Q & A with Dylan Cohl.
Q: Where’d you get the name “Cowboy Jones” from?
A: I came up with the monicker Cowboy Jones after trying on a variety of leather jackets in the middle of the spring in Atlanta and bought two raw leather jackets for $20. They made me feel like a futuristic black Cowboy.
Q: Where are you from, and where do you live now?
A: I’m originally from Port Arthur, Texas, the same hometown as UGK. I moved to Houston when I was 12 years old or so and I’ve resided on the Eastside of the city ever since.
Q: What inspired you to start rapping and what’s your overall goal?
A: I’ve honestly been dealing with music for as long as I can remember. Literally my whole life I think I’ve been groomed to make music in some way, either writing or producing. My mom kept me inspired for the most part, though. She was the main factor early on, she brought out the artist in me for sure.
Q: If you had to compare your style to any other rapper, who would it be? And who in the industry inspires you?
A: I get compared to Big Sean a lot based on my delivery styles and appearance. As far as inspirations go I try to follow the greats, Jay Z of course and guys like Pharrell Williams and Kanye West because they are dual threat artist like myself being great rappers and producers. I feel like that’s my advantage over a lot of artists.
Q: What overall story are you trying to tell in your music?
A: I’m still figuring that part out. I have a pretty interesting life story but I think it’s about making it come full circle and clear for my listeners. I don’t want to give too much away at once so I just choose to draw from different mediums for inspiration. But I ultimately want to inspire and be able to have a voice that makes a difference in the industry.
Q: Where’d you get the idea for your latest album Days in The East? And where’d you shoot the “Bigger Than Me” video?
A: Well my previous tape was called Cowboy Jones: 2000 & Beyond, and I’m basically building a sort of storyline with the tapes and my latest one in particular focuses on the influence that growing on the East side of Houston had on me and the music I created. Days In The East is me giving a soundtrack to my daily life in the east. And “Bigger Than Me” which was the last record I made for the tape is shot in the heart of where most my stories came from. The video is really a message to some and a reminder to others that we can never forget the streets that made us. I just wanted to give a honest depiction of what life was and still is for me and a lot of my people.
Follow Dylan Cohl on Twitter: @DylanCohl
Follow Dylan Cohl on SoundCloud: Cowboy Jones
