Over a Decade of Upbeat Rhythm: Indie Rap Artist Cotes to Perform at Funk ‘n Dive | News, Sports, Jobs

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Cody Whiteleather, who goes by the stage name “Cotes”, is a musician from Ogden who classifies his genre as “indie/alternative rap” with a pop twist. His show at the Funk ‘n Dive bar on Saturday will showcase his career, 12 years in the making.

In high school, Cotes’ friends were doing a remix of a popular song. They asked him to jokingly jump on the track, but when he did, his friends were shocked at what he came up with.

“I recorded my verses that I wrote, and they were like, ‘Man. This is actually pretty good. You could do this,’ and it finally started to click that it was can -be what I wanted to do my whole life. It was always there, but that’s when it became important,” he shares, reminiscing about the early stages of his musical journey. .

Cotes says he sang, wrote songs and loved music as a child, but it wasn’t until then that he decided to invest in a music career.

While every song he does has its own twist, his sound has remained consistent. He says, “My music hasn’t changed much over the years. The thing that has changed is that I find it different [methods] in engineering and production. My flow and root style haven’t changed since I started. It’s always been that sporadic, upbeat, rap type of flow. As an independent artist, Cotes learned from others in the music industry and through his own experimentation.

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Along with his passion for music, another driving force behind his musical career is trying to be a positive part of the lives of his listeners. “I’ve always wanted to help in some way. … The music just clicked. It’s huge on emotions and you can impact someone with just one song. Cotes has had many shining moments, from performing alongside Biz Markie to performing backflips on stage in front of large crowds, but he says the moments he treasures the most are when the people have expressed their attachment to his music.

“When people tell me I’ve made a difference in their life or helped someone through something, those are my proudest moments.”

Cotes uses her own struggles and trials to offer guidance, comfort and community through song. He shares that even through big life changes over the past few years, he persevered and carried on. One of the traits his fans find most admirable is Cotes’ determination. It shows Ogden the power to pursue your dreams every day, no matter what obstacles you face.

Doors open at 8:30 p.m. for the $5 show at Funk ‘n Dive Bar on Saturday.

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