Peter Leo x DJ Concept: Young Baby Father EP – Track by Track Breakdown

The Young Baby Father EP is a 7 song EP from hip hop artist Peter Leo, which is entirely produced and orchestrated by DJ Concept. YBF finds Leo at the top of his game over some sincere, heartfelt production. This seven track offering is an honest, gritty portrait of a young father doing what he has to do to get by in today’s world.

The writing for YBF started in 2006. After being incarcerated for the illegal sale of cocaine to an undercover agent, Peter Leo was sent upstate to endure a three year sentence. Not only did he leave behind his newborn daughter, but his child’s mother was pregnant with a second child. Faced with the harsh reality that his son would be born while he was still behind bars, Leo knew the only way to see his family again was to stay focused on what was important and further develop his God-given gift of storytelling.

No Reason To Breathe

PL: No reason to breathe is a personal journey into my past through verbal images of the horrors that were once my daily routine. The chorus is me questioning myself in the present: “What if I still pimped my girl if i had to? Would I be the same dad my kids look up to?” It serves as a reminder that I’ve come a long way to better my situation for my family and our future together.

Concept: Every producer knows that when you hear a sample and get chills, its probably making it to the album. When I heard the vocal at the beginning of this joint, I got that chill & I knew automatically that it fit with the feeling of YBF. The four lines in the intro really speak to being a grinding musician, but at the same time they refer to Leo’s dedication to doing everything he can to be a good dad given his situation.

Gotta Escape

PL: Despite learning much from my past, I still face the same demons I used to, only now I’m aware of them. Easy money still comes my way & after over a decade of generating tons of cash through illegal transactions, it’s hard to leave that life of fast cash & credibility in the dust. The only way to escape is to run fast . . . as fast as you can.

Concept: This was actually the last beat I sent for the album.  We had one joint that were both on the fence about and I had made a promise to myself: That I would never put a song on one of my albums that I didn’t love. So we scrapped that joint and Gotta Escape was born.  Turned out to be a lot of peoples favorite on the album.

Cycles Of Life ft. Rich Rivera

PL: As is the rest of the album, this is based on a true story. A young Father torn from his family, a young mother mislead, and an innocent child who is forced to endure the consequences. It’s the all too common, but hushed story of a family broken; not only because of personal ignorance, but the harsh reality of residing in a world where the sun doesn’t shine.

Concept: This is the first beat I made that I put aside for the Young Baby Father project. After Leo appeared on my album Heavy Smoke (Google the joint ‘Green!’) I knew I wanted to do a project with him.  After we spoke about the concept of the album, I was determined to make the beats have a very emotional feel to them.  I knew Leo was gonna spit some serious life experience so the beats had to match. When I listen to just the instrumentals, I get some of the same feelings as when I hear the lyrics.  Mission accomplished.

See You In My Dreams ft. Little Vic

PL: This is my plea as a young father to my children’s mother. With only a few months until I was to be released from prison, I came to terms with my mistakes. Begging to be forgiven for the sake of keeping my family together, I ward off my demons and feel immediately stricken with guilt and fear, hoping she will take me back. But my demons aren’t interested in me anymore….they have found a new home in the one I love.

Concept: Leo kicked this joint for me acapella one night and I remember him telling me that he wrote it while he was incarcerated, with no beat.  He said he would bang on the table to make the beat for it.  So when I started making the beat, I started with a real simple drum pattern that could almost be Leo’s hands on that table.  Then I started to add some layers of pain on top. When I sent the beat over to Leo, he bugged out and went to work with Little Vic.  I thought the beat was sick as is, but then Vic added some more layers of atmosphere & some live drums at the end.  It’s really a crazy example of three artists coming together to make something timeless.

Oh Baby

PL: Prelude: 2 weeks before my release, I receive a letter from my kids mother. Not only has she admitted to cheating on me with one of my friends, but she says she is taking the kids and leaving the state. Fast forward two weeks and I’m free at last! Enjoying my life despite the drama. Months later on a sunny spring day in Brentwood, NY, I receive a phone call from a jumpoff named Aniqua I was with a week after being released; “I’m pregnant. And you’re the father”. This song is a story stressing the importance of protected sex with strangers, making sure the baby is yours, and being there for the child if you are the father.

Concept: One of the only beats on the album that is a bit playful.  Everything else is pretty serious and gritty, but this one plays beautifully with Leo’s almost comical storytelling. Leo had told me about the story of this jumpoff and when I heard this vocal sample I remember thinking it could’t be more perfect. “Oh baby, my sweet baby, I’m yours….”

Liquor Store

PL: Years later and finally off parole, I’m adapting to my new life. Although having a new found knowledge of life and acceptance of all things, I’m still surrounded by the same evils and negative elements that affected me before. Liquor store is about the solace you can find in a bottle. With all the craziness in this world, an ice cold drink becomes an elixir rather than a poison. Not a happily ever after story, but a definite to be continued…

Concept: I look at this one as kind of an epilogue to the Young Baby Father saga. Things aren’t always bright and shiny, but to get through life, we do what we can to enjoy it.  With that in mind, I tried to make the spirit of this beat a little celebratory.  Throw a drink up and have a little fun for a while.

Peter Leo x DJ Concept – Young Baby Father (FreEP)

DOWNLOAD:

AudioMack:  http://bit.ly/17ZLn2c

Tracklist:

01.  No Reason To Breathe

02.  Gotta Escape

03.  Cycles Of Life (feat. Rich Rivera)

04.  See You In My Dreams (feat. Little Vic)

05.  It’s A Boy (Interlude)

06.  Oh Baby

07.  Liquor Store

Twitter:

Peter Leo:             @YoungBabyFather

DJ Concept:          @concept1200