Coop

Coop is on his way to becoming the martyr of Southern style rap with his harmonic style, hook-laiden beats and unmatched swagger. Lyrically speaking, he is comparable to some of the greatest rappers that have come out of the South, but his presence offers music fans something more memorable with the power to maintain longevity. Coop’s ability to shock audiences and critics from the get-go is what makes him stand out from the army of Deep South rappers. Standing 6’3” with a dress shirt and ripped jeans gives Coop an appearance more along the lines of a typical rock singer, but when this dude begins to perform it is a spectacle that audiences are not soon to forget.

Coop started out in the music scene in 1999, with a group called 24 Karats. The group focused primarily on releasing mix tapes with freestyles much like the rest of the city was doing at the time. The group established a strong presence on the East Side of Houston and eventually earned the respect of other artists in the street. 24 Karats performed at clubs in Kingwood as well as Barrett Station on a number of occasions. At the time, Coop primarily acted as the group’s DJ and manager, but his unprecedented style and voice would always stand out in the songs he performed. 24 Karats was a great opportunity for Coop to be heard, but uncontrollable events eventually launched Coop into the spotlight as a solo artist.

In 2002, Coop released his first mix tape “The Demo,” that featured 15 tracks. The album was released online for download and had over 200,000 downloads in six months. It was this album that gave Coop the confidence to develop more as an artist and established him as force in the local underground hip-hop scene. Coop began an aggressive campaign to hustle his music into the hands of DJ’s in San Marcos and other regional markets while he was attending school. The buzz began to grow and Coop was soon playing house parties and college campus events on a regular basis. In addition, Coop was becoming a household name.

In 2004, Coop returned to Houston and decided to cut another album to try and build locally on the reputation he had established in the Hill country. His style continued to evolve, resulting in a more captivating flow, mature beats and a distinct sound. He released “In Command” on his website www.coop-show.com and received over 2 million hits with album downloads exceeding 500,000 across various online outlets.

As a result, word of Coop’s music reached Gigamerica (Sony Urban) and he was invited to compete in a showcase that featured artists from across the country. He landed in the event finals, performing once again in Houston, to a full house of fans as well as industry professionals. Coop didn’t take home the prize but it established him as a major player in the local scene.

With his reputation growing in the underground and mainstream hip-hop scene, Coop was featured in Harvey Luv’s video for “Shut Yo Mouth” as well as many other showcases and performances where he was able to collaborate with Lil Boosie, Young Joc, Trae, and Juvenile to name a few.

By 2005, Coop established LOL Entertainment (http://www.lolentertainment.net) with fellow performers DreTL and BlaKC. After submitting the track “Who You Thought it Was” to Americanidolunderground.com the trio earned praise from listeners all across the nation, boasted the “Best Rap Song” on the site and a feature article in the November 2006 issue of American Idol Magazine. Already 2007 has proven to be a huge year as Coop is featured on a number of artists’ albums (Fred Binz, Harvey Luv, Zeb Pittman, OG Fuse, and Wayne Bell) and is performing shows across the South. Fans can expect to see more of Coop this year as he focuses on building a buzz through a variety of collaborations with other artists, producers and live shows.

In addition, Coop is currently in negotiations with major labels and distributors for his current project. He is working on his retail release due out later this year. To top it off, Coop will be releasing his first two mix tapes in his campaign for president. Yes, “Coop For President: Vol. 1” means that this is one of many mix tapes Coop plans to distribute until 2020, when he plans to run for the Presidency on the Independent ticket. It may sound farfetched, but he has plenty of time to campaign and releasing albums for the next 13 years may prove to be a very strategic move.