Mr. Collipark has had his hand in some of the biggest hip-hop songs still being played today. From starting out as DJ Smurf and working alongside the Ying Yang Twins to signing Soulja Boy and helping him become one of the internet’s most marketable artists during the 2000s, to now working with 19-year-old Mike Clark Jr. and introducing the Southern Soul genre, Mr. Collipark has always had a knack for knowing what’s hot.
Where do you think your career stacks up in Atlanta hip-hop history?
They can’t quantify my legacy. I’m like a brick in the foundation. I started as a DJ, breaking music before radio did. From there, I created bass records during the Freaknik and Booty Shake era, which are woven into the culture of where other genres originate. Then, you fast forward to the Ying Yang Twins and the Twerk era, which is still popular today. That sound is what we put out there and continues with this generation. Finally, you fast forward to Soulja Boy and the way the internet is used for music marketing and production, and top it off with cultural classics like “The Wobble.”
What is the biggest song you’ve been a part of?
It has to be “The Wobble.” When I’m abroad, I see it played across all age ranges. It’s a cultural record, not just hip-hop or rap. It’s played at weddings, your little girl’s birthday, and gatherings of all ages. Whether I’m in the Bahamas or overseas, that song is everywhere. I rarely hear any other rap songs, except maybe “Cupid Shuffle,” which I don’t consider a rap song. Even Outkast doesn’t get as much play. When you consider this perspective, and I’m stating facts, I don’t hear these other records when I’m out of the country. I might hear some classic Biggie occasionally at the club, but not at the beach, the pool, or the pool bar. The legacy speaks for itself; I can’t speak for it.
