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All Music Guide:
Devin Copeland, aka Devin the Dude, was born in St. Petersburg, FL, and moved to Texas while in the fourth grade. As a child he went back and forth from New Boston and Houston and finally settled in the latter after he graduated high school. In the late '80s, Devin met Rob Quest, a blind rapper and producer who was part of a Houston crew called the Coughee Brothas. Later on, the duo formed a group named the Odd Squad and recruited Devin's longtime friend Jugg Mugg and a local DJ named DJ Screw. Screw (who was later replaced by DJ Styles) took the group's demo tape to Rap-A-Lot Records CEO James Smith, who quickly signed the group in 1992. Their debut album, Fadanuf fa Erybody!!, was released in 1994 with "I Can't See It" as the lead single and video.
Although hip-hop fans praised the effort put out by the Odd Squad, their album was not as commercially successful as they hoped. While the group went back to the drawing board, Rap-A-Lot franchise artist Scarface approached Devin to be a part of his new group, Facemob. Facemob released one album in 1996, The Other Side of the Law, and then broke up due to internal problems. At this time, Devin decided to work on his debut solo album, The Dude, with the help of Smith and Scarface.
The Dude was released in 1998 with virtually no video and little radio play. The Dude was a smoothed-out, funk-laden album and an ode to wine, women, and weed. Regardless, the album built a large underground following and even caught the attention of veteran hip-hop producer Dr. Dre. He contacted Devin in 1999 and asked him to be a part of the 2001 album on the track "Fuck You." This single appearance made Devin a hot commodity, earning him appearances on songs with De La Soul, Raphael Saadiq, veteran rap group UGK, and a solo track on the Oz soundtrack.
His anticipated sophomore LP, Just Tryin' ta Live, was released in the summer of 2002 and featured appearances from Nas, Xzibit, and Raphael Saadiq with production from Dre, DJ Premier, and his Coughee Brothas. To tha X-Treme arrived two years later and was followed in 2007 by Waiting to Inhale, his first album to crack the Top 40 on Billboards album chart. A year later, Landing Gear became his first album for the Razor & Tie label. Suite #420 followed in 2010 and had the honor of being released on the stoners holiday of April 20th (4/20).
Wikipedia:
Devin Copeland (born June 4, 1970), better known by his stage name, Devin the Dude, is a Houston hip hop rapper. He is best known for his unique rapping style, his long career signed to Rap-A-Lot Records, and his 2002 song, "Lacville '79".
Early life [edit]
Devin Copeland was born in St. Petersburg, Florida on June 4, 1970 and moved to Texas while in the fourth grade. He spent his childhood moving back and forth from New Boston and Houston, finally settling in Houston after graduating from high school. He smoked marijuana for the first time at a skating rink in seventh grade; marijuana would later become a major influence on his music. As a teenager, Copeland became interested in breakdancing, joining several dance crews until he began rapping, which soon became his main interest. After graduating from high school, he met Rob Quest, a blind rapper and record producer, and the duo formed the group the Odd Squad.
Musical career [edit]
Devin Copeland started out as a member of the Odd Squad (later known as the Coughee Brothaz), a group of rappers signed to Rap-A-Lot Records. The label is notable for being the home of hip-hop artists such as Geto Boys, Scarface, and Too Much Trouble. Copeland moved on to become part of Scarface's Facemob before going solo in 1998. Copeland has released seven solo albums: The Dude (1998), Just Tryin' ta Live (2002), To tha X-Treme (2004), Waitin' to Inhale (2007), Landing Gear (2008), Suite 420 (2010), and Gotta Be Me (2010). He also made a number of guest appearances, including on Dr. Dre's "Fuck You" in 1999, De La Soul's "Baby Phat" in 2001, Slim Thug's "I'm Back" off of Boss of All Bosses in 2009, Gucci Mane's "Kush Is My Cologne" of off The State vs Radric Davis in 2009 alongside Bun B & E-40, Tech N9ne's "After Party" in 2010 off of The Gates Mixed Plate, and Young Jeezy's "Higher Learning" off of the late 2011 album Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition.
In 2008, he ended his 15 year relationship with Houston based Rap-A-Lot Records after he decided not to renew his contract. Later that year, he signed with indie label Razor & Tie. Devin is currently being distributed by E1 Entertainment, formerly Koch. In 2013 Devin will star in the stoner comedy Highway 420, in which two pot smoking buddies go on a quest to find the best bud in the country on the legendary Highway 420. The soundtrack will feature 2 Chainz, UGK, Smoke DZA, Tha Dogg Pound, Slim Thug, Curren$y, David Banner, Coughee Brothaz, Asher Roth and more.
Reception [edit]
Despite being a critical success, Devin the Dude has not achieved success in the mainstream but continues to be a well-known underground hip-hop artist. The New York Times has called him "A brilliant oddball with a spaced-out flow." In addition, he has been called "Rap's best-kept secret" and "Your favorite rapper's favorite rapper." In 2007, he appeared in a documentary titled Screwed In Houston produced by VBS/Vice Magazine that details the history of the Houston rap scene.
