Eye On Hip-Hop Culture
By Joseph Zimmerer
Our good friend and long-time beloved master of ceremonies, Cobalt45, is back! This time, he’s bringing along his three MAMA Awards and a whole album packed with nostalgic, trunk-rattling hip-hop for all of us seasoned rap fans.
- Tell us a bit about the album – Daytons & Dickies is a collaborative effort between myself and Future Sphire. Future Sphire re-created most of the beats from the original samples, also adding his unique musical stylings, including cuts/scratches. We wanted to make a fun album to listen to in your car since car show season is almost upon us again. I also wanted to collaborate with artists I haven’t worked with, like Real One, Mc Wicks, QM & Z-Man. They all play an intricate role in making this album unique and more than your average “mixtape”.
- What inspired this concept? – The concept was to create an Album / Mixtape dedicated to the 1990s West Coast style beats we all grew up knowing and loving. It was the time when Miami bass was big, and people drove around in Suzuki trucks blasting their subwoofers at max volume. Some of the songs we re-created, for example, are “Ain’t no future in yo fronting” by MC Breed & “Born to Roll” by Masta Ace. With cruising being a big part of California culture I wanted to make a soundtrack for us to enjoy for 2025 and beyond.
- You threw several shows last year and graced some bigger stages around the Central Valley. Are there any upcoming shows we can catch you during the year? – The Album Release party for Daytons & Dickies is the first show of the year for us, and that is scheduled for Saturday, March 29th, from 2 pm-7 pm (a day party). This will be at Ten Twelve Bar & Lounge on 15th St in Downtown Modesto. We will be performing the album in its entirety with many special guests. Aside from that, between myself and Future Sphire and my Resurrection Car Club family, there will be at least a dozen events where you can come out and catch us!
- What is it like being a three-time MAMA Award winner? – I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a staple in our local scene for so long. I lost many, many times before getting those three awards. The MAMAS are essential for our community and are a one-of-a-kind event. What I can say is that I hope I inspired others to continue to push for hip hop as a viable, respectable art, just like the rest of the genres. I would love to see our peers and younger generations step up and start throwing more shows with national acts and bring some new life and energy into our scene. A handful of us are keeping it alive, but we would prefer to see hip-hop flourish in the 209.
- Where is the best place to support you and your music? – As of right now, I encourage everyone to subscribe to my YouTube page by simply typing in COBALT45 in the search bar. Head to Danked.com for the latest physical media and merchandise. I will be creating a Bandcamp soon and uploading all my projects there. You can find all of our music on Apple Music, Spotify and all streaming platforms.
