In Rotation: Gavin Copeland

If you look at Gavin Copeland—a 26-year-old with ink above both eyebrows—you might expect him to spit rapid-fire Texas trap. Instead, he opens his mouth and out comes a velvety bass so deep it rattles the floorboards. Born in Louisiana and raised in Dallas, Copeland spent his early years splitting time between his family’s bakery and his grandmother’s house, chasing NBA dreams before pivoting to melodic rap. It took a nudge from his producer Trey Webb and a random Teddy Swims type beat to unlock what was sitting in his chest the whole time: pure Southern soul. His breakout single "Make a Million" caught fire on TikTok, but don't let the algorithm origin story fool you. A lot of viral singers sound like they are doing decent karaoke in a dive bar. Copeland carries the actual weight of the South on his vocal cords. He taps into that bleeding-heart lineage of guys like Bobby Womack, where the vocal imperfections are the whole point. On his project Soul Cries From Texas, he drags his melodies through the dirt. You hear the struggle in the vibrato. The bass in his tone gives his delivery the cadence of rolling thunder. It is gritty and entirely necessary. The industry is finally catching up to the voice. He recently inked a deal with Empire, and his latest moves prove he is built for the long haul. He just linked up with JaYy Wick for the "Not My People" video, trading pain over heavy production. If you need proof of his raw vocal power, his live rendition of "Black Smoke" on the From The Block microphone is currently making the rounds. He strips away the studio polish, stands in front of the mic, and just sings through the pain. Check it out below.