You know that snare sound. It’s dry, it’s aggressive, and it sounds like a literal brick hitting a piece of plywood. That is Larry Blackmon.
When most people think about Larry Blackmon of Cameo, they immediately picture the red codpiece. Honestly, it's hard not to. It’s one of the most audacious fashion statements in music history. But if you stop at the spandex, you’re missing the story of one of the most disciplined, borderline-militant bandleaders to ever pick up a pair of drumsticks.
Blackmon didn't just front a band. He built a machine.
From 14 Members to a Lean, Mean Funk Trio
In the mid-70s, Cameo wasn't the sleek, synth-heavy outfit we remember from the MTV era. They started as the New York City Players. At one point, there were fourteen guys in the group. Fourteen! Can you imagine the catering bill?
They had to change the name because of a legal tiff with the Ohio Players, and thus, Cameo was born. Larry Blackmon was the drummer back then, but he was always the guy with the vision. He was a Juilliard-trained musician who grew up blocks away from the Apollo Theater. He spent his childhood sneaking into matinees to watch Sam Cooke and James Brown.
That discipline stuck.
As the 70s turned into the 80s, the "big band" funk sound started to feel cluttered. Disco had come and gone, and hip-hop was starting to bubble up from the New York streets. Blackmon saw the writing on the wall. He did something most bandleaders would be too terrified to do: he fired almost everyone.
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By the time they recorded Alligator Woman and She’s Strange, Cameo was essentially a trio: Blackmon, Tomi Jenkins, and Nathan Leftenant.
The Science of the "Word Up!" Snare
If you want to understand why Larry Blackmon of Cameo is a god to producers like Questlove and Pharrell, you have to look at the tech.
Blackmon was obsessed with the Oberheim DMX drum machine. While other funk bands were trying to keep things "organic," Blackmon leaned into the cold, hard precision of digital rhythm. He wanted a sound that hit like a heavyweight boxer.
"I wanted to create a haircut that was less labor intensive... and I haven't found it yet." — Larry Blackmon on his iconic hi-top fade.
The "Word Up!" snare is legendary. People still try to sample it today, but they can't quite get the grit right. It’s a mix of a gated reverb and a very specific acoustic tuning that Blackmon perfected. It wasn't just a beat; it was a statement of intent. It told the world that funk wasn't dead; it just had a new, computerized heart.
That Infamous Red Codpiece: What Really Happened?
Okay, let's address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the red cup in the spandex.
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The story goes that during the shoot for the "Word Up!" video, the wardrobe consultant handed Blackmon a box. He was already wearing the black spandex bodysuit. He opened the box, saw the red codpiece, and immediately slammed it shut.
"I'm not wearing this," he supposedly said.
But the band egged him on. They told him it was "balls out" (pun definitely intended). He put it on, walked onto the set, and the rest is history. It became so iconic that even members of the British Royal Family—specifically Prince Andrew, according to Blackmon—later approached him in London just to tell him they liked the gear.
It was ridiculous. It was over-the-top. And it worked perfectly to make Cameo the most recognizable band on the planet in 1986.
Beyond the Hits: A Production Powerhouse
Blackmon wasn't just focused on his own tracks. He was a business mogul before that was the "cool" thing for artists to be. He moved the entire operation to Atlanta in the early 80s and founded his own label, Atlanta Artists.
He produced for:
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- Bobby Brown
- Chaka Khan
- Eddie Murphy (he co-produced the So Happy album)
- The Red Hot Chili Peppers (he did some work with them during their funkier days)
- CA$HFLOW
He even had a hand in the early development of the "New Jack Swing" sound. Long before Teddy Riley became a household name, Blackmon was experimenting with the fusion of hard hip-hop drums and soulful R&B melodies.
Where is Larry Blackmon Now?
As of early 2026, the legacy of Cameo is being carried forward by a new generation. Larry himself has stepped back from the grueling tour schedule that defined his life for fifty years.
He’s passed the torch to his sons, Larry Scott Blackmon and BJ Blackmon Wheeler. The band still tours, featuring longtime members like Anthony Lockett and Kevin Kendrick, but Larry stays behind the scenes as the creative architect. He had a bit of a health scare a few years back, which kept him off the stage, but the "Cameo Nation" remains as loyal as ever.
The influence is everywhere. When you hear a 2Pac track like "All About U," you're hearing a Larry Blackmon composition. When you hear Korn cover "Word Up!", you're hearing his vision.
How to Listen to Cameo Like a Pro
If you're just getting into them, don't just stick to the Greatest Hits. You've gotta dig a little deeper to appreciate what Blackmon was doing.
- Start with "Rigor Mortis" (1977). This is the raw, early NYC funk. It's fast, horn-heavy, and shows off his drumming skills.
- Move to "She’s Strange" (1984). This is the bridge. It’s weird, it’s melodic, and it features a young Laurence Fishburne in the video.
- Listen to "Talkin' Out The Side Of Your Neck." This is the ultimate protest funk song. It’s been a staple for HBCU marching bands for decades for a reason.
- End with the Word Up! album. Pay attention to the space between the notes. Blackmon knew that sometimes what you don't play is just as important as what you do.
Larry Blackmon proved that you can be a Juilliard-trained scholar and a street-smart funkateer at the same time. He took the "Ow!" and made it a trademark. He took a red cup and made it a costume. But most importantly, he took the groove and made it indestructible.
Actionable Insight:
To truly appreciate the production value of Larry Blackmon, listen to the 1986 Word Up! album on a high-quality pair of headphones or a decent vinyl setup. Notice how the snare drum sits in the mix—it’s intentionally loud and dry, a technique that predates modern "lo-fi" and "industrial" production styles by decades. If you’re a creator, study how he used "method writing" to create songs from the perspective of specific characters, a trick he picked up from stage acting.