Chris Cooper is the founding member of the legendary hip-hop group SFC, which stands for Soldiers for Christ.
Although he has used several stage names over the years, most have been variations of “Super C.” However, people usually call him Sup, pronounced “Soup.”
SFC’s journey began 27 years ago, in 1987, when Cooper helped create a new category. Since then, that category has climbed from obscurity to mainstream recognition.
A few artists technically came before Cooper. However, he was the first to make music that felt authentically hip-hop rather than a Christian copy of something popular in the mainstream.
Along the way, he performed countless shows, sold nearly 300,000 albums and introduced listeners to even more distinctive artists.
That is why many people consider Cooper a pioneer of Christian hip-hop.
SFC’s Classic Albums Arrive Digitally
Cooper has plenty to celebrate this week.
For starters, his groundbreaking albums Phase III from 1992 and Illumination from 1994 are available digitally for the first time.
Southern California label Meis Music Group, which specializes in legacy catalogs, has also reissued the rest of his catalog.
Meanwhile, Lecrae’s Anomaly captured the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 across all genres. It marked a first for Christian hip-hop.
When Cooper learned that Christian hip-hop had finally reached the coveted No. 1 position, he celebrated the achievement.
“I am very excited!” Cooper says. “Not only do I think the Christian hip-hop movement deserves it, I think we should be proud!”
Much has changed since Cooper released his first record in 1988. Still, he believes one thing remains the same.
“People are still tired of hearing the same old empty and negative vibes that mainstream hip-hop has to offer,” Cooper says.
He continued:
“There are a lot of good Christian emcees in the movement who, like myself, have always had to work harder than mainstream emcees to get respect.”
Whether from mainstream listeners or Christian audiences, Cooper is no stranger to respect.
“My heart is filled with joy knowing that today’s emcees are finally able to both put food on the table and release God-centered hip-hop,” he says.
The Blueprint for a New Generation
Sketch the Journalist, who regularly covers Christian hip-hop for the Houston Chronicle, praised Cooper’s lasting influence.
“Although some may not recognize or understand his impact, he helped lay the blueprint for today’s top Christian emcees such as Lecrae,” Sketch says.
Humble Beast recording artist Propaganda, who has collaborated with Lecrae, agrees. He says he is personally “directly reaping the benefits of Cooper’s work.”
Perhaps Lecrae would agree.
He credits the Tunnel Rats as an early influence on “Non-Fiction,” a song he released today to commemorate his No. 1 album.
Cooper introduced the Tunnel Rats to a wider audience through SFC’s Illumination album.
Listen to “Non-Fiction” below:
Having the SFC catalog available digitally for the first time thrills Cooper.
“It will give a whole new generation of Christian hip-hop lovers access to what was happening on the West Coast in the early ’90s,” he says.
Listen to “Kill the Spirit” from Phase III. The track features Gospel Gangstaz, one of the many groups Cooper helped introduce to the world.