217hiphop.com Exclusive Interview with D.B. Cooper

217hiphop.com had the opportunity to chop it up with one of the best young business minds on the local scene. Check out what D.B. Cooper had to say about his style, recording contracts and more. 

Whats up man introduce yourself to the people, hit 'em with some background on you.

Yooo, My real name is ***** **** ******* **, I'm from Springfield, IL. I went to Springfield Southeast and shit, went to college and played football, got kicked out for burglary, but goin back soon. I didn't name my self after a thief for no reason. lbs. Im pretty damn good at it, but I have slowed myself down a lot and I try to keep a positive vibe at all times but, you know this planet…right? I make beats,videos, clothes, and trouble for fun.

So the legend of D.B Cooper is that of the only man to get away with "air-piracy". What made you choose that as your stage name? 

MF Doom -"Average MC's like a t.v. blooper, MF Doom he's like D.B. Cooper". I looked it up and I was like "Dat's it!!!", that's just how I feel sometimes. Like, I have to hijack this thing. Only a select few can get into and take what I want.

"Cooshit" is the brand most associated with you. Where did the name originate?

Well my name is an acronym for "Dat Boy COO PERfectly" and "Cooshit" is my shit, so it kinda just clicked. Plus I'm usually on some Cooshit. It was just natural. I feel like it transcends a lot of lines because, at the end of the day, everyone is just tryna keep their cool.

How would you describe your style to the average listener?

My style is a "braggadocio lyrical life-styler". If I say it, It happened and I always have someone that can co-sign. My sound is laid back and almost a dead tone, if your'e used to a lot of emotion. I do that so you focus more on what I say and less on the energy. It's great to have energy but the classics come from what your'e actually sayin in my opinion.

You produce as well, which do you feel is the easier of the 2: rapping vs. producing?

Producing is soooo much easier.Words are a double bladed sword that requires a two handed grip and if you ain't swinging it right, you could knock your own block off. Making people feel a beat is easier than making people feel your individuality. Especially when there is a mainstream present that distorts art and product.

Who are some of the producers that helped you mold your sound?

As a Producer, MF DOOM - He samples whatever he wants and then makes dialogue out a collage of samples. He's a God of Hip-Hop.
Ski Beatz - He is the classic beatmaker. Grab a sample or make some original, throw a drum-kit on it and it's gold. "Less is more" type of guy.
Zaytoven - My trap side comes from a bunch of Gucci and I like to add a lot of bass and spacey sounds if Im going in that direction
As an artist, I'm inspired by Curren$y, MF DOOM(again), Del The Funky Homosapien,Wu-Tang Clan, and Fiend.You can probably hear all of them in my rhymes one time or another.

You have also been in talks with labels about a deal. Shed a little light on that. 

Faaammm…That shit was a hoax sadly, I'm not signed to anyone. Almost got played, but that's life. There's always someone trying to get over on you. I'm still independent as of now. Even though I signed a contract, I'm not honoring that shit.

You're about to drop another mixtape. What can you tell us about that?

"Sly Cooper:Da Beatjacker" is just a continuation of my industry beat-jacking mixtape series. The ones I want people to really pay attention to is this one with Freddie called "Wonder Twinzzz". I'm the main producer of all the beats. Freddie is this lady from the Chi that could spit a hole in the floor and she is also a member of Cooshit. That will be out by this summer.The other one is "00 Mode:Escape From Heaux Isle". I've made a parody series of the 007 movies into a pot smokers audio cinema. Just read the title and be prepared for an imagination stimulator.

What should people expect from you in the future?
Expect to start hearing national indie artists using my beats and seeing more visuals from myself and the whole Cooshit collective.

Any shout outs or last words for the fans?
S/o my niggas in Texas (Sam Rubik,3Zone$,Western Tink)
S/O my midwest niggas (Bone$,Chris Crack,Black Matt,Franky Whap,Smilez Montana)
S/O my local niggas (Co-Pilots,Table Drama,Brian Galecki and Kevin Bradford,Roskomillio,Habilis Riccardo,Cornbread,Pytch Wyte,Stain Gang,Trizzle, and of course Uncanny)
S/O my crew (Dooblavey,Joint,Dios,Freddie,Fleetwood Jones,Mikey Hash,Kabass,and Scottie Trippen)
S/O to the people that help the brand (Upper Limits Inc,Penny Lane, and Miles T-shirts)
*dies from lack of oxygen*