Producer Copperpot and emcee LongShot have joined forces to form CopperShot, dropping their debut album “Issues” this April, 2006. With guest spots from KRS One, Diverse, Psalm One, Akbar, and the UK’s Braintax, CopperShot makes intelligent hip-hop. Never preaching, the duo explore the issues people face in their lives, ranging from the political to the spiritual to the emotional – without giving up the boom-bap drums and clever wordplay of a hip-hop classic.

LongShot and Copperpot met as label mates on Chicago hip hop indie label EV Records, where they began a tumultuous friendship back in ’02 as they worked on solo albums “Open Mouths Fed” (EV Records ‘03) and “Chapter 7” (EV Records ’05) respectively. Bonded by their passion for new sounds in hip-hop, they were able to work through their equally impressive tempers and craft a group record that burns with social commentary, angst, and creative inspiration. Like many great artists before them, their tortured souls and self destructive tendencies are what fuel their creativity; both fear that therapy and meds would dampen their inspiration, yet both agree they may need them… In the mean time they self-medicate with their respective vices: Copperpot has been known to drink 9 Makers Mark and ginger ales, 8 shots of Jameson, and two Miller High Lifes, eat three tacos, forget he ate them, then order and eat a burrito. Longshot can smoke an ounce of weed in stuffed Philly Titan blunts in one sitting, and survives off the Lil’ Debbie line of snack cakes.

Each song on the 13 track album fits into the theme in a unique way: The horns Copperpot uses in “Who’s Turn is it to Die” evoked funeral imagery in LongShot, who explores the issue of death and human frailty in a standout track on the album. In “Forgive Me,” the intro sample drew a political tirade out of LongShot and made perfect subject matter for a KRS One guest appearance. “Black Fathers’ Day Theme” is arguably the most poignant track on the CD as it discusses absentee fathers and broken homes, drawing directly from LongShot’s own experiences with foster care and DCFS.

Both members of CopperShot have been to anger management, group therapy, jail, the principal's office, fired from jobs, banned from restaurants, and are on call lists for debt. Copperpot threw a beer can at a cop while being arrested for drinking and driving after a 35 minute chase. Longshot kicked out the back window of a squad car while being arrested for “Disturbing the peace…” at a party where he performed. While these actions might indicate a low IQ for most people, the genius behind CopperShot’s “Issues” is the duo’s ability to connect their experiences with the problems everyone faces in their lives. The result is a record so absorbing that listeners almost forget to notice LongShot’s amazing vocal technique and Copperpot’s unique beat wizardry