Coops

Coops- what a truly incredible artist, I jumped at the chance to review his live performance as soon as I discovered the hip-hop star from North London would be taking a trip to Norwich’s very own Art’s centre. Coops raised the energy perfectly, bringing his genre bending sound, an infusion of hip-hop with flavours of psychedelia and jazzy beats, set against the backdrop of political resistance- I really hope Coops decides to return to Norwich in future, as I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.

The night was as awesome as I had hoped, Coops taking to the stage to treat fans to his eclectic set list, each song had a 90s hip hop feel to it, a pattern throughout Coops’ music, as this is primarily where his inspiration derives from. Coops takes his influence from hip hop legends such as A Tribe Called Quest and Jay Z and this is clear to see through his music, with its jazzy undertones- the perfect grounding for his unapologetic lyrics. Each line is clearly an outlet of self-expression on Coops’ thoughts of society and the world around him, as his music questions the current state of hip hop, an expression of the frustrations of contemporary society and ‘the consumerist values that mainstream media promotes’. This passion was evident through Coops’ body language and overall demeanour- a true performer, guiding the crowd with his words.

I was lucky enough to chat briefly to Coops after his performance and I can say he was such a genuine, awesome guy- his vibe suited Norwich Arts Centre perfectly.

Coops instantly had the crowd bumping, his stage presence hugely invigorating- it’s refreshing to see an artist so in tune with his fans, the crowd were a reflection of the energy Coops emitted, sending Norwich Arts Centre bouncing. As the sounds of ‘The kid is back’ rang through the venue, the vibrancy in the building was tangible- Coops hopped into the mosh pit, dancing with his fans who were chanting along with him. This wasn’t the last time Coops joined us in the pit that night, he really knew how to bring the fun to all of his songs. The crowd begged for an encore and Coops returned to play my favourite song of the night ‘That jazz’, asking the crowd to give him all of our energy for one last song. The atmosphere was charged- honestly just so much fun, Coops maintained the energy and captivation of the crowd from the minute he bounced onto stage, until the moment he left and I’m sure I can speak for Norwich when I say we’d love to have him back again soon.