Darhyl Camper Jr., the producer known professionally as Camper, is having the kind of year that can change a career. He produced Victoria Monét’s latest single, “Let Me,” and now says the momentum behind his work is finally catching up with nearly two decades in R&B.
“I just needed just to connect the dots and have a year that I’m having,” Camper said. “I didn’t plan on it. I put in the work and it’s starting to all happen for me now. And I’m just very grateful and humbled that I’ve lived long enough to see this type of shift.”
The 35-year-old producer has long worked behind the scenes on tracks for Justin Bieber, Coco Jones, Mary J. Blige, Ty Dolla $ign and Monét, but this year brought a sharper run of credits. He produced Jill Scott’s “The Math” on her comeback album “To Whom This May Concern,” worked on Monét’s “Let Me,” and last week showed up in the liner notes of Kehlani’s fifth album for his work on “Still.”
Camper’s debut album, “Campilation,” released in early January, marked his first real step into the spotlight. It also brought one of the biggest surprises of his career: Stevie Wonder played harmonica on “Love Me.” Camper said Wonder was on his dream list of collaborators when he mentioned it on 102.3 KJLH to Tammi Mac, and then Wonder walked through the door. “I’m still pinching myself,” he said. “I was probably crying for like a month straight.”
“Everybody that I work with wants to see me win,” Camper said. “I’m just happy that I get to pay it forward and show them that.” He added, “At the end of the day, I’m doing all this work and I know I have the work ethic. I know that I’m equipped to do the job.”
That is why Camper’s run matters now. His name is moving from liner notes to the center of the story, with major R&B artists lining up around him and a debut project that gave listeners a clearer look at who he is as an artist. For Camper, the year that finally arrived has already changed the shape of what comes next.
