Coo Coo Cal

Background

Coo Coo Cal was born Calvin Bellamy on April 3, 1970, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He began releasing music in 1996.

Independent Start and Tommy Boy

His debut album, Game, was self-released in 1996 through In The Trunk Records. His second, Walkin' Dead, followed in 1999 on Infinite Recordings. Tommy Boy Records then released his third album, Disturbed, on September 18, 2001. It was produced mostly by Bigg Hank, with guests including Twista, Trick Daddy, Kurupt and Indo G. The album peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard 200, No. 15 on the R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, and No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart.

Its single "My Projects," released in May 2001, topped Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart, reached No. 22 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After Disturbed

Cal left Tommy Boy in 2002 and released Still Walkin' through Infinite in May 2002. Produced mostly by Bigg Hank, with two tracks from Andre Lyon of Cool & Dre, it featured Twista and the Outlawz and reached No. 30 on the R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. All or Nothin' followed in 2004 on 33rd Street Records. According to Milwaukee Record, Tommy Boy's troubles and weaker sales on later releases led to a long period out of the spotlight.

In 2018 he returned with a single, "Home," on Tone Struck Entertainment, described by Milwaukee Record as a love letter to the city and a follow-up in spirit to "My Projects." The same year he released a documentary about his career, covering both the success of "My Projects" and his struggles with drugs and alcohol. Sources give its title differently: The Rise, the Fall, the Comeback, or The Rise and Fall of Coo Coo Cal. Radio Milwaukee reported in 2020 that it was streaming on Amazon Prime.