"Welcome To The Camp": Inside The Genius That Is R&B Producer, Camper
The Grammy winner explains why new album, 'Campilation,' isn't his official debut and shares exclusive details about that Stevie Wonder feature.
If you’ve been paying attention to R&B, then you’ve heard the infamous producer tag— “Welcome to the camp.”
Darhyl Camper Jr., best known simply as Camper, is a Jersey native who rose to notoriety through an array of hits. Elle Varner’s “Refill,” Tamar Braxton’s “Love And War,” H.E.R.’s “Focus,” Brandy’s B7, and Coco Jones’ “ICU” all have Camper’s signature and that was just the beginning.
Now, he’s cementing his mark as one of R&B’s top producers with his debut production album aptly titled Campilation. With features from R&B veterans (Stevie Wonder, Brandy, Jill Scott and Tank) to current heavyweights including Victoria Monét, Syd, Ari Lennox, Alex Isley, Lucky Daye, and Arin Ray, Camper says the LP will “stamp” him.
“It’s just easy to work with the people that want to work with me,” he explained. “I had to get my respect up to really have everything connect the way that it was supposed to connect. I’m at a point where artists respect me and I respect them and they respect my craft. We’re working and make amazing art. Now, I get a chance to really [showcase my art] on the level of levels because this album’s going to stamp me, ‘Like yeah, he is cut from the Quincy Jones cloth.’”
Learn more below about how the phenom that is Camper came to be. He also gushed over the divine alignment behind working with one of his all-time favorite musicians, recalled the obstacles he’s faced, if touring is in his near future, and why this album was worth the nearly seven-year wait.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
When did you fall in love with R&B?
Camper: I fell in love with R&B around eight or nine years old. My father would always play me like Earth, Wind & Fire, Aretha Franklin, all the way down to gospel— Fred Hammond and Commissioned, and just those people that really ushered in R&B. As a kid, I was like, ‘Wow, what is this? So many chords and so many bridges, changes, and stuff.’ It was amazing.
Were you a self-taught musician or did you learn traditionally?
Both. I started playing piano when I was six. I was taught by the best teacher in the world, Mother Esther Graves. I left her around 12 and was just pretty much self-taught after that. [However], she taught me the ropes and all things that I needed to know, reading music and all of that. From there, it was up to me if I wanted to take it further.
She laid the foundation for sure.
Yes, 100%.
To confirm, this is your debut?
Technically, yes. My debut producer album. I do have albums in the future that’s just going to be me by myself. No features, no nothing. I think [would be] considered my debut, but technically, yes. We can roll with that.
And this album has been six or seven years in the making?
Probably six years now. I had a couple songs and then it grew. The more that I would work with different artists or the artists that I love to work with, I would ask them, ‘Can we just do something for me?’ Or if we do two or three songs and they only pick one, it’s like, ‘Okay, what are we doing with the other ones because they’re dope too.’ It’s always about the artist first and then I’ll take whatever’s left over […] Pretty much almost like Thanos, just collecting the infinity stones and building the catalog up. Then, I realized I have a bunch of songs that are really, really dope. Sometimes, I’ll go on an inner rant like ‘Man, I’m tired of R&B sounding the way it ... It shouldn’t do this. He shouldn’t did that or she shouldn’t have—‘ [And I’m like] you know what? I’m going to do it my way on some Frank Sinatra. Now, I got this catalog of songs that are produced by me and I think I want the world to hear what I would have done. Like pairing Jill Scott and Ty Dolla $ign— never been done before. You know what I’m saying? That type of history. Me and Stevie Wonder on the same song. Me and Brandy. It’s just like it’s insanity.
The way that you pieced this together, I told you it’s obvious you studied the greats.
It’s a beautiful thing for God to have his hand on me this whole time and just preparing me for a time like this. I’m extremely grateful, extremely honored and humbled to even be presenting this to the world, even talking to you about it. I really appreciate it.
Some people consider you to be the “Khaled of R&B,” but do you feel like you pull inspiration from the greats like Quincy Jones and Babyface while remaining true to yourself?
I’m me. I love all of the GOATs and the greats that came before me. Quincy Jones, for sure. I always think of him when I do things. Babyface— I really respect him so much. He’s done a lot and changed a lot of things for us in R&B that we still used today, his techniques. I think of J Dilla too. I’m not going to lie to you, just the way the drums and the grooves, the bass lines and things like that. I kinda just take from a lot of people, anybody that really inspires me and then I make it my own. It’s like you can’t become a great until you study the greats. Now, I feel like I sit at the table with them, even if it’s just me asking questions and getting to learn and know, but I’m looking them in the face. I’m at the table and I’m looking at them in the eye and I’m telling them, ‘Welcome to the camp.’ The camp is here.
I don’t remember when I first heard your producer tag, but then I came to a point where I couldn’t stop hearing your producer tag. And I’m like, ‘This guy right here knows R&B to its core and it’s not cookie cutter.’
I’m so big on just presentation. I don’t put out fluff. I don’t put out just things that’s here today, gone tomorrow. I really want to deliver a classic. Every time you hear my tag, every time you read a credit, you see I’m a part of something. I want it to be historic every single time. And I really strive on that. So if I’m not doing that, it won’t come out.
I understand. I feel like the album title is kind of obvious, but is there a not so obvious meaning behind it?
No, I don’t think so. I just think Campilation-compilation, because of the way my name’s set up, it just flowed so effortlessly. Sometimes it’s just like that when God puts you in them places for you to win. All you got to do is just show up. Campilation is just a compilation of beautiful music, beautiful compositions and writing, stacks, harmonies, transitions and things that I grew up on that I love so much and wanted to do my own that way. I respect everybody in their respectful places and it’s just a new sheriff in town and you get to really understand it from my point of view, and I’m very excited about that. R&B is not dead.
Very much alive, been thriving, been evolving. And it’s not even just what’s happened in the past year. If y’all haven’t paid attention, R&B has been at the forefront. Y’all lowkey were sleeping on it, honestly.
100%. Well, it’s time for us to wake them up.
What were the most challenging and rewarding moments throughout the process of making this album?
It was just getting responses back, getting approvals, and [finding] time to get the ideas done and having the artists come in. Everybody coming through for me was awesome. I had a couple of artists that last minute couldn’t approve it for me and for about 10 minutes, I was like, ‘Man, what you mean? We about to make history. Are you sure?’ Then, I got over it, but it’s just trial and error and me [continuing to shoot] my shot. For Brandy to come through for me, for Stevie Wonder to come through for me!
How did that Stevie Wonder feature come to be?
I’m at his radio station, [KJLH], on [The Tammi Mac Show]. She asks me which three artists you would love to work with that you haven’t worked with yet. I said, ‘Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, and Stevie Wonder.’ As soon as I said that Mya, he walked in the room. We hug and we just conversing, man. I mean, he sat and we talked through the whole interview and he was like, ‘Alright, what you want to do?’ I was like, ‘I need you on my album.’ He’s like, ‘Alright, what you want me to do? You want me to play? You want me to sing?’ [I said,] ‘I’m going to make it easy on you. You can just play that harmonica for me.’
The next day, he [tells me to come to the studio]. We do it right there. I’m holding back tears […] It was so spiritual. I’m like, ‘God, what did I do to deserve this?’ That’s something that I’ll never forget. As soon as I got home, I got it on my knees. Just like, ‘Yo, thank you God, because man, what? It’s a lot of people that’d kill to be in my position and I got to just pay it forward because end of the day, no goodness on my own. I don’t take anything for granted.’
I can’t imagine how much you had to fight to get to the position that you’re in today.
I’ve experienced the darkest of the darkest. I thought my life was going to be ended for real, for real. And this is the first time I’m saying this to you or anyb— anytime. I was robbed at gunpoint a couple years ago. Gun to my head and they was taking my jewelry off. They was taking my chains, my rings, my watch. I had a big [Louis Vuitton] bag with all type of stuff in there. It’s like four guys and one guy with the gun in my head, they took everything, but they didn’t touch me. And that was the most important part for me because I thought I was over that day. So, it’s like I know that I’m supposed to be here. I know that God’s not through with me. I know that 2026 is about to be the biggest year in my life.
Do you have plans to take this album on the road or do a live performance in some capacity, like ‘A Night of Camper’ at Blue Note?
Definitely. Definitely Blue Note. I definitely want to do Blue Note. And I’m going to do Verse too because I just love it over there. Then yeah, I do want to take it on the road. I gotta figure out what makes the most sense for me and I want to change it up a little bit. Yes, I’m performing and [will] see who wants to come out and rock with me as far as artists is concerned, but I also want to be on a DJ type of vibe where people can surround me and I’m just playing.
Lastly, what do you want fans, new or old, to take away from Campilation?
Campilation is produced by Camper and Camper is here to stay. Camper is one of the highest spokesman for R&B. And enjoy the album and enjoy what I’m presenting to you because without you, I would just be playing it in my room. I would be playing it in a big studio. No audience, no nothing. So, I just want y’all to take away the greatest vibes and whatever you need from this album— you got it. And I’m happy that I can provide that for you and stick around. There’s more.
Campilation is now available to stream or buy.
Looking forward to reading! Just started his album today.
He has a profound appreciation of Rhythm & Blues' iconic history.