Lloyd Parks (born 26 May 1948) is a Jamaican reggae vocalist and bass player who has recorded and performed as a solo artist as well as part of Skin, Flesh & Bone, The Revolutionaries, The Professionals, and We the People Band.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Parks' interest in music was fuelled by his uncle Dourie Bryan, who played in a calypso band, and Parks became the band's singer. In the late 1960s, he performed with the Invincibles band (whose members also included Ansell Collins, Sly Dunbar and Ranchie McLean) before teaming up with Wentworth Vernal in The Termites. In 1967, they recorded their first single, "Have Mercy Mr. Percy", and then an album Do the Rocksteady for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label. After recording "Rub Up Push Up" for the Dampa label, Parks and Vernal split up. Parks then briefly joined The Techniques as a replacement for Pat Kelly, recording tracks such as "Say You Love Me", before embarking on a solo career and later starting his own label, Parks. His second single was the classic "Slaving", a moving song about the struggles of a working man. As a solo artist, he recorded a number of songs for Prince Tony Robinson, including "Trenchtown Girl" and "You Don't Care". Some of his best known solo hits include "Officially", "Mafia" (both 1974), "Girl In The Morning" and "Baby Hang Up The Phone" (both 1975).
Lloyd Parks is an American R&B/soul singer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is an original member of the Grammy-Nominated Philadelphia International Records group Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. Lloyd is noted for his high tenor and falsetto vocal leads and harmonies. He is also a founding member of The Epsilons who backed Arthur Conley on his Atco Records hit single Sweet Soul Music. He is also the sole surviving original Blue Note.
Parks started his career in music in the mid-1960s performing with various local Philadelphia vocal groups including the Emanons who hit with "One Heart" on "Phila Of Soul" Records. He later merged with friends Gene McFadden and John Whitehead to form the Epsilons. The group was managed by Soul Singer Otis Redding and were soon signed to the Stax Records label. They toured for two years with Redding and backed label mate Arthur Conley on his 1967 recording "Sweet Soul Music." The single reached No.2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B charts. The following year the Epsilons a quintet that included Allen Beatty and James Knight released "The Echo." The group disbanded following the tragic death of their mentor Otis Redding. Parks joined another local act The Broadway Express while McFadden and Whitehead reformed The Epsilons as the group Talk of The Town.
[KRS-One]
You told me man, you need me man
Who the teacher me man, who gon' lead you me man
Who gon' free you me man, well not mostly me man
But come up close to me man, make a toast with me man
I'm not starvin me man, I be feedin me man
You won't be seein me man, cause I be bookin me man
Them lights be hookin me man, while people look at me man
They sing the hooks with me man, yo read this book with me man
How these rappers slash actors wanna fuck with me man
When we be up inside the spot they be duckin me man
I be movin me man, showin and provin me man
My wife is soothin me man, yo' life is new to me man
[Minister Server]
Aiyyo what's goin on this is Minister Server
Now you've been readin the books, seein the lectures
Hearin the CD's watchin the tapes
Now's the time for you to get rid of your fears
Aiyyo teacher tell 'em what's going on
[KRS-One]
You see me man, it don't take much to be me man
I just stay extra focused on the G-O-D in me man
Not too many ahead of me man
If rappers were television channels I'd be C-SPAN, believe me man
Don't nobody sound like me man, I'm a free man
For that golden age hip-hop, you know you gotta see me man
From 1973 man, to 1993 man
If you unaware of them 20 years you won't understand me man
So here's the plan for you and me man
Hip-Hop is not a product to be bought and sold
Hip-Hop is you and me man
So in the years to come you gonna see me man
On top of a Shaquille like Leland
And you gonna be right there with me man
As you can see man I got S-T-Y-L-E man
Why for 17 years you already knew this about me man
So you be you man, and I'll be me man