In the early 2000s, rumors circulated a major record label courting Columbus, Ohio emcee Copywrite. While the MHz alum was said to be a potential Roc-A-Fella Records artist, the Weathermen cohort remained tied to independent East Conference Records. Speaking with HipHopDX recently, the veteran Copywrite looked back and clarified that “It wasn’t Roc-A-Fella [Records], even though there were rumors about them wanting to sign me. It was actually Just Blaze who wanted to sign me. Jay-Z’s cousin – who was also Memphis Bleek and J Dilla’s manager at the time [and Just Blaze] were the ones show interest in me.” With a career based in independent releases, Copy deduced, “But let’s just say that if I did decide to sign with them, my album probably would’ve gotten shelved.” Copy maintains, “They gotta be able to do more for me than what I can do for myself.”
With two studio solo albums under his belt, Copywrite summarizes his catalogue’s importance. “To me, The High Exhaulted was slept on when it came out. In terms of promotion, I wasn’t happy with it when the album dropped. I felt like nobody knew anything about. People come to me now and tell me that it was a classic and that’s cool, but it’s 10 years later, you know? The Life and Times [of Peter Nelson], I was happy with though. I was happy with the XXL magazine rating it got and I was happy with the responses I got from both critics and fans. As for God Save The King, I feel like this is my best album. I hope people hear it the same way I hear it. And if they don’t, then whatever because you can’t really have too many expectations when you’re dealing with other people’s opinions.”
Having emerged from the talented underground Hip Hop scene in the late ‘90s, DX asked Copywrite if he expected to be where he is now back then and where he’d like to see himself some years later down the road. With the underground going head-to-head with the mainstream, Copywrite admits that he does not want to be in the mainstream in the future. “The mainstream is not a cool place. I want to keep doing what I do and I want people who enjoy what it is that I do. I don’t want to have to dumb my sound down to get people to listen.”
After God Save The King releases later this month on Man Bites Dog Records, Copywrite discussed what would be in store for the project and future projects. With seven videos already lined up for release, Copywrite will also be going on tour in Europe. “We’re gonna have fun, be human and just rock the mic. And [we will] just be around people who have supported us and have allowed us to make a living out of this.” In addition, he will also drop two more albums this year which includes a US version of God Save The King and another project. “I have a lot of material. I want to make up for lost time and take no breaks; I just make so much music.”
Finding a better sense of who he is as both a person and artist, Copywrite displays his love for both his beliefs and Hip Hop through his music. With so much balance in his life after rekindling his relationship with God, there’s no telling what limits Copywrite will surpass in his Hip Hop career.
Photo by Mara Gruber
RELATED: Copywrite Says That His Beefing Days Are Over, Reveals He Nearly Quit Rap For God
then just blaze realized copywrite was a faggot white nerd with a down syndrome face and no fanbase. get a 9 to 5 and quit the rapper shit petey. you suck and always have.
You’re a faggot with no knowledge.
^^ sup peter you failed rapper with no fans turned bible thumping twitter faggot
check copywrites twitter page. he turned into the christian network hoping to capture the gospel rap market.
Ive been a fan since high exhualted and various features and MHZ WTHRMEN releases. Copy kills the lyrics and he can spit despite what some ppl are saying here. Revenge of the nerds? Sure. Anyone ever looked around and seen that the nerds end up being rich,famous and generally more intelligent thinkers than their dumbed down mainstream counterparts?
Im just sayin. Id rather talk god with copywrite (and im not religious, nor do i believe in religion) than talk to meek mil or rick ross about how much money they made this year. The Jerk Vol.0 and GSTK are my two personal faves, and haters can suck a fat diock. Nobodys coming close to that level copy brings when he writes punchline raps. Even the story raps were kind of la k lustre on The jerk Vol.0 but since latest releases has really improved (National Lampoons Jamaican Vacation) etc…
I cringe hearing him talk about god all the time, but I understand why he does it. People change…If youre the same person you were ten years ago you havent been learning.
Copy remains my favorite emcee and probably will keep that totle as long as he is still ripping it up
i respect him for bein an OHIO/MIDWESTERN MC
i dont respect the way he came at Asher 4 dumb reasons
Copywrite is ILL and always has been. Yea, his first album is fuckin bananas. How are there only two comments about this? That’s pathetic. I dont know what happened to hip hop. I think Eastern Conference never shoulda shut down or stopped or whatever happened to them. With the production they had from Mighty Mi, they coulda been a pretty big indie by now. And Copywrite would be much bigger guaranteed, he was NICE on those beats!
I agree. Mighty Mi was underrated but was always ill with the beats. They were quite the crew back in the day, especially before Cage sobered up.
oooooh that copywrite really makes my blood boil! he’s not as cute as all the other rappers who’s faces i find attractive! why do people care about him? the music i make at my man’s studio is so much better! he believes in god too! that really infuruates me! why can’t he just believe in darwinism, have a hotter face and stop rapping so maybe people will pay attention to me instead! *throws laptop*
Dude’s overrated, I remember seeing a picture of the whole Eastearn Conference/ Def Jux crew years ago (Copy, Cage, ELP, High & Mighty, Camu Tao, etc) and I swear it looked like a hip hop “Revenge of the Nerds”
“While the MHz alum was said to be a potential Roc-A-Fella Records artist, the Weathermen cohort remained tied to independent East Conference Records. ”
East Conference Records? You guys can’t get through an article without an error. The bar keeps getting lower and lower…
I stopped listening to this dude after esoteric embarrassed him
lol @ going from making songs about his dick to rappin about jesus. he’s got skillz but whatever.
on a side note i seen his ass get knocked out at scribble jam in 05 by icon the mic king. from what i gathered about him this was a regular occurence.
cheers to jesus squashing beef. :-S
Listen, don’t lie to yourselves, Copywrite can spit hot fire and AssO did not body him. Get off the fucking internet.