Today we’d like to introduce you to Corey Sampson.
Corey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Well, I’m originally from Easton, Maryland. I decided to move to Georgia in 2017, and I relocated here in July of 2017. (Marietta, GA) Prior to moving to Georgia, I’ve always been a creative person over the years. I started writing song lyrics and making rap songs with my friends during my preteen / teenage years.
It’s a long story, but my father went to broadcasting school back in the 1970s before I was born, and he DJed and work at a few radio stations. When I was growing up he continued doing radio and doing gigs Djing, so besides 80s and 90s hiphop, I would say that my father was one of my earlier influences.
I would say my childhood was pretty normal. I was raised in a two-parent household and I am 1 of 6 kids. Throughout my teenage years, I just did what most kids did back then. I went to school, studied, played team sports, listened to music, and I also took a drama class in high school. I didn’t think a career in music or entertainment was possible, so I didn’t pursue it until I got older and started traveling more.
I graduated high school in 1998. I did a few semesters of college (Chesapeake College) and I dropped out and joined the US Army summer of 1999. During my term, I was still writing song lyrics, but I didn’t actually record my first demo until the summer of 2003. I was stationed in (Fort Hood) Killeen, Texas at the time. Throughout the year I recorded more music and I also did a few music showcases. I was discharged from the military in February 2004, and after that, I continued making music, but I also started getting into photography and making home videos/ video editing. When a career in music never happened, I started leaning towards photography and filmmaking, and I’m actually really good at both.
So that’s the reason I decided to move to Georgia in 2017. Over the years, I followed many entertainers from the South, and I thought Atlanta would be a good place to jumpstart a career. So, that’s the short version of my story.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My life has never been a smooth road. There were times when I had trouble finding employment opportunities, so I worked some odd jobs (temp jobs) over the years. I know what it’s like to be homeless. I know what it’s like to live inside of a car and take showers at the gym, etc.
I went back to college in 2004, and that got expensive too. I took out some student loans to cover expenses while I was working full-time, so I didn’t have much free time to pursue anything else. I eventually got my associate’s degree in business administration, but I also accumulated some debt.
I was a big risk taker when I was in my 20s, so I know what will happen if you set goals in life and you do not succeed. When you are working odd jobs, you will not always have a lot of disposable income to invest in your dreams or other things that you are passionate about. Unfortunately, I had to learn that the hard way. And once I started having children, I put their needs first.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Well, right now I’m still working a day job and there is nothing glamorous about that. I’m a bus driver at Fulton county school district. Sure, I like working with kids and helping others, but being a commercial driver wasn’t something that I dreamed about when I was younger. I just played the hand I was being dealt.
Besides that, I have been working on my social media accounts. (TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube)
As of now, I am most proud of what I accomplished on TikTok. I joined that platform in September 2022 and I had my first viral video in March 2023. So far on TikTok, I have 6300 followers and close to 3 million views.
I guess the thing that sets me apart from others is that I’m not afraid to take chances. Not to mention, I’m good at commentary, storytelling, writing, photography and video editing.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Well, I’m in the process of starting a podcast with a friend. We just started some test runs recently.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thisiscls
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/coreylsampson
- Youtube: www.YouTube.com/coreysampson
- SoundCloud: www.SoundCloud.com/thisiscls
- Other: www.tiktok.com/thisiscls
