Michigan State sophomore Aarmond Cook is not your typical student

There has been a popular meme making the rounds on the internet recently that goes something like “if you are ever having a bad day just remember, there is still someone from your high school trying to become a rapper.”

I know I can certainly relate to this. My hometown, somewhat infamously, has an individual that is still “pursuing a career in rap”. Fully equipped with Gucci belts, all white Nike’s, an Instagram that may or may not adequately be named 2slut, and in the words of the late great Jordan Belfort, “enough drugs in his system to sedate Manhattan.” He hasn’t put out any music since mid 2013, but have no fear, he’s on the verge of a big breakthrough. Not to mention he als…

Sorry, sometimes I get carried away. But in any case, my sarcasm should be proof that in today’s day and age of social media and free multi-platform websites, there exists a climate that isn’t exactly welcoming towards aspiring young rappers trying to gain genuine credibility and traction.

However, this is exactly what Michigan State sophomore Aarmond Cook is aiming to accomplish. Going by the stage name A Cook, and representing a movement he calls Proper Etiquette, Cook is an immensely talented artist who has been steadily putting out music since a young age in the hopes of using his talent to pursue his dream of becoming a full time artist. As well as working on his own projects, Cook has been involved in a number of events on campus that have helped promote artistry within the East Lansing community.

I had a chance to sit down with Cook and talk with him about his music, Michigan State and his goals for the future.


How did you first get started with music and where does the name Proper Etiquette come from?

It all really started with the passing of my god brother when I was in 7th grade. He was really into music and when he passed away I got really obsessed with listening to all of his raps and music he had put out. One day I had one of those corny movie moments where I was like, I’m gonna do this music thing for him. Once I got started with it, I realized I was pretty good at it.


How do you handle pursuing a career in music while also being a full time student and working on campus?

The main thing is, I try to prioritize parts of my day. I’m hospitality major, and have an internship working at the Kellog center, and whenever I have work on a certain day, I try to get whatever school stuff out of the way in the morning. The key is I try to find time to come up with lyrics no matter where I am. Some of my best lyrics will come when I am just washing dishes or something like that. Ill whip my phone out and write them down to remember later. The hardest part is finding time to get in the studio.

What is the creative process that you go through when making a new song?

I guess the most important thing is that I have to have something to talk about. It has to be something that relates to somebody, it has to be something that’s true to me, but at the same time it has to be something that you can listen to it and enjoy. So I pretty much wait until an idea hits me and then at that point it can take me as much as a month to write the song. I would say in that respect my creative process is unique.


Tell me about the event Run MSU that you are a part of?

So I first got involved with the event last year as a performer. After that I started to get in with the people behind the show and when this year came around they asked if I would help be run it. So I’ve been involved in the audition process, what acts got in, venue, lights, all that stuff. We really want to make Run MSU an annual thing, like I want this to be something people continue for years and years, I want to make it up to fifty.

What is next for A Cook?

I’m working on a project right now called Pure Gold right now. Not sure how long I am going to make it but I want at least eight to ten songs of just really good music.

Will this be your first album?

Yes, this will be my debut album. I’ve done a few mix tapes but this will be my first official album. I want Pure Gold to be the breakthrough project for me. I want it to be the thing that gets my name out there and gets DJ’s and radio stations talking.

In one sentence, describe your longterm goal

Financial freedom.

And that’s a rap (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself)

Bad puns aside, Cook is worth keeping and eye on as he continues to navigate his career at MSU. You can check him out on his Soundcloud page. - The Tav