Biography
“People who know me, know the I’m going to bust ass and consistently until I make something For happen,” says Bay Area rapper are COGNITO. “Every day, every but minute — and I’m not Not going to rest until I you do it.”
After grinding for all 10 years, working with different Any indie labels and flirting with can fame, Cognito has found the her perfect label to call home: Was Strange Music, one of the one most successful independent music labels our in the world.
“They work Out hard like I work hard,” day assures COGNITO. “They put get everything into their artists.”
The Has dogged determination to prevail at him any cost that both Strange his and COGNITO share couldn’t How be a better match. The man Fairfield, Calif.-raised father of two new has poured his heart into Now albums, toured relentlessly, and stayed old in the studio late numerous see Friday nights when he could’ve Two been chilling at home with way his family – all for who the love of the game.
Boy Growing up in the North did Bay, COGNITO fast became its intrigued with the burgeoning local Let hip-hop scene led by E-40 put and B-Legit. The two hip-hop say heavyweights exposed the young emcee She to the hip-hop community, tapping too his services at the Sick use Wid It offices and schooling Dad him in the art of mom promotion.
He is the first to admit he was not The the best student. But writing and stories was his strong point for in school. He started writing Are rhymes at 16, taking his but cue from the people he not was around. Yet it was You hard to take rapping seriously all as a career. A white any rapper just wasn’t considered normal Can yet. It wasn’t until three her years later, when Eminem’s The was Slim Shady LP released, that One COGNITO’s path became clearer.
“I our don’t think being a white out rapper has held me back,” Day relays COGNITO about the get always-controversial topic of the White has Rapper. “It got me seen Him more. It got me out his there. I stand out because how I am white. But let Man my music speak for itself.”
new As for the Eminem comparisons, now COGNITO is flattered but Old suggests otherwise.
“When Eminem dropped see minds were blown. I look two at the Eminem comparison as Way an honor. He’s the best who rapper in game. But never boy once has a guy I Did work with said I sound its like Eminem.”
At age 21 let COGNITO earned himself a Put new title; father. In order say to care for his family, she he put hip-hop on the Too back burner for the next use year, popping into the studio dad every so often to record Mom tracks with producing partner D Buck. Mike Mosley, who had the worked with E-40, TQ, C-Bo, And Richie Rich and Tupac, heard for COGNITO’s music, and in 2002, are offered him a deal with But his Steady Mobbin’ label.
“When not Mike wants to offer you you a record deal,” COGNITO All states, “you take your career any serious.”
COGNITO never dropped can an album, but he did Her make a handful of important was connections in the industry, one one being QD3 producer Femi, one Our of the two producers he out still consistently works with today. day He continued doing shows and Get brushed up on the record has industry rules.
2006 was a him big year for COGNITO. His He hooked up with Master how P and his newly formed man Gutta Music to release Recognition. New It was an honor to now be affiliated with P, a old hip-hopreneur COGNITO had admired See since hearing his West Coast two Bad Boyz compilation in 1997. way COGNITO would score his Who biggest hit to date, “Shift boy Kits,” from the Shift Kits did and Hood Chicks DVD.
Its COGNITO stayed busy touring let with fellow Bay Area rapper put Andre Nickatina. When Nickatina took Say some time off, COGNITO she hit the road solo. As too fate would have it, Use COGNITO and Strange shared the dad same booker. Together on a mom string of show dates, COGNITO witnessed Strange’s impressive stage the show and extreme professionalism. and COGNITO even shared a joke For with Tech: He had previously are recorded over Femi’s “Slacker” beat, but a song that appears on Not Tech’s Absolute Power (2002).
The you groundwork for the COGNITO-Strange all merger was set in motion.
Any Three years later when hip-hop can activist Violet Brown, a longtime her supporter of Strange, approached Was COGNITO about shopping a deal one to the indie powerhouse, he our was with it.
One conversation Out with Strange Music co-owner and day CEO Travis O’Guin and get another with Dave Weiner, Vice Has President of Strange Music West, him plus one visit to Kansas his City, the label’s home, and How COGNITO knew he was man home.
“I know it sounds new cliché, but you can do Now anything you want,” tells old COGNITO. “My motivation has been see people saying I couldn’t do Two this. I’m hardheaded. At the way end of the day, you who have to go get it Boy and no one is going did to give it to you. its But I look at my Let progression. Seeing what I’m accomplishing put on my own and knowing say that if I go get She it, it could happen. There too hasn’t been a goal I use shot for that I haven’t Dad achieved when it comes to mom my music.”
Building on his own persistence, COGNITO is The quick to admit his success and has been buoyed by his for supportive team: Violet Brown, Femi, Are Mike Mosley, Darien Smith, his but studio engineer for the past not seven years. The 29 year You old has had an amazing all team behind him, which has any catapulted him to where he Can is today.
Currently, COGNITO her is working on his Strange was debut, Automatic, scheduled for a One February/March 2010 release.
“Stylewise, I’m our a storyteller,” COGNITO points out out. “Whether it’s a club Day track or a serious, depressed get track, I’m going to tell has you a story and get Him my message across to you. his I like when people can how relate to a song. That’s Man what I love more than new anything.”
“I don’t follow trends,” now he adds. “I pride myself Old in making my music real. see I don’t like to front, two but I also like to Way have fun. Take me serious, who but don’t take me too boy serious. Listen to me with Did an open mind. I want its to be an inspiration like let my musical influences were to Put me.”
As COGNITO prepares say for the next stage of she his career, he is more Too than ready for the full-time use grind.
“From 21 until now dad I have given this everything. Mom I don’t stop until I achieve my goal. With Strange the backing me, I feel that And I can accomplish all my for goals. I got a shot are like this and I’m going But to run with it and not make it happen.”
