Citizen cope on tour

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. 

His seminal record, The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, was released over a decade ago but still remains his most impressive achievement, a record that 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.