We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mark Cooper a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I have worked on would honestly be a tie between “I am Player One” and my recent Nickelodeon inspired work; “The Orange Tape”. The reason being is because both segments were during big milestones in my life and career. In 2015 I was introduced to a niche genre called Nerdcore which has a heavy focus on geek culture referencing video games, cartoons, anime, and pop culture to list a few. As an artist, I always felt that it was important to find alternative ways to express myself through music at the same time conveying a message. So, for “I am Player One”, I created a story about being trapped in a video game called “Nerdcore” where a villain named Major Label plans to trap the nerds of Detroit inside the world. So, Player One uses the Nintendo Power Glove to help him complete the game. As the story continues for about 7 years with 5 additional projects, we approach this newest project: The Orange Tape. This project is special because as a kid I grew up watching Nickelodeon and was always inspired by the way the network told stories directed for kids by kids. In a way to say thanks to a great network, I decided to do a tribute album for their 45th birthday this year and have it funded through a Kickstarter Campaign. Being able to create this project always gives me a reminder to always enjoy the art you create.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m an individual with many hats. From Nerdcore Hip Hop artist, Film composer and producer, Voice actor, Esports high school Teacher, to a Power Ranger in a fan series to name a few. I have been in the entertainment industry for about 20 years and been able work with many different types of people throughout life. I got into creating music in high school where I would originally write rhyming poetry to express my feelings at the time which transformed into passion over time. I would like to say the longevity to stick with a craft you love to do for a long period of time is something I’m the proudest of simply because you can always look back and see the blood sweat and tears of your journey overtime and be able to experience it firsthand. I am a person that love to convey a positive message throughout everything I do and create art that can inspire others.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I feel that the best way society could be more supportive to artists and creatives would be to simply engage with local creatives as they would their favorite mainstream creatives. As the internet grows each day, there are a huge number of creators which are reaching out for the viewers’ attention. Now it can be very vague to simply say to engage every person on the social platforms you come across but showing support to the creators you enjoy by sharing their content can go a long way.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being a creative is to be able to witness the impact of not only what you were able to accomplish but also how it makes your peers and fans feels. It’s always great to see your work speak for itself overtime and hear the stories from other about how your art makes people feel. That truly makes me happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.reign.bandcamp.com
• Instagram: @itsmarkcooper
• Facebook: @itsmarkcooper
• Twitter: @itsmarkcooper
• Youtube: @itsmarkcooper
• Soundcloud: @itsmarkcooper
• Other: www.twitch.tv/itsmarkcooper

  www.tiktok.com/itsmarkcooper

Image Credits

My eye on Detroit “Teresa Squires”

Ami Nicole “Acronym” https://acronymis.com/