WHO A former member of the Nineties hip-hop/rock troupe Basehead, Cope - born Clarence Greenwood, in Memphis - switched from the turntable to the guitar and began writing his own songs. Regarding his late start: "I know for a fact Britney's been working hard, pushing since she was twelve. When I was twelve, I was trying to figure out a way to steal spliffs."

SOUND Raspy-voiced blues bathed in modern, hip-hop-ish textures, populated with quirky characters. Musical help comes from Carlos Santana, Meshell Ndegeocello and some Washington, D.C., go-go musicians: "They would tell me, 'I can't go to sleep without playing for three hours.' I like that."

DARK HORSE Cope's debut languished on DreamWorks, until Antonio "LA" Reid, then at Arista, swooped in. "I felt like a thoroughbred sitting in some person's back yard," he says. "Then LA told me, 'I'm gonna give you a chance to race.' "