New York City (1997 – present) Dope was founded in 1997 and immediately exploded onto the New York City club scene. After only a handful of shows, Dope secured a major label deal with Epic / Flip Records in 1998. The band’s self-produced debut “Felons and Revolutionaries” was released in 1999 and nonstop touring fueled the band’s success. Dope did several national tours with acts like Slipknot, Sevendust, Mudvayne, Fear Factory, Staind, Static-X, and Kid Rock earning Dope a reputation for being one of the most exciting live bands of the new millennium. Dope’s non-stop touring and impressive live performances helped their debut release to SoundScan more than 250,000 units, creating the foundation that they would continue to build on in the years to come.
The track “Debonaire” is notable for being used in the 2001 film The Fast & The Furious.
Successful headlining tours and Dope’s second album “Life” followed in 2001. The band’s sound matured and the record was received with excellent reviews by both the media and fans alike. Unfortunately, the band’s two labels were not functioning well together anymore. The label support and focus was non-existent for Dope at this very crucial time and there was very little awareness surrounding the album’s release.
Instead of becoming bitter and fading into oblivion, Dope decided to take matters into their own hands. After confirming the band’s release from both of their original record deals, Dope quickly returned to the studio and created its third album “Group Therapy”; a collection of 13 new songs which included a full-length music video for every song on the album.
