Citizen Cope flys just under the music radar--for now

By Rory Van Loon

If music can influence the emotions of a human being, then Citizen Cope’s “The Clarence Greenwood Recordings” is the remedy to a man’s bruised soul.

With the compilation a mixture of deep, loud beats and smooth-as-silk lyrics, the CD has enough to sustain every person’s interest.

Citizen Cope, whose real name is Clarence Copeland Greenwood, writes sincerely about human emotion; his words are only intensified by the passion in his vocals.

Cope has the ability through his musical talents to draw a person into the song and make him or her linger there until all reality has drifted away.

The genuine, blue-collared feel that he brings to each song identifies with the everyman.

He is able to grab a person by the hand and lead him or her into the inner workings of his head.

“I try to put myself into the reality of the character, no matter how crazy he is,” Cope said. “It might sound corny, but for me, music should be able to transcend all boundaries. Society has a way of trying to set limits, but there are no limits in music. I don’t believe in style over substance; for me it’s all about the song.”

Cope’s ability to write about a dark and gritty subject and then turn around and write about romantic feelings is evident in the fifth song on the album, “Sideways.”

On this track, Cope sings about sadness and loss that comes with the end of a relationship.

With the song “My Way Home,” Cope is able to relate to the listener’s heart with sincere lyrics such as “Sometimes I miss a step/ I stumble here and there/ well I’m finding my way home… And you can try to stand in my way/ say what you gonna say/ but I’m finding my way home,” the audience is able to relate to Cope’s thoughts on growing up, making mistakes and finding oneself.

With “The Clarence Greenwood Recordings,” Cope is able to call upon his musical experiences as DJ, singer, songwriter and producer.

The album is Cope’s debut for RCA records.

Cope was originally signed to Dreamworks Records in 1999, but after creative differences began to surface, he turned to Arista Records in 2003.

The album is currently in record stores.