When you think of the OGs of Country Rap, how many names pop into your head? There are a handful for me. One, in particular, is Moccasin Creek's own Brahma Bull. He's been spitting those country hits with true hip-hop flavor from the word go.
Many could say that Brahma Bull and Bottleneck were the reason mud bogs became synonymously known with the country rap genre. They were banging out Dubblewide music at every mud park they could play at starting around 2009. In return, those shows started a grassroots movement that built a fan base, spreading awareness to the budding genre.
Brahma is from a small town in Florida. The community was very close. Everyone knew his family because of the connection they had working in the local school system. Brahma Bull, being a laid-back kind of guy, found himself fitting in with all the high school clicks. To this day, he seems to be easy to get along with. He is very personable to talk with.
He was a quarterback throughout high school. That led him to play football for the University of Cincinnati. It gave him some great stories and life experiences. Music was always a passion for him, though.
In his late 20's and early 30s, he enjoyed doing karaoke with friends. One night, while doing karaoke, a friend shared a cd with him. It was of a little-known independent country rapper… Colt Ford. The lyrical content really caught Brahma's attention. He loved rap music but he could relate to the country references of Colts. He decided he wanted to try it.
That led to joining forces with Bottleneck and the mud bog concerts around 2009. He said they started the dream as real starving artists. One of their first shows was over 14 hours away from where he was living in Tennessee. It 15 hours from Bottleneck in Florida. They had no money. He remembered watching a man throw a half-eaten corn dog in the trash. He picked the corn dog up and finished it just to have a bite to eat.
Nowadays, artists can build a fan base before touring. Social media makes it a lot easier to get the exposure needed to book shows. In the early days, it wasn't that simple. People didn't have much experience with country rap. If it weren't for these shows, the buzz behind country rap wouldn't have evolved. The OGs that hit up the mud parks targeted a fan base with similar interests that the artists spoke about. Fast forward a decade to now, the largest concerts being held for the genre are set in mud bogs.
As time went on, he gained traction and built a fan base. Moccasin Creek was formed. Their music is a nice mesh of country/southern rock sounds and topic matter with old-school hip hop vibes and references. For example, the song "Boys in the Woods", ft. Demun Jones is a play on Eazy-E's "Boyz-N-The-Hood".
Over the years, they've made some stellar songs. They have a variety of everything. You can find country life anthems, mud bog bangers, and even those working through the struggle, therapeutic songs.
Brahma Bull is adamant about being transparent with his listeners. He shares his ups and downs, his past experience, and things going on in his life currently. When asked to describe himself, he said there wasn't much that most people didn't know about him because of his willingness to share his life.
Recently, songs that he has been releasing speaks on his personal battles with Bipolar Depression. He wants to show others that they aren't alone. We released an article prior to this. It gives a deeper look into the song "Angel" and "The Struggle". You can check it out here.
Brahma uses songs as a type of therapy. He writes for his mental well-being. He has always written songs based on the stages he is going through in his life or his opinions on situations. It's part of what makes his songs so good. Right now, he is in the stage that he feels the need to share the importance of mental health. That has brought out some loud comments.
In the song "Angel", he says, ”Now I’m a culture vulture? Nah, I’m just a broken sculptor. Way too slow, way too fat, Way too bold, way too whack, way too old. But I still do me as my momma told me. Still seek peace, it calms the soul. So drop ya comments, I don’t care. Talk ya trash, laugh, and grit. Grin and bear. I am here and you are there. He is him and they are there, so."
These are things that he has heard about his more recent music. People have tried to put him in a box of what they think he should be or how he should write. He addresses it some in the song "I'm Cold", released a couple months ago. He makes a bold statement that he isn't too old to rap. He reiterates it in his latest freestyle, "Hillbilly Ocean."
Instead of listening, he continues to do the things that bring him joy and calms him. His music reflects who he is and that is relatable to his listeners. Whether it be old school Moccasin Creek's "Porch Honky" or the more serious song "The Struggle", he has always put out music that people can vibe to.
Brahma talked about the unity that the veteran artists have for one another. He said that the work ethic is so strong within the industry that it is hard to find time to collaborate with one another but there is always so much love going on behind the scenes. He says there are several that he shares his music with and they always give him constructive criticism. It is that love and respect that makes the genre special. Everyone tries to help each other grow.
The song ”Outback (Extended Remix)" was an example that he gave of the camaraderie between the artists. The song, by The Moonshine Bandits, featured 8 other country rap acts, including Moccasin Creek, on the track. The video, however, included many more well-known artists. He said, even then, that it took a lot of work to come together. He hopes that newer artists on the scene continue to share that level of respect for one another and the OGs of the genre who made it all possible.
Brahma, recently, took about an 18-month leave from making music, after releasing more Dubblewide music with Bottleneck, which included a fire remix of DMX's "Where the Hood At?" called "Where the Woods At?"
He says he tried to drift away during the break but the music calls him back. With that being said, Moccasin Creek will be releasing an album during the summer of 2021. There will be loads of music video content coming to the fans. That will include more freestyles that he's been sharing lately.
He says he throws the impromptu freestyles together while waiting for music videos to render during editing. With the promise of more music videos coming, that means we get more remixes, too. If you haven't watched his latest remixes, check them out on YouTube. It really highlights his rap abilities.
Until then, enjoy these six facts that you may have not already known about Moccasin Creek's Brahma Bull.
He could walk out into a creek barefoot and catch Moccasins bare-handed without fear. However, a tree frog truly terrifies him.
Brahma Bull, better known as Jeff McCool to his friends and family, is the brother-in-law of WWE's The Undertaker. His sister, Michelle McCool, held the WWE Divas Championship twice and the WWE Women's Championship twice. She was the first woman to hold the WWE Women's Championship.
Brahma's Great Uncle was the man who officially pronounced President J. F. Kennedy dead.
His childhood babysitter had links to Lynyrd Skynyrd. He said they would rehearse in the babysitter's backyard while she watched him. Her mother was in a plane crash that killed 6 out of 26 occupants aboard the plane, including several of the band members. The mother survived the crash.
The only book that Brahma has read from cover to cover is Shel Silverstein's "Light in the Attic."
He enjoys fine art. In fact, he sold fine art at a Dr. Seuss museum.
If you haven't already subscribed to Moccasin Creek's YouTube, you should probably head on over and do that. You are in for some great content. Tell us in the comments below, what your favorite Moccasin Creek song is.
The Struggle!!!!