Proverbs 13:20 says, “He that is walking with wise persons will become wise.” Although he’s more of spiritual man, than a religious one, this embodies R & B artist Joseph “Amp” Fiddler, who before becoming a star in his own right, for years, played the supporting role as touring and studio keyboardist for some of the biggest names in music, including Parliament-Funkadelic, Prince, Jamiroquai, Fishbone and Maxwell. Not content with being the go-to sideman, Amp who also has a wealth of production, writing and background vocal credits, decided to step to center stage. He flirted with the spotlight over the years, but it wasn’t until 2004 when he released Waltz of the Ghetto Fly, that he stood firmly in the light. It was a collection of jazzy, soulful, groove-laden songs, heavy on the keyboard, the instrument that brought him to the limelight.

Fresh off of a tour of Europe, Amp sits back and reflects on how he found himself front and center, rather than in the background, “I think everything happens at the right time for the right reason,” Amp explains, “It really wasn’t all planned. I knew I wanted to continue to reach my goals as an artist, but I just didn’t know it would happen this way.”

The way “it” happened was Amp, a Detroit native, was introduced by a friend to someone at the Play It Again Sam record label in London, England. A creative and business relationship developed, and soon enough Amp Fiddler had a record out. Naturally, he first made noise in the U.K. where the label, was set up, but eventually people at home caught on to the smooth sounds of the Ghetto Fly. It’s a story that in some ways mirrors that of the legendary Jimi Hendrix, who for years played in backing bands for the likes of Sam Cooke, Little Richard and the Isley Brothers, before he started his own band, was discovered by a London, England label and went on to become a rock icon. Some called it the “Sideman’s Revenge”, but Amp is too much of a humble man to call it that. Amp displays such humility, it’s hard to believe he would desire the spotlight. He stepped back into that spotlight this year, with his second outing, Afro Strut, showing no signs of the sophomore curse; but can you really call a guy who toured with George Clinton and the P Funk All-Stars for over ten years, a sophomore? Afro Strut is a time-warp of an album, blending funk, R & B, hip hop and electronica in a sonically smooth way.

The beauty of Amp Fiddler’s music is his knack for fusing new sounds with old soul. The latter likely comes from spending years touring with George Clinton and the other crazy musical characters in Parliament-Funkadelic. Amp admits that Clinton has been a big influence on his song writing, which may comes as a surprise. Amp’s music certainly is funky, but in his two albums he never makes reference to “electric spanking of war babies” or to “Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop”, “George is quite out there, but he has such an extensive library of music, and I spent so much time with him. Much of that time we would sit and read books and literature,” states Amp on his time with the funk legend in the eighties, “We’d talk about concepts with songs and writing, and by doing that, I learned a lot about different ways of writing; the yin and yang of one thing. One thing can have a double meaning. A double entendre. I took that from hanging out with George, and put it into what I do.”

Playing and honing his songwriting skills with funk legends gave Amp his old school flavor. So where does Amp’s music get its hip hop feel? Look no further than his stomping grounds, Detroit, Michigan. What many people don’t know is how closely Amp worked with the late hip hop producer James “J Dilla / Jay Dee” Yancey. In fact, look in the liner notes of Amp’s debut album, and you’ll see Dilla’s name a number of times. J Dilla would bring tracks for Amp. Amp would then write lyrics and add his own instrumental flavor to Dilla’s beats. It was a beautiful marriage of hip hop and funky, soul music

His history with J Dilla doesn’t stop there. You can credit Fiddler for discovering J Dilla and the rest of the boys from Slum Village, “I met them (Slum Village) when they were kids, still in high school,” Fiddler explains, “And I thought they were the most innovative kids who were doing hip hop. We had a lot in common. They loved jazz. They loved funk, and it was a good combination.” You might even consider Amp an honorary member of Slum Village as he worked closely with them for years, and even taught a young J Dilla how to work with studio equipment, to help the budding beat-maker along.

Amp still considers himself to be a fan of Slum Village who he introduced to A Tribe Called Quest while Amp was touring on the Lollapalooza Tour one year. He also names Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Nas as some of his favorite hip hop artists, but admits he’s not a big fan of some of the recent hip hop coming from the South. "It’s interesting how it’s changing so much,” Amp says, reflecting on the state of music, “I haven’t bought a whole lot of hip hop lately, or R & B either. There are a lot of talented artists out there, but they all sound the same. It doesn’t make things interesting. I’m just waiting for someone to come out with that next shit.”

While he waits Amp continues to groove, and seamlessly blend that classic old school sound with some new school flavor.