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Cody Whiteleather, who goes by the stage name “Cotes,” is an Ogden musician who classifies his music genre as “indie/alternative rap” with a touch of pop. His show at Funk ‘n Dive bar on Saturday will showcase his career, 12 years in the making.

In high school, Cotes’ friends were making a remix to a popular song. They asked him to jump on the track jokingly, but when he did, his friends were shocked by what he came up with.

“I recorded my verse that I wrote, and they were like, ‘Dude. This is actually kind of good. You could do this,’ and it finally started clicking that maybe this was what I wanted to do my whole life. It’s always been there, but that moment was when it became prominent,” he shares, as he reminisces on the early stages of his music journey.

Cotes says he sang, wrote songs and loved music as a child, but it wasn’t until that instance that he decided to invest into a music career.

While each song he makes has its own flare, his sound has remained consistent. He says, “My music hasn’t changed a lot over the years. The thing that changed is me finding different [methods] in engineering and production. My flow and my root style hasn’t changed since I started. It has always been this sporadic, upbeat, sing-rap type of flow.” Being an independent artist, Cotes has learned from others in the music industry and through his own experimentation.

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Along with his passion for music, another driving force in his music career is trying to be a positive part of his listeners’ lives. “I’ve always wanted to help in some way. … Music just kind of clicked. It is huge on emotions and you can impact somebody with one song.” Cotes has had many shining moments, from performing alongside Biz Markie to doing backflips on stage in front of large crowds, but he says the moments he holds closest are the times people have expressed relatability to his music.

“When people tell me I’ve made a difference in their life or have helped someone through something, those are my proudest moments.”

Cotes uses his own struggles and trials to offer advice, comfort and community through song. He shares that even through big life changes in the last few years, he pushed through and kept on going. Cotes’ determination is one of the traits his fans find most admirable. He is showing Ogden the power in chasing your dreams every day, no matter what hurdles you face.

Doors open at 8:30 p.m. for the $5 show at Funk ‘n Dive bar on Saturday.

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