Cuz who are these dudes? Have you even heard of them? Nope. But I was dumb because I thought I was in love with one of these guys! Like really in love. If there are any 19 year olds reading this, girl, just keep on living because chances are you really don't know what love is. And you'll be glad you don't settle with some fool you meet now! Read on...

Highland Place Mobsters ended up being my first video. The first somewhat real one anyway. It was for "Let's Get Naked". You can't see me in it. Thank GOD! I dated one of the lead singers Boo Boo. Yes I dated a grown man named Boo Boo. His real name was Derrick Culbreath, and he told me he was 21, but he had to be pushing 30 then.

It was the heyday of LaFace. We met while rolling thru downtown ATL in my girl Tang's car. It was me, Tang, Tyra, and maybe someone else. We saw a Suzuki Sidekick with an airbrushed wheel cover of Another Bad Creation on it. We got geeked because we thought it was either ABC or Dallas Austin. We did typical 19 year old stuff; we flagged them down and started a convo. Driving was Kevin Wales who was an A&R guy at LaFace or Rowdy, I can't remember which. Then there were three other guys in the car. They were Boo Boo, Chip, and E Locc members of Highland Place Mobsters. We had no idea who they were, but we knew they were down with Dallas and we wanted to be singers so we thought, hmmm good connection.

Boo Boo was cute. He had a perm. It was in a Damian Dame type bob. He would never reveal what kind of relaxer he had and that kind of pissed me off, because I really wanted his hairstyle. He had a gray streak in his eyebrow and wore green Cross Colors. I thought he was so hot! His boy Chip wore orange Cross Colors and he had blond hair in a short fade. He was the original Sisquo. He had the raspy voice, was short and everything. Me & Boo Boo exchanged numbers, I gave him the number to my dorm and he gave me a pager number. He called that night so we went to Dallas' old house on where else but Highland Place later on. It was me and I dragged one of my young friends Felice with me. They picked us up in the ABC Sidekick and I remember thinking I was hot shit getting scooped at Spelman's back gate in a Sidekick. God I was stupid.

When we got there we were excited because ABCs shoes were all lined up like the seven dwarfs. Dallas was there, but really quiet. Boo Boo and Chip and E Locc performed for us. They sang Stay by Jodeci and I cried it was so beautiful. These dudes could SANG. Chip drank hot sauce from the bottle to make his voice extra raspy. Then we went to Chip's house on Stewart Ave I think, it was somewhere in the SWAT. Chips mom was...,interesting. She kept calling my girl Phyllis and couldn't begin to say my name. We were like, what is she on? We hang out and they sing some more, and we go to IHOP. They kept talking about a new group coming out called TLC and how large they were going to be. They were like, they wear condoms on their clothes, they can dance, and they can SANG (two outta three ain't bad). Then they take us back to school. It was fun for two young girls, especially when one of us was still a virgin. OK, it was Felice not me, but gosh looking back I wish I was still a virgin then.

So me & Boo Boo hook up again and I take my girl Tyra. So I'm chillin with Boo Boo and Tyra's hanging with Chip. They have on the SAME CROSS COLORS. Everytime I saw them they had on their "uniforms". Those same damn Cross Colors. They sang Stay again. It was great. Tyra was afraid of Chip. We went to a hotel to hang out and drink. Chip was all over Tyra. She was like "I don't think so, get off me, don't touch me, what do you think this is I'm just here with my girl" all night. Me and Boo Boo were cracking up. Tyra started crying she was so scared of him. Finally Chip gets up on the bed and he's like "What's wrong with you? Talking all this 'I'm not a Barbie Doll' shit! You sound like a white girl! How you gone not want this?" Then the fool undoes his belt, drops his pants, and starts doing the dick dance (you know, flopping it all around). No he's not wearing any drawers. His pubes were died blond. Tyra really starts to cry then. I mean boo-hooing. I'm in shock, cracking up at this nut, and trying to calm Tyra down. I try to comfort my girl but she's pretty inconsolable. We decide to stick together like glue from that point. She's like, "oh no, you aren't leaving me with this fool one second." We're basically holding hands at this point. They say they're going to make a quick run. These bastards leave and don't come back! I'm paging Boo Boo telling Tee, they'll be back. But they don't come back. I can't remember how we got back to campus, I smoked a lot of weed since then and well, I try to block some things out. They come back at the oddest times, like now.

I still owe Tyra for subjecting her to Chip who was also known as "The Maniac" for obvious reasons. He was harmless, but I mean shit, imagine a chubby, high Sisquo shaking his dick at you. It was traumatizing. Tee, I'm sorry for putting you through that. Fifteen years later girl, I'm still so sorry for him scaring the shit out of you. For the whole world to see, I really appreciate your friendship, and for being my road dog. Later she transferred to Eastern Illinois (not because she was scared mind you, but well, it would have been a good reason). When she was there she goes into the local record shop and they have a display of who else, The Highland Place Mobsters. Tyra is no longer traumatized and has a laughing fit in the store. The clerk gives her the display and a CD since no one was buying it. I mean NO ONE.

The CD was actually good though.

Boo Boo and I didn't last long. I can't recall why we parted but I sort of remember him thinking I was trying to get with Kevin Wales, which was not the case. I remember being devastated and crying all afternoon. I was in my Advanced Jazz Dance Class with Kenneth Green, crying. But no one noticed because his class was mad hard and people cried a lot in it anyway. He danced with Ailey so he was tough.

Lessons Learned
1. Don't ever go out with a grown man named Boo Boo.
2. Don't hook your friends up with men called The Maniac. Not if you love them.
3. Don't date guys with hair that is better than yours. Especially if they don't share hair tips.
4. Talent and being signed to a major label does not guarantee success.
5. College girls, don't ever go out with strange men alone. Always go in pairs because there are some crazy crazy men in this world. The story could have been disasterous rather than humorous if I hadn't been with my friend.
6. Never, ever, trust a man named Theophilis!!!


Ah...The good old days in ATL.