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Citizen Cope Information
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'Citizen Cope' is both a person, Clarence Greenwood, and a band. Born in Memphis, Tennessee Greenwood is obviously the leader of the group, as he plays the keyboard, guitar, sings, and acts as a DJ, songwriter, and producer. Currently Citizen Cope is based out of Washington, DC.
Greenwood started his musical career as a DJ for the hip hop act Basehead, a group that would have a significant impact on Greenwood's style as a solo-musician. Citizen Cope blends many genres of music, such as folk, blues, hip hop, rock, and R & B.
Greenwood first released a demo tape under the name Cope Citizen in the late '90s. He would follow up the release of the demo by donating songs to several independently issued compilations, movie soundtracks, as well as appearing on several fellow artists albums.
In 2000 Greenwood would sign with the DreamWorks label, which would release his second album in September 2002, Citizen Cope. Greenwood toured to promote the record as an opener for Nelly Furtado. He would also perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, in 2002.
After the release of Citizen Cope, Greenwood felt the label "mishandled" the record. This would create tension between DreamWorks and him self, which would escalate to the point that the singer looked to buy out his contract with the label. He eventually did, using the advance he received from his next home, Arista and RCA Records, to do it.
In September of 2004, Citizen Cope released his second record, The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, which earned him much critical success as well as minor touring success as an opening act for a popular touring band, Robert Randolph and the Family Band.
In 2005, Cope continued to tour the United States promoting his second major label record. In April, his song Son's Gonna Rise began appearing in a Pontiac commercial and was distributed as the album's second single.
Discography
* Cope Citizen
* Citizen Cope (2002) (Dreamworks SKG out of print)
* The Clarence Greenwood Recordings (2004) (RCA Records)
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