Up In Smoke | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Up In Smoke

Devin the Dude blows through Bend

When Devin the Dude's favorite sticky, green substance became recreationally legal a few months ago, his fans knew he'd be on his way to Oregon shortly.

Sure enough, just in time for the holidays, The Dude will be in Bend next week headlining at the Domino Room. It's the first stop he and Potluck, the hip-hop duo hailing from Humboldt, California, will be making in the Northwest on their Happy Holidaze tour.

Best known for his mellow flow and 420-friendly verses, Devin the Dude has been catering to the underground hip-hop community for more than two decades. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1970, Devin Copeland spent most of his childhood moving from town to town in Texas.

When Copeland was in the sixth grade he smoked marijuana for the first time. He'd be "chewed out" by his mother later that evening after she discovered a joint he was trying to hide under his hat. But that day ultimately became a major influence in directing his career path—transforming Devin Copeland into Devin the Dude.

Since then, the Houston-based hip-hop artist has released eight solo albums, including his breakout 2002 disc Just Tryin' ta Live, which featured arguably his most popular tracks, "Lacville '79" and "Doobie Ashtray." He's also collaborated with Dr. Dre, De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, and Jay-Z, among many others. Though he basically just plays himself, Devin the Dude also dabbled in acting as the star of the stoner comedy, Highway 420.

Devin hasn't dropped an album since One for the Road in 2013, but he'll have no shortage of hits to riddle at the Domino Room next week. Few rappers have maintained the same longevity on stage as Devin the Dude. Seeing the smooth flowing lyricist perform live is like watching the history of hip-hop unfold before your eyes, with his setlist ranging from songs he wrote back in the early '90s to his more recent raps.    

Joining Devin on the Happy Holidaze tour are Underrated and 1 Ton of the underground hip-hop group Potluck. The Northern California rappers have released six albums, including Humboldt County High, Harvest Time, and Pipe Dreams, which reached No. 30 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart in 2009. Similar to Devin's rhymes, most of Potluck's music is aimed at hip-hop fans who think green.

Together in one concert, Devin the Dude and Potluck is a match made in hazy heaven.


Do you know the Dude?

1. Devin the Dude emerged onto the underground hip-hop scene on June 14, 1998, with the release of his debut solo album ,The Dude. What team won the NBA championship two days earlier?

2. All of these acts have collaborated with Devin the Dude EXCEPT:

A. 50 Cent

B. Gucci Mane

C. King Chip

D. Eminem

E. Coldplay

3. What day did Devin release his sixth solo album Suite 420?

4. A wordsmith of a different sort was also born in St. Petersburg. Which beatnik was it?

5. What gadget did Devin use to film his music video for his most recent hit "I'm Just Gettin' Blowed?"

6. Devin the Dude is widely known as "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper." But who's the most interesting rapper he has ever met?

Answers

1. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won their third consecutive title and the sixth in eight years 2. D (Eminem) 3. April 20, 2010 4. Jack Kerouac 5. A self-controlled drone. One of Devin's favorite things to do is get high and fly his drone. 6. Blowfly, otherwise known as "the original dirty rapper." In an interview with Complex magazine Devin recalled the first time he heard the Georgia rapper as a kid. "I used to sneak and listen to him and remember all the lyrics; that's what I thought rap was," he said.


Devin the Dude with Potluck

8 pm, Wednesday, Dec. 16

Domino Room, 51 NW Greenwood Ave.

$20 adv., $25 door.


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