Houston Boiler
Devin the Dude, Blues Traveler
BY LARRY MIZELL JR.

Article courtesy of The Stranger

It would be easy to dismiss the music of Devin "the Dude" Copeland as simply paeans to weed, women, and wine—if you weren't really listening. The Dude is a bluesman and a storyteller, owing as much of his persona to Wilson Pickett and Bobby Womack as to Run-D.M.C. and Rakim. Seemingly unaffected by hiphop trends since his cult-classic '98 debut, The Dude, Devin has continued to make music that is soulful, sincere, and self-aware. With Houston now being the newest "it" city for rap music, it's about goddamn time the Dude got his due.

Devin's half-sung raps flow molasses-thick with an effortlessness that very few in hiphop's pantheon possess; it's easy to forget he's seamlessly rhyming his bars ("I'm higher/than a thumbtack on a flier/of Reba McEntire in the hood/it's all good") and not just talking to you, saying some outlandish shit in the middle of a late-night blunt session. Indeed, it's easy to overlook the fact that Devin's one of the South's premier MCs. With an earnestness and compassion to rival Scarface's, Devin possesses a party-guy veneer that belies an insight and sensitivity to which few can lay claim. Devin's hapless narrator is, by song's end, often left broke, friendless, loveless and—worst of all—without any weed; his most hedonistic parables invariably contain precious pearls of wisdom.

"All you gots to do is—write!
Share your problems with the world, tell the story of your life..."

Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, Devin relocated to Texas when he was in the fourth grade. Even while bouncing between Houston and the border town New Boston, Texas, Devin managed to join a b-boy crew called 3-D. Sometime in the late '80s, after settling in H-Town for good, Devin met MC/producer Rob Quest (AKA Blind Rob), who was part of a local clique known as the Coughee Brothas. ("Coughee" is a euphemism for marijuana.) Devin, alongside Quest and longtime friend Jugg Mugg, formed a new crew called the Odd Squad. The crew's original DJ, the storied DJ Screw, passed their demo to James "Prince" Smith, the CEO of the legendary Houston rap label Rap-A-Lot Records. Prince immediately snapped up the talented group, eventually releasing their Fadanuf fa Erybody LP in 1994.

While a critical success, Fadanuf failed to generate major sales. H-Town godfather Scarface, who helped build Rap-A-Lot (and gangsta rap in general) as one of the Geto Boys, handpicked Devin to be a part of his group Facemob; the lone Facemob LP, The Other Side of the Law, dropped in 1996, and was quickly followed by the squad's dissolution. With the guidance of 'Face and James Prince, Devin then began working on solo material. Taking a cue from a favorite song as a child (Quincy Jones's "The Dude"), Devin's album title—and, eventually, his moniker—was decided.

Rap-A-Lot's best in-house purveyors of Southern-fried production—Tone Capone, NO Joe, and Domo—provided a slow-rolling afterparty funk that positively dripped fish grease. Devin's genius for raunchy humor and matter-of-fact insights (inspired in part by childhood hero Blowfly) into matters mundane and meaningful made the album essential, particularly among his fellow weed smokers.

The Dude's game-dripping verse on "Fuck You," off Dr. Dre's hugely successful 2001 album sent his stock through the roof and caused speculation that Devin would sign with Aftermath. However, Devin remained loyal to the label that put him on, and dropped two more well-regarded LPs on Rap-A-Lot, Just Tryin' ta Live (2002) and To tha X-Treme (2004). Cameo spots on albums for artists ranging from Dilated Peoples and De La Soul to Twista and E-40 have kept Devin's name hot with his scene-stealing verses and hooks.

The fact that Devin translates naturally in whatever setting he finds himself in is testimony to his enduring character... It turns out that he's the man for his time and place. Like so many others, the Dude has accrued platinum respect over his career, yet he's never achieved the corresponding plaques. That's largely because he's never compromised himself for sales, as all around him, new-jacks mumble about candy paint and sippin' syrup ad nauseam. No matter, friend: The Dude abides.

hiphop@thestranger.com