You may leave a Cochise performance with your life changed even if you never heard his music before. The 24-year-old rap phenom has built a loyal fan base that dresses like him, packs out his shows, and uses his music to get through life.

“There were a lot of people that kept saying, ‘Your music saved my life.’ Meanwhile, I’m like, ‘Bro, I talk about video games and run around. What are you talking about?’” Cochise told REVOLT.

In this installment of “Tour Tales,” Cochise explains how his asthma affects his performances, the strategy he employs when stage diving, and details on an upcoming EP. Read the exclusive chat below.

What do you remember about your first show?

I opened up for Kap G in Orlando in 2016. I just graduated high school and was afraid to perform. But then when I got on the stage, that was the last thing I was afraid of when I performed. That’s when I thought I might be made for this.

What are some mistakes you made early on that you’ve learned from?

As crazy as it sounds, I make lemonade with any type of lemons I get. Sometimes, I’ll sit down and realize I could have done some things differently. But for the most part, I give the same amount of energy the crowd gives me. People pay money to see you, so you can give them the best you can.

What was the hardest adjustment you had to make on your first tour?

My first tour was Aminé’s “Best Tour Ever.” It wasn’t hard. The only thing was being back and forth with hotels. We had a travel agent that wasn’t the best (laughs). Veli had to take over. The old travel agent had us in some bad looking hotels, and we were just like, “I can’t sleep here.” Some of them smelled like p**s. Some of them had stains on the seats. Some of the walls looked like somebody got beat up against them. The receptionists and people were trying to get rowdy. You just have to adjust to other people’s attitudes, and you can’t be an aggressive person all the time.

You had a unique professor look that some fans dressed up as during your “The Inspection Tour.” What were your favorite fan interactions?

There were a lot when we were doing meet and greets. We don’t do that anymore. There were a lot of people that kept saying, “Your music saved my life.” Meanwhile, I’m like, “Bro, I talk about video games and run around. What are you talking about?” A lot of people tell me about the horrible times they had in their life and they needed something happy around them. So, they would hear my music, and it would brighten up their day and change their life. It makes me feel good to hear that.

Your sets have evolved over the last six years. Do you make music with expectations of how it’ll perform live?

Almost all my music is like that. I always want to perform. I didn’t care how many people I would perform in front of; I just always wanted to perform. I always wanted to make music to make people jump. That’s the type of show I want. I want you to jump; I want you to go crazy. I don’t want you to stand and just have your phone out while you’re just chilling and staring. This ain’t no comedy club. This is Pilates.

You’ve been doing college shows recently after international tours and festivals. How do college crowds compare to other audiences?

College crowds are a tad bit tougher because since you’re not a person they hear on the radio weekly. You have to win them over with your performance. No matter if you’re the headliner of the concert, you have to win them over. As much fun as college kids are, if you’re not really entertaining to them, they’re just going to sit there and stare at you. You have to win them over. It’s much harder to please them than a regular show or festival crowd.

What tricks have you learned that help you perform well in front of college crowds?

The art of bullying. I’m just going to bully you and tell you that you look lame if you’re not going to have fun. You paid to be here. If I were in your position, I would do something else. I’m telling you, every time I do it, they find some type of way to increase their activity.

You’re in the early part of your career when you’re performing a lot. Have you missed any big life moments?

I’ve missed a lot of things. I missed my grandma’s funeral. I missed a couple of other funerals. I missed a lot of birthdays. I missed my girlfriend’s birthday twice. I’m going to miss it again this year. It just comes with the life you live. That’s pretty much it.

What do you need leading up to a live show?

I’m not really an alcohol guy. Usually, I’ll just chill. I’ll take a stomach pill for my acid because I’m jumping around a lot, and I got GORD. So, I must be careful about what I eat, how, and when. For the last 15-20 minutes, I’ll throw on my AirPods and listen to some classical music or jazz to mellow myself out, which is the total opposite of what I do onstage. But I do it to clear my mind, so I don’t overthink. I take an inhaler puff, and I go perform. The fellas and I do a quick prayer before every show to thank God for being able to travel and perform. I prayed for times like these.

How does asthma affect your set?

It affects me crazily if we do a really dusty festival where the dust is getting blown around. It affects me badly, especially if there’s also fog on the stage. Then, I’m getting double-teamed. I feel like I need to hurry up and take my inhaler after, or I’ll almost feel like I’m dying.

You may be one of the best people to ask this: What is the art of stage diving?

You have to understand you’re more than likely going to get dropped. You have to weigh out your possibilities. Think of it like a video game, but it’s like a Telltale game, and your answers got a percentage to them. So, on the left side, you see a group of young ladies; on the right, you see a bunch of buff dudes. Which one do you want to jump into? You’re a ladies’ man, so you would love to say, “What’s good?” to the ladies. But, at the same time, will they hold you up? But, you also have to know a route on how to get back onstage.

You’re performing in Germany soon at Splash! Festival. What can fans expect?

I love Splash! I’m so excited to go there. I really don’t plan. I get a bigger stage; I go there and, as I said, I just wing it. Let me rephrase, I wouldn’t say wing it, but I make lemonade out of anything, as I said.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2023?

I got a wonderful EP I’m dropping. I got about seven tracks, heavy hitters. I got some great producers on there like TM88 and BNYX. I really want to come a little bit different with my music and show the range of my creativity. I want to tell everybody I can hang with whoever you want me to hang with when it comes to music. I’m him, Himothy. I’ll always be him, himever. That’s basically what I’m going for with this.