The Egyptian Lover

One of the most innovative producers of the old-school/electro era, Egyptian Lover's Greg Broussard recorded a parade of singles during the mid-'80s that proved influential for decades. Influenced himself by Kraftwerk/hip-hop soundclashes like Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and Man Parrish's "Hip-Hop Be Bop (Don't Stop)," as well as the extroverted loverman soul of Prince and Zapp, Broussard began recording from his Los Angeles base in 1983. One year later, he emerged with the breakdancing anthem "Egypt, Egypt," released on the Freak Beat label. Similar to excellent tracks being produced all over America -- from Detroit (Cybotron) to New York (Mantronix) -- "Egypt, Egypt" and successors "What Is a DJ If He Can't Scratch," "And My Beat Goes Boom," and "Computer Love (Sweet Dreams)" spent a lot of time in DJ crates during the '80s and '90s. Broussard also released several LPs from the mid-'80s through the '90s, highlighted by 1984's On the Nile (practically a greatest-hits compilation), 1986's One Track Mind, and 1994's Back from the Tomb. He returned in 2006 with Platinum Pyramids, continued to perform live -- including dates with M.I.A. -- produced a track for Rye Rye, and, in 2015, released the long-in-the-works 1984. The following year, Stones Throw compiled 1983-1988, a proper anthology of Broussard's early highlights. It included a couple re-edits from label boss Peanut Butter Wolf, who sampled "What Is a DJ If He Can't Scratch" during his early-'90s partnership with MC Charizma. ~ John Bush & Andy Kellman, Rovi