Cory Condrey, better known as CoCo Brother, is more than your average radio personality. He is a powerful voice crying out from the wilderness and into the streets. Born in Germany, it seems that he was destined to make an impact of international proportion from the beginning. CoCo Brother first came to Atlanta, GA after graduating from high school in Nashville, Tennessee, marking the start of his career in radio.
In 1995, CoCo started interning with Hot 97.5 (now Hot 107.9). From delivering pizza to loading trucks, he had a variety of odd jobs, working tirelessly at night and interning during the day. His hard-work and diligence paid off and he was finally hired at Hot. Even with all of his potential, his time there was short-lived and in 1997 he was fired. After losing his job, he became homeless. The spirit in CoCo Brother would not allow him to quit and after being homeless for a year, he landed a position with V-103 as their Promotions Coordinator.
CoCo wanted to be on the air, but was told that he could not be an On-Air Personality. It has been said that whenever one door closes, another opens. The next door flew open. Still hungry to reach the people, he took a job in a smaller market with Foxy 107 and Mike Roberts in Macon, GA. Within months in that market, CoCo’s personality and drive made the show #1.
In January of 2000, CoCo left Georgia for a position in Washington D.C. on 93.9 WKYS. He was in direct competition with Big Tigger, the former host of BET’s Rap City. For two and a half years, he dominated the airwaves with the same passion, high-energy, and creativity that made him a success in the past.
CoCo Brother came full circle on September 11, 2001 when he returned to Hot 107.9, Atlanta, in the 6-10 pm time slot. This time things would be much different. It didn’t take long before CoCo Brother and the Home Team made their presence known. When the first book came out, the show was #1 with 12-17 year olds. It also made history for Hot, ranking #1 with 18 – 34 year olds for the first time. CoCo was responsible for breaking some of the hottest records as well as capturing exclusive interviews with artists such as 50 Cent, David Banner, Ludacris, and T.I. His influence reached beyond the city limits and included:
Hosting Vibe’s TV show and BET’s Talent Search
Appearances on BET and MTV
Hosting video show on UPN
Hosting Michael Vick’s Shoe Release for 3 consecutive years
Appearances in Vibe, Source, Creative Loafing, and Rolling Out Magazine, Essence, JET, Hope Today and Monarch
New Host of BET’s “Lift Every Voice”(2008)
Yet, even after years of success, he was not content and began to hear God telling him to shift into a different arena. In March of 2005, CoCo Brother announced that he would be leaving the 6–10 pm slot. When he left, the show was on top. After 6 weeks off the air, he emerged with a new fire and a new sound called The Spirit of Hip Hop (SOHH). The show kicked off from 7 – 10 am and soon made history in its ratings when it moved up to 6 – 10 am. The constant demand for the show led it to its current slot of 6 – 12pm on Sundays mornings. The ratings continue to soar. With that success, the SOHH expanded to 5a-6a Monday-Friday in addition to the weekends, and now syndicated all across the country reaching millions every week in virtually every major market, including Los Angeles, Detroit, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Washington DC, Baltimore, Cleveland, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia, with more markets coming on board each day. Since March 2008, the demand has continued to grow with the show being aired on WPZE (Praise 97.5 FM – Atlanta, Ga.) Monday – Friday from 7pm – 10pm with a new name entitled “The Spirit w/ Coco Brother”.
CoCo Brother’s life is a testimony of what God will do in willing vessels. Never despise small beginnings. After being denied in Market 12, he went to Market 147; eventually rising to Market 7 and to the top. He operates in excellence and he just won’t quit. He is an example of someone who sometimes against all odds constantly raises the bar and sets the tone in everything he does. From homelessness to hosting and leading the official and defining movement for change in hip hop and now gospel, only time will tell what is in store for Cory “Coco Brother” Condrey. Indeed, after hearing his powerful testimony on the radio weekly, on CNN, and on CNN International, it’s very clear that Coco will be one of those anointed leaders insuring that a new day has arrived and a generation is about to be changed. Furthermore, with the blessing of being on the radio on the largest inspirationally-based network in the world targeting our youth, CoCo is making the world turn the volume up generating record setting ratings, but still and most importantly saving souls along the way.
