CHOPS started out as a young Hip-Hop fan growing up in Texas. As a kid, he spent countless hours in front of the family stereo, making "pause tapes" of songs and radio shows. When a classmate brought an old, pocket-sized drum machine to school one day, it was love at first button-press. He borrowed the machine and managed to not return it for the next several months. In school he signed up for music classes, learning various instruments, history, and how to read and write music. Over time, he learned drum patterns and notes from his favorite rap and soul records, and began to get equipment of his own. "While other kids were saving up for video games and sneakers, I'd be saving for recording tape and speakers" relates CHOPS.
His family moved around a lot, leading to him eventually settling in Philly. There he connected with fellow local aspiring artists, among them two other Asian kids with a knack for rhyming, who encouraged him to join them on the mic as well as behind the boards. They formed a group called Mountain Brothers - named after a Robin Hood-like squad of bandits from Chinese legend - and earned a reputation in the underground locally and worldwide thru a number of independent records. They began to receive even more global attention after earning the status of being the first Asian rap artists signed to a major label. After struggling with a label that "didn't know what to do with another White group" (actual quote), they released their work independently, to critical acclaim. Much of this acclaim came from CHOPS's unique, original production style, which led to his working with a growing number of artists around the country, as well as overseas, including Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Paul Wall, and Bun B. CHOPS's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, and ads from companies such as Warner Brothers, Fox, Nike, Coca Cola, and more.
Current projects include the successful "It's Going Down" remix mixtape series, a full length CD with Houston rapper Kiotti, scoring the award-winning independent film "dark", and Freeway's upcoming single featuring Lil Jon.
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MBE MUSIC
"IT'S GOING DOWN" CD/ DVD out now! CHOPS and Bun B
Magno "Magnificent Bout His Cash" produced by CHOPS
The Game "Untold Story 2" CHOPPED and SCREWED by SLOe MOe
out on Koch Records 10/18/05
Next Freeway single feat Lil Jon produced by CHOPS
Kiotti "29th St. Hustler" featuring all original production by super producer CHOPS
"Gunner Palace" the award winning film about the iraq war... featuring
music by CHOPS... dropping on DVD in a min...
"With more and more producers stepping into the spotlight, artists and
labels are always looking for that "next big thing." Those looking for
quality hip-hop beats need look no further than CHOPS." - Billboard Magazine
