"Left, Right, Left" is now 25 years old! | DRAMA Celebrates New Single, Falcons Anthem and New Album
1 days ago
Photo byTerence "Drama" Cook
Saturday, October 12, marked the 25th anniversary of the release of "Left, Right, Left." The Atlanta rapper celebrates his 25th Anniversary of "Left, Right, Left" with a new single, an Atlanta Falcons anthem, and a new album on the way.
For Terence “DRAMA” Cook, no one would guess that a 17-year-old teen growing up in Atlanta would ever propel to such success — and definitely not as quickly as it did.
The production of "Left, Right, Left" was a truly creative collaboration between a 15-year-old DRAMA and the 15-year-old future Trap Music Legend Shawty Redd (born Demetrius Lee Stewart) of Twinn Productions. Cook would turn his entire body cavity into a living drum set and would bang out the beats heard in his head on his chest instead. He would hum out the melodies, and Shawty Redd would take out his E-mu SP-1200 to turn it all into a beat.
It was this same exact talent that would catch the attention of one Atlanta rap legend just a few weeks earlier. Cook would meet Micaiah "Raheem the Dream" Raheem at a family picnic and birthday party. And as the young rapper walked up to the now Founder and CEO of Tight 2 Def Music, he would — without hesitation — announce that he could rap. Only, he didn't just let Raheem know he could rap. He banged out the entire "Left, Right, Left" on his chest and rapped right along within himself as a human drum set.
DRAMA co-produced many of the tracks on his debut album, including "Left, Right, Left,” which was known as “Left/Right” at the time. The entire 12-trackCausin' Drama was recorded in a little under a week, with the first 9 songs recorded in the first 2 days, as DRAMA and Shawty Redd went to work, locked away at BullFrog Studios with Engineer Paul Thompson in Atlanta, Georgia.
Shawty Redd would eventually becoming the multi-platinum super producer credited with laying the foundation for both Crunk and Trap Music in the South. Using an 808 kick in place of bass, Redd would establish his signature sound and go on to set a new standard for today's hip hop music and ignite a whole new era in music that would continue to evolve into what it is today.
The Pioneering King of Drill
Although "Left, Right, Left" was considered a forerunner and predecessor of the Crunk and Trap Movements in Hip Hop, DRAMA doesn't necessarily consider himself a "Crunk" artist. Over the years, many of his fans have unofficially crowned Cook the pioneering “King of Drill,” thanks to the release of "Left, Right, Left." It was also the first single off his Causin' Drama album — and the first full studio album Shawty Redd ever did.
Most people remember hearing "Left, Right, Left" for the first time on The Box, an American broadcast, cable and satellite television channel known for its music videos, entertainment and programming. But the truth is, the South knew about DRAMA almost two years before he was ever signed to a major label.
According to Raheem the Dream, "Left, Right, Left" brought the label over $10,000 a week in profits and sales — not including touring, merchandising, or any other profits made outside of album and single sales. DRAMA was the first artist on Raheem the Dream's Tight 2 Def Music/Tight IV Life Records and part of the Tight IV Life Bootcamp that included artists like Young Dro, Fabo (of D4L), and Tommy Gunn.
The Success of “Left, Right, Left”
"Left, Right, Left" was first released in 1997 under Raheem the Dream's Tight 2 Def/Tight IV Life Records. An as an independent, DRAMA’s “Left/Right” reached #32 on the Billboard 100 and #2 on the Billboard Rap/R&B charts — long before he ever signed to a major label.
But by the time Cook turned 17, he was signed to Atlantic Records, officially releasing his debut album Causin' Drama. "Left, Right, Left" was re-released by Atlantic Records on October 12, 1999. And the album followed on February 8, 2000. Causin' Drama was certified gold just a few months later.
In an ironic turn of events, Atlantic Records almost didn’t sign DRAMA. In fact, he was in talks with other labels and almost signed with Def Jam before, ultimately, going with Atlantic.
According to Raheem the Dream, DRAMA was on the road, busy touring “The Chitlin Circuit,” and every time they’d leave one city, the A&R of Atlantic would have just missed them. Then, one day, they received a call. It was Mike Caren of Atlantic Records, and he invited the two to make their way to New York. And the rest was history!
The success of "Left, Right, Left" propelled DRAMA to new opportunities, including the placement of his "Big Ball," produced by Jazze Phae, on the Osmosis Jones soundtrack, a few endorsement deals, and even placement in video games. To further call attention to the demand for "Left, Right, Left," the single almost made its way into Def Jam's "Fight for New York."
Unfortunately, developers were up against development constraints. And while “Left, Right, Left” was included in the Beta version of the game, it was scrapped during final production to accelerate the final release of the hip-hop-themed video game.
Let’s Talk Numbers
Originally dubbed "Left/Right," DRAMA's iconic "Left, Right, Left" held at #2 for 32 consecutive weeks before it was re-released under the new title. Once re-released, it sat at #32 for 7 more weeks, as he continued touring and recording new studio tracks.
The album itself, Causin' Drama, peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200 and #11 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop album charts. And within a month and a half of releasing the debut album, Causin' Drama, DRAMA went gold, selling more than 500,000 copies in the United States alone!
DRAMA's album reached 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was only halted due to legal issues DRAMA was dealing with in his personal life.
In the first year, “Left, Right, Left achieved the following:
"Left, Right, Left" reached #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot 200 charts
It's important to note that DRAMA was signed to Atlantic Records long before streaming and downloads ever existed. Back then, artists relied on DJs, radio, and mom-and-pop music stores if they really wanted to grow their movements. Most consumers weren't discovering their favorite new artists via social media — in fact, in many ways, social media didn't really exist yet.
"Left, Right, Left" earned the rapper a number of awards including a 2001 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Award in the Rap Category. Before signing to Atlantic Records at the age of 17, DRAMA's "Left, Right, Left" had already reached #2 on the Billboard Hip Hop/R&B charts and #73 on the Billboard 100. Missy Elliot's "Hot Boyz" was the only thing standing in the way of #1, with artists like DMX, Jay Z, Sisqo, Eminem, and others not falling too far behind!
What’s Next for Drama?
Cook is extremely adamant about giving roses to all the Atlanta artists who paved the way before him and put Atlanta "On the Map." And content creators, all over the world, including Tik Tok-ers, Athletes, military camps, moms, gamers, and marching bands, continue to give the Godby Rd. rapper his own flowers, creating content to "Left, Right, Left” and maintaining DRAMA’s legacy through viral videos.
While you haven't heard much from DRAMA due to his previous legal issues, DRAMA has stayed behind the scenes writing, producing, and recording music for not only himself but other artists of various genres. He’s also spent time acting, doing events, and making guest appearances on TV shows. He's been involved in causes related to at-risk youth, promoting entrepreneurship and education. He speaks with the youth about mental illness, and teams up with local non-profit organizations to fight local homelessness.
At the tail-end of 2023, DRAMA dropped the 2024 Atlanta Falcons Anthem, "Rise Up," which is featured on the Atlanta Falcons Nation podcast. And in July 2024, DRAMA unexpectedly released "Amongst the Stars," exclusively for his very loyal fan base.
While his team has been promoting “Amongst the Stars” on social media, they plan to officially promote his song later this year. “Amongst the Stars" is the first release of his forthcoming album, produced by Eric "Green Socks" Johnson of the Dungeon Family and mastered by James Auwarter of Coda Room Audio. DRAMA plans to drop his Redemption project in late 2025 under his Goreala Militia Entertainment company. As for a remix of "Left, Right, Left," the A-T-L-A-N-T-A artist has plans to release Part II later next year.
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