Devin Copeland was raised in Houston, Texas.  Better known by his stage name, Devin the Dude, Copeland started out in the music industry as a member of The Odd Squad, with Jugg Mugg and Rob Quest.  The Odd Squad released their first album in 1994 on the Raps-A-Lot label, owned by rapper Scarface.

Devin The Dude

I love that feeling, when somebody just asks you, "Hey, get on this song." So on my albums, I kinda keep it where I don't have a lot of features, so I pretty much won't sound like all the other work I'm doin'. But pretty much my homeboys, my friends, my co-workers, my friends that I grew up with, they're here. That's where we come from, really, the squad type thing, the family type thing.

Getting Started

Devin Copeland was raised in Houston, Texas.  Better known by his stage name, Devin the Dude, Copeland started out in the music industry as a member of The Odd Squad, with Jugg Mugg and Rob Quest.  The Odd Squad released their first album in 1994 on the Raps-A-Lot label, owned by rapper Scarface.

He left The Odd Squad to become a part of Facemob.  This group consisted of 350, DMG, Chi-Ray, and Smit-D.  Their material was written and produced by Scarface.  Facemob appeared on soundtracks for Tales from the Hood, Original  Gangstas, and High School High.   Devin the Dude began his solo career in 1998, with the support of Scarface and Raps-A-Lot.

Becoming a Celebrity

In 1998, Devin the Dude released his first album, The Dude.  It peaked at #177 on the Billboard Top 200, and at #27 on the R&B/rap charts.  He participated in 2000 in the Up in Smoke Tour, along with Ice Cube, Eminem, Proof, Snoop Dogg, Westside Connection, and Warren G, among others.  The tour included forty-three concerts across the country.  In 2002, his next release, Just Tryin' Ta Live, included high profile guests, including Xzibit and Dr. Dre. Despite the guest appearances, the album produced lackluster sales.

He released three more albums between 2002 and 2009.  None of his releases have been particularly successful commercially, he has a firm underground following, and mp3 and ringtone downloads are steadily purchased, supplementing his physical record sales.  All three albums did chart in the Top Ten on the R&B/rap chart.

Present and Future

In 2008, Raps-A-Lot Records failed to renew their cotnract with Devin the Dude.  He went on to sign with Razor & Tie.  Devin's next album, Suite 420, is due out in mid-2010.  The title of the album is a marijuana reference, which has been a consistent theme throughout his career.  He is slated to embark on a national tour to promote the album in the spring.  

In addition to his six studio albums, Devin as released four compilations and collaborated with numerous artists, being featured on their albums.  In 2007, he appeared in a documentary entitled Screwed in Houston, about the Houston rap scene.

Did you know . . .

1. The Odd Squad's album, Fadanuf Fa Erybody!!, is no longer in print, and physical copies of the album are worth a lot of money.  The entire album, however, is available for streaming or download online.

2. Devin the Dude is available to be booked for corporate events and parties via a website online.

3. Because of his humorous lyrics and foul language, Devin the Dude has been labeled “The Richard Pryor of hip hop.”

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