Meet Cooper Reed | Producer & Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cooper Reed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cooper, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It’s crazy to think about how I started making music in the first place. I’m from Oklahoma, and when I was twelve, my interest in scoring films was at its’ peak, and there were no camps, internships, or school events allowed me to do that. So compounding that and my love for poetry, I decided that I was going to rap, which is quite hilarious to me considering that, eww, you know why I would want to be a rapper. So before we get back to the seriousness of this question, my stage name at the time was Mr.SE or Mister Special Effects; please do not contact me and roast me; I live with the memory every day. It was 2015, and the type beat industry was not all that yet, which made me realize I needed to make beats to rap on and so I did research and started making shitty beats on a site called looplabs (a brief description, EDM beats that have no drop). The more time I spent doing it, the more I realized I just wanted to write songs and produce rather than be the focal point of the music. Along the way, I started making drum kits and melodies before it was a fashion like it is today, which opened many doors and built some long-lasting relationships that I still have. In short, placements started coming, and to this day I still have no idea what the fuck I am doing but with the help of some people close to me I know do’s and don’ts when it comes to branding and paperwork in music.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
If anything sets me apart from my peers, yes, I’m talented, but I’m a technical producer. I can hear a song and figure out how it was made, including the instruments, the structure, and why the artist or producer chose what they did, which has helped me produce and write across multiple genres. I don’t give myself enough credit for what I have done; I charted a few times, I’ve gone platinum and gold numerous times, and I’ve made money off of music which puts me in a bunch of one percentiles, especially since I did all of that before I was seventeen. I am not going to talk about people publically, but I signed a lousy pub deal for a year; I received nothing in that deal, and 15% of the pub for Hate Me by Trippie Redd is his, so that put me in the middle of shit, I haven’t received paperwork for songs for years before I could even register songs which took a toll on me mentally, but as of recently I realized the music industry is shit, so look at the positives that come from music, not the industry and I will be fine, but you know, still, deal with the issues but know they come and go, you don’t, so take care of yourself mentally because there are a thousand people who call themselves your friends who are just going to bite you when they the chance. So PRIORITIZE MENTAL HEALTH! The big thing I want people to know about Icy Chill Out is that I am still a kid as of this interview, so I have a life like you; I love music. I’m approachable if you treat me like a human and don’t just say can I send loops, cause I like making relationships in music cause we all want to be around that, so more friends, the merrier. Also, I continue to fight through the hardships that come with this career because I know I’ve inspired at least one person every day with my music, so there’s no other thing I want to do. Because I can make people’s day or help them get through something, and no matter what I’ve wanted to do with my life, I have always yearned to help others.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
After an exhausting day of travel, I’m hitting Golden Chick, Golden China, Crabtown, and The Baked Bear, this Chinese Restaurant that has like Tofu General Tso’s in Midwest City and is immaculate. Also, you can’t forget about Swig, Sunnyside, Waffle House, and this barbecue spot around the corner from Castle Row Studios. Oklahoma City got food; don’t sleep on it; those are just some of my favorites forreal forreal. You know I don’t go to many bars; if I get lit, I get lit by myself or friends, so if we’re going to pop some bottles, it’s going to be at my place. Oklahoma City is like that friend that has everything, but his room is a mess, so he can’t find anything, so he’s always asking you for something. Oklahoma has shit to do; you have to look for it. On my itinerary, we are going hiking, indoor skydiving, probably a demolition spot, an escape room and classic celebration station or heyday, or a bowling spot. You need a strong friend group to find shit to do with people because most people here go to parties and do it all over again the next day and complain about it. Every place has its positives, and if you focus on the negatives, you’ll hate it here. Also, don’t forget to hit comedy clubs; those are always fun.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
*prepares a glass of champagne and clears throat*

I know it’s cliche, but I want to start by thanking my parents; they never forced me to do anything I did not want to do and supported me when I decided at the young age of twelve that I wanted to do either something in sound or play baseball. I did sneak behind their backs and travel for a while, but when I finally asked them, they just said to be safe and check in; I mean, I have funny stranger danger stories involving my mom being a mom. So, I thank them for supporting me because that is all a kid could ask for. To my dear day ones, Sean, Wyatt, Xzavior, Aries, and Shrewd, thank you for putting up with me going through puberty, asking stupid questions, and being. A constant annoyance, all graduating high school years before me, teaching me a good majority of what I know, and just being good mentors whenever you guys could. To the others like Asher, Sal, Corey, Sam, Andrew, and George, thank you all for believing in me and being there when I needed you the most. To my mentors, Korey, Ahkilo, and Cutta, thank you for supporting me through the years and offering all the advice you could give. I love all of you, and to the ones I didn’t mention, you know where we stand; thank you all for everything, especially Xay, for giving me this opportunity. I forgot to mention some of my credits; a short list includes Trippie Redd, NBA Youngboy, 21 Savage, JayDaYoungan,  Bad Gyal & more.

Website: icychillout.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icychillout_/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGB9ZVOENKmGU_YMvIkDBVg

Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/asherodde/ https://www.instagram.com/yonahwienges/ https://www.instagram.com/sam.alvarezzz/ [Logo] https://www.instagram.com/nike.kd/