Citizen Cope

Genre is no object

Citizen Cope has been pursuing his laid-back brand of hip-hop-inflected rock for over a decade now. He began his music career as a DJ for Washington rap collective Basehead, and his R 'n' B inclinations have stayed with him throughout his solo work, creating a beat-driven sound that was way ahead of its time. Citizen Cope has been pursuing his laid-back brand of hip-hop-inflected rock for over a decade now. This year he's back on the road in support of his new record Heroin and Helicopters. His first in seven years, he'll be joined by his full band as he delves into his thoughts on religion, politics, and society as teased in lead single 'Justice'.

His seminal record, The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, was released over a decade ago but still remains his most impressive achievement, a record which blends together reggae grooves, East Coast beats and intimate lyricism into a complete whole. Among its highlights are "Son's Gonna Rise" which features Carlos Santana providing some sunny guitar lines, and "Bullet and a Target", which tackled gun violence and terrorism in its stream of consciousness verses.