Hail to the hip-hop hybrid.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

It's a bit of a cop-out to say music defies categorization. But in the case of Citizen Cope, it might actually be true.

After all, does it really help to understand the music, when it's described as a blend of "blues, folk, classic rock, soul, reggae and hip-hop?"

What might be more helpful would be to say that this rapper-turned-guitarist and singer-songwriter appeals to rockers, funk fans, soul enthusiasts, Rastafarians and urban hipsters alike.

Here's what one of his admirers says:

"He's like the best of what 1978 to '81 had to offer in singer-songwriters," star producer-artist Pharrell Williams said in the September issue of Vibe magazine. "But what's so incredible is that his music is designed for the 2000 decade."

Still confused?

Maybe Cope can explain it:

"For me, music should be able to transcend all boundaries," Cope said in a news release. "Society has a way of trying to set limits, but there are no limits in music. ...

`I like bringing together guys from different musical genres, be it go-go, hip-hop or rock, and just follow where the music takes us."

OK, so maybe you do have to hear it for yourself. Luckily, you can do just that on Tuesday when Cope comes to John Henry's for a show in support of his new release, "The Clarence Greenwood Recordings."

As a singer, Cope is as laid back as they come. The words fall out of his mouth with a rhythmic drawl that reveals his rap roots.

On the expansive "Son's Gonna Rise," a track featuring Carlos Santana on guitar, he sounds like a more soulful version of Everlast (another rapper turned singer).

Reviewers have compared Cope to other specialists in hip-hop hybrids. As one critic concluded: "Like Uncle Kracker, but smart."

There's a strong soul component to Cope's music that comes through on his latest album. "My Way Home" is an almost-gospel tune, while "Sideways" is a simple lament featuring the bass playing of Meshell Ndegeocello.

On the reggae-tinged "Penitentiary" and "Pablo Picasso," he sounds as if he's chanting shadowy nursery rhymes. On "Picasso," a song about a man obsessed with a painted woman, Cope shows his propensity for folky tales involving strange characters.

"When you're writing a song, you take in everything - the people you've met, what you've experienced," Cope said. "You take in everything and it makes a story."

Cope's own story begins in Memphis, Tenn., and Washington, D.C., where he grew up listening to Sly Stone, Willie Nelson and Al Green. While in high school, he became a member of the progressive hip-hop act called Basehead.

Using samplers and drum machines, the group mixed up everything but the kitchen sink, but the sound was still predominantly hip-hop.

"One day, I realized that if I wanted to play my grandmother a song in her living room, I couldn't," Cope said. "That was when I decided to make guitar my primary instrument."

After relocating to New York, Cope released a self-titled album on Dreamworks Records in 2001. Overproduced and underpromoted, the record failed to gain much traction.

Cope signed with Arista Records. He recorded his latest album at the famous Electric Lady Studios in New York.

"On my first record, I threw in a lot of overdubbed sounds that just wasn't needed," Cope said. "This time, anything that didn't enhance the material or make the songs better, I just stripped away."

CONCERT PREVIEW

Citizen Cope

When: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: John Henry's, 77 W. Broadway

Tickets: $9 in advance, $10 at the door

CAPTION(S):

Citizen Cope spins folky tales full of strange characters.