boombapboombox: Puerto Rock

Mark Sparks is a producer and engineer from Wadesboro, North Carolina.

He did a lot of great work for The Inviseez, Kirk, Scotty D, Mic Geronimo, Lost Boyz, King Tee, Grand Puba, Guru's Jazzmatazz, Special Ed, M.C. Brainz, Nice & Smooth, Craig G, The Four Horsemen (Canibus, Killah Priest, Kurupt & Ras Kass),...in 1996 he released a nice various artists compilation titled "Mark Sparks presents Kakalaka Raw" on Kakalaka Records. Some dope stuff on here! My favorite tunes are "The True Foundation – Heavily Armed", "The Soho Crew – Southern Relaxation", "The True Foundation – Stay Awake", "The Soho Crew & Puerto Rock – Kakalaka Raw" and "Lady Keem – Keema Therapy".

Here is the complete tracklist:

1. The Soho Crew – Nawf Karlina Boyz
2. The True Foundation – Stay Awake
3. The True Foundation – Complex Forms & Fashions
4. The Soho Crew & Puerto Rock – Kakalaka Raw
5. Lady Keem – Keema Therapy
6. Puerto Rock – Game Mobbers
7. The Wide Awake Contingent – Bad Habits
8. Laquan – It Don’t Stop
9. Puerto Rock – Mamagetto
10. Darc Jaf – Radio Active
11. The True Foundation – Heavily Armed
12. Puerto Rock – Ace-Duce-Tre
13. The Soho Crew – Southern Relaxation
14. Lower Level feat. Virginia Williams – We Serve You (Beats & Treats)

Producer credits:
Track 1 produced by Mark Sparks & The Southern Funkateers, mixed by Mark Sparks and Tre Bag, Track 2 produced by Nappy Brown, mixed by Mark Sparks & Kelvis Reid, Track 3 produced by Mark Sparks & D Mac, mixed by Mark Sparks & Kelvis Reid, Track 4 produced by Mark Sparks and the Soho Crew, mixed by Mark Sparks and Tre Bag, Track 5 produced by Mike City & Mark Sparks, mixed by Mark Sparks & Glen Tolbert, Track 6 produced by Psychorhythmologists, mixed by Mark Spark, Track 7 produced by Mark Sparks, Tom II & & The Southern Funkateers, mixed by Mark Sparks & Kelvis Reid, Track 8 produced by Mike City & Mark Sparks, mixed by Mark Sparks & Glen Tolbert, Track 9 produced by This Is D.K. & Mark Sparks, mixed by Mark Sparks & Kelvis Reid, Track 10 produced by Mark Sparks, D Mac, mixed by Mark Sparks and Tre Bag, Track 11 produced by Mark Sparks and The Soho Crew, mixed by Mark Sparks and Tre Bag, Track 12 produced by Mark Sparks, D Mac, mixed Mark Sparks and Tre Bag, Track 13 produced by Nappy Brown, mixed by Mark Sparks & Tre Bag, Track 14 producey by Justice & Barry McDuffy (KHB)

I guess it was only released on CD, but there is also a 12" single with the 2 tracks "The Soho Crew & Puerto Rock – Kakalaka Raw" and "Puerto Rock – Game Mobbers" also on Kakalaka Records in ‘96. The Soho Crew (aka Soho) with member D Mac already released a 12" single in 1993 with the 2 tracks "Shortie" and "Rhymin’ Outa Turn" both tracks produced by Mark Sparks. Lady Keem also appears on "M.C. Brainz - Trippin'" in '96. Lower Level had a 12" in '95 with the two cuts "Top Notch" and "Favorable Fluids", Laquan (aka Lord Laquan, God Laquan) did a remix for Scotty D "Got Ya Heads Boppin'" in '94 and the production for Kirk "Makin Moves" in '94. Mike City is still making music and did a lot of productions, he also did productions for Mental Illness "The Funky Quiet Storm" in '92 and for Lost Souls "Life Of A Lost Soul" from the Blackmarket Unreleased compilation in '95. Tre Bag did a lot of engineering on Mic Geronimo's album "The Natural" from '95.