Logan Valley Eastside raised him. Then the Hip‐Hop world praised him. Mars Co‐op is what you get when a collision occurs between a rebellious youth, a Hip‐Hop dynasty in the making, and the historic, musical influence of the city of Philadelphia. It was in the city’s rough Logan neighborhood where Mars Co‐op, a restless youth with Barbados running through his blood was introduced to Kelo and Richard Nichols, two of the essential architects of what would later become the legendary Roots Crew. Mars‐Co‐op’s early teenage days took him to California alongside his Roots comrade Dice Raw, where he crafted his songwriting abilities while creating music for up and coming young groups under the Boyz II Men family. Upon his return to the East Coast, Mars was a key component to bringing street flavor to The Roots Crew. His friendship with the members and especially bandleader Black Thought & Dice Raw, who was known for hanging out at Mars’ house “because my moms had all the food,” set his musical career on a course that fans still follow to this day.
His road to fame traveling with The legendary Roots Crew has allowed him to tour & work with known artists such as:
Wu-Tang Clan
Foxy Brown
Cypress Hill
A tribe called quest
Outkast
Goodie Mobb
Fugees
Parliament George Clinton
Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers
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Erykah Badu
Slum Village
Dave Matthews Band...
Just to name a few...
It was the song “Clones” on The Roots classic 1996 album, Illadelph Halflife, that cemented Mars Co‐op as an MC not to be messed around with. Fans loved how he brought “the street” to the band’s organic sound, adding an element that they had not been known for back in the Organix days. When he decided to walk away from his role within The Roots production and MC team, he took the bull by the horns, deciding to sell music in the Tri‐State region and hone his own leadership skills. Fast forward to 2013, and Mars Co‐op is still making music that heads can knock to. As CEO of his independently owned T.U.B. Records, Mars continues to work with his longtime collaborator Malik B of The Roots, as well as a new crop of Philly artists such as Pop/R&B singer TaKia Voice, The Real D‐N‐A, Tissany eXXXo, Rokie Rockstarr,Obvious Bane, and more. This year, fans can expect to see “three sides” of Mars Co‐op, as he unveils his alter egos on the rap world – King Midas (the Ruler), Mr. Fresh Boy (the G), and Black Caesar (the Rebel).
