Cochise

Born and raised in Florida, Cochise has already proven to be an eclectic artist, injecting the slick adlibs of peak 2010s SoundCloud rap, with a sugar rush flow that sounds like FL Studio overloading. That sound brought the 2022 XXL Freshman to prominence, leading to viral singles like the smash hit “Tell Em” with $not (670M+ Streams), “Hatchback” (230M+ Streams), and “Pocket Rocket” (202M+ Streams). Finding major success in the highly competitive Florida rap scene has inspired Cochise to reach for more ambitious sounds, and slowly flex all sides of his artistry with new singles like “Geeked”, “Lay Up” and“Yoshimitsu”. Finding him slowing down his flow and adding a calming haze to the backdrop of his already colorful world, Cochise’s new releases are signifying a new era for the 26-year-old. Continuing to build on his expansive lore, Cochise is treating the next stage of his career as a metamorphosis by mixing the sound that made him with a more measured approach. 

Growing up in Palm Bay, Cochise was born Terrell Cox to a mother from Jamaica and a father from Barbados. He grew up surrounded by Caribbean rhythms, old-school Hip-Hop and ‘80s Pop, exposing him to a bevy of musical influences early on. Filling his first song with a bunch of anime references, presented with zany and infectious energy, it would become the rough blueprint for his future career. His love of Toonami, Cartoon Network’s flagship anime program filled with Dragon Ball Z & One Piece, would become the building block of his raps, finding an audience in the burgeoning Florida rap scene. Standing out from the hard-hitting street rappers dominating his city’s sound, Cochise differentiated himself through zany bars and a colorful aesthetic. Songs like “Ohayou” and “Nuttin” off his 2018 debut EP Pulp gained him some attention, but it was “Dig Me Freestyle” that stamped him as an artist to watch – serving as the precursor to his breakout 2019 song, the hazy ultra-viral “Hatchback” (230M+ Streams), spearheading a furious run of singles that made the world take notice. 

Cochise’s 2021 major label debut Benbow Crescent pushed his sound even further, mixing high-pitched, sped-up vocals with rhythmic, cartoonish production that sounded like it could soundtrack the latest season of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures. The album found a devoted following in discord servers and the corners of Reddit, but the instilled meticulous work ethic of Cochise wouldn’t let him rest. 

In the same month, he released his most successful song to date, the $not collab “Tell Em”(670M+ Streams), which found its way to No.22 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs Chart. 2022’s grimier follow-up project The Inspection allowed Cochise to try more styles: trading bars with fellow sprinkler speed rapper Young Nudy on “Nice”, and matching the guttural, aggressive nihilism of Chief Keef’s world on their collab “Hunt”. He still filled the project with anime nods and bright beats, but showed more versatility with his sound. 

This mindset has brought him to calling his latest music a new era, where he trades the ADHD sugar rush of his past work for more measured flexes and ethereal, hazy, cloud rap. Inspired by his travels to Japan, “Yoshimitsu” kicked off this new age, sounding like strolling through a

cloudy night, dripped out in the heart of Tokyo. His next singles “Geeked” and “Jackpot”turned up the bass and 808s, paired with a laid back flow fit for sunny day trips. It’s all leading to his new album, Why Always Me, a project that Cochise says will challenge preconceived notions about him. With thematic elements inspired by Candyman and a host of sounds that make up the entire kaleidoscope of influences he’s had, from Young Thug to Bob Marley, Cochise’s new music feels like an exciting coming of age. With this new refreshing approach, Cochise’s metamorphosis puts his vivacious personality center stage, mixed with the ambitious mind of a creative director that culminates in new music that will change the perception of fans and foes alike.