Sentenced to Life for 40 Tons of Weed: Corvain Cooper’s Fight for Freedom

Summary

Podcast Summary: For Good Episode: Sentenced to Life for 40 Tons of Weed: Corvain Cooper’s Fight for Freedom
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Host: Joseph "JoJo" Simmons
Guest: Corvain Cooper

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of For Good, host Joseph "JoJo" Simmons welcomes Corvain Cooper, widely known as Mr. 40 Tons, to discuss his harrowing journey from being sentenced to life in prison for a massive marijuana conspiracy to his triumphant release and ongoing advocacy work. The conversation delves deep into themes of mental health, personal growth, community service, and the transformative power of resilience.

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Corvain Cooper’s Story

Corvain Cooper begins by recounting his arrest and sentencing. In October 2013, he, along with Evelyn Lachapelle and Natalia Wade, faced trial for the "40 Tons Conspiracy" in Charlotte, North Carolina. The result was a life sentence for possessing 40 tons of marijuana—a charge that magnified his struggles and resilience.

Corvain Cooper [02:37]: "I was obsessed with the newspaper clipping. I never accepted that I was going to die in prison and have a life without the possibility of parole."

He emphasizes his determination to transform his dire circumstances, believing that the very forces that led to his downfall could be harnessed for his redemption. Starting with just $1, Corvain and his partner Evelyn began flipping small amounts of marijuana, rapidly scaling their operations. This hustle eventually led to the staggering 40-ton charge.

Corvain Cooper [04:14]: "If you had a good person on the other side of the world, someone to get the money back, it can just flow like that."

However, his story takes a dramatic turn when, in the final moments of Donald Trump's presidency, Corvain was granted clemency—a decision he describes as miraculously timed.

Corvain Cooper [06:38]: "He walked out the door and said, oh, before 12 o' clock, let me make sure I signed Corvain Cooper, because at 11:30, I wasn't even on the list."

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Building the 40 Tons Brand

Post-release, Corvain transformed his past into a mission-driven brand. The 40 Tons brand aims to advocate against unjust incarcerations for cannabis-related offenses and support those currently imprisoned.

Corvain Cooper [05:19]: "Nobody should be in prison for a plant. Our main goal is to get people out who are currently incarcerated."

The brand not only focuses on advocacy but also on creating employment opportunities and providing resources for individuals impacted by the war on drugs. Corvain highlights the importance of expungement and the challenges faced by those with prior convictions.

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Community Work and Cana Christmas Toy Drive

A significant portion of the conversation centers around Corvain's community initiatives, particularly the Cana Christmas Toy Drive. This initiative provides Christmas gifts and essential supplies to incarcerated individuals and their families, ensuring that even those behind bars experience joy during the holidays.

Corvain Cooper [09:42]: "We had to figure out a way because when a person goes to prison, their kids still want Christmas. We wanted to return the favor for what was given to me while I was incarcerated."

Corvain collaborates with L'Oreal, the CEO at 40 Tons, to organize and execute the toy drive, which has successfully raised substantial funds and provided meaningful support to numerous families. The drive aims to expand further, tripling its impact in subsequent years.

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Career Conferences and Advocacy

Beyond the toy drive, Corvain spearheads career conferences aimed at empowering Black and Brown individuals affected by the war on drugs. These conferences offer scholarships, resume-building workshops, headshot sessions, and direct job placements in the cannabis industry.

Corvain Cooper [13:09]: "The goal is for socially impacted individuals to find their seat at the table and learn about the myriad opportunities in the cannabis industry beyond just selling weed."

He details the expansion of these initiatives across various states, including Los Angeles, Oakland, Trenton, and Chicago, with plans to reach Minnesota and Oklahoma next. The conferences also feature expungement clinics to help participants clear their criminal records.

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Mindset and Mental Health During Incarceration

Corvain shares profound insights into maintaining mental strength while serving a life sentence. He underscores the importance of faith, staying busy, and focusing on personal goals despite the oppressive environment of a federal maximum-security prison.

Corvain Cooper [25:21]: "You have to have faith because once you lose the faith, it's gonna start showing."

His strategies included trading stocks, running a bookmaking operation, and fostering a supportive community within the prison. These activities not only kept him mentally engaged but also prepared him for life post-incarceration.

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Parenting While Incarcerated and After Release

Discussing the challenges of parenting from behind bars, Corvain reveals the emotional toll of being separated from his young daughters and the complexities of maintaining those relationships.

Corvain Cooper [18:13]: "It's extremely difficult because you can't really see them that much. Missing daddy-daughter days is one of the hardest parts."

Upon release, Corvain faced the daunting task of reintegrating into his daughters' lives, who were now older and developing their own identities. He emphasizes the delicate balance of being a supportive and present father while re-establishing authority and connection.

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Current Projects and Future Aspirations

Corvain is actively expanding the 40 Tons brand, with a vision to make it as ubiquitous as everyday products available in stores like 7-Eleven. He aims to secure licensing across all 26 states where cannabis is legal.

Corvain Cooper [34:48]: "We're trying to move the brand so that you can get 40 Tons in the marijuana stores the same way you can get Doritos at 7-Eleven."

Additionally, Corvain is involved in writing a book that chronicles his life story, aiming to inspire and educate others about the injustices of the war on drugs and the potential for personal transformation.

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Maintaining Mental Health Post-Incarceration

Corvain continues to prioritize his mental well-being through faith, prayer, and goal-setting. He shares personal practices that help him stay grounded and focused on his mission.

Corvain Cooper [35:10]: "I prayed and cried, sweeping my hallway and asking God for blessings and guidance."

His reliance on faith and strategic planning ensures that he remains resilient in the face of ongoing challenges, both personal and professional.

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Conclusion

In this poignant episode, Corvain Cooper's narrative serves as a powerful testament to the human spirit's capacity for resilience and redemption. From the depths of a life sentence to building impactful community initiatives, Corvain exemplifies the profound impact of turning personal adversity into collective good. JoJo Simmons skillfully navigates this conversation, highlighting the importance of mental health, purposeful living, and the relentless pursuit of justice and legacy.

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Notable Quotes

• Corvain Cooper [02:37]: "I was obsessed with the newspaper clipping. I never accepted that I was going to die in prison and have a life without the possibility of parole."
• Corvain Cooper [05:19]: "Nobody should be in prison for a plant."
• Corvain Cooper [09:42]: "We had to figure out a way because when a person goes to prison, their kids still want Christmas."
• Corvain Cooper [13:09]: "The goal is for socially impacted individuals to find their seat at the table."
• Corvain Cooper [25:21]: "You have to have faith because once you lose the faith, it's gonna start showing."
• Corvain Cooper [34:48]: "We're trying to move the brand so that you can get 40 Tons in the marijuana stores the same way you can get Doritos at 7-Eleven."
• Corvain Cooper [35:10]: "I prayed and cried, sweeping my hallway and asking God for blessings and guidance."

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Listen to this episode on [Podcast Platform] to gain deeper insights into Corvain Cooper’s journey and the transformative power of healing oneself to change the world.

Transcript

[Corvain Cooper]

Kingpin sentenced to life for 40 tons of marijuana. You're in a zoo full of predators. It's not really for the week. Had to make it where Trump did it in the last two minutes in office, right?

[JoJo Simmons]

It seemed like it wasn't going to happen.

[Corvain Cooper]

Like, he walked out the door and said, oh, shit, before 12 o' clock. Let me make sure I sign Cormac Cooper, because at 11:30, I wasn't even on the list. Your mental health is going to go through some things and sometimes you're going to have to cry and you're going to have to let them tears out and just let it out and start over. I used to see dudes in there and they would be like, arguing with the girl on the phone. I'm like, bro, you're already in the worst predicament in the world.

[JoJo Simmons]

Yeah. Why are you arguing with her? Are you making it worse? What's good, y' all? It's your guy, JoJo Simmons, and this is the Four Good podcast where we focus on the good and never the bad. But we're measured on what we do and not what we have. And today my guest is my good friend, Corvin Cooper. Good to have you here. My brother, Mr. 40 tons himself.

[Corvain Cooper]

Oh, yeah, I'm good, thank you. I'm blessed.

[JoJo Simmons]

Glad to have you here, man. First of all, thank you for coming on.

[Corvain Cooper]

I'm happy to be here.

[JoJo Simmons]

You know, first, I want to tell the people how we know each other and, you know, why we know each other. So, you know, some people don't know I'm in the cannabis space when it comes to content media and, like, marketing and things like that.

[Corvain Cooper]

Right.

[JoJo Simmons]

And I ended up, while being around in the cannabis community, I aligned with a couple of different organizations and businesses that, you know, I felt that were of my morals and of what I believed I wanted to do in the space. And one organization that I want to shout out is lpp, Last Prisoner Project. Right. So I ended up, which I'm still an ambassador at lpp. I advocate for people like you who are in prison for cannabis and want them get out and good things like that. So while being there, my partner, David Dow, right. We're storytellers. Three is four. We like to tell stories. We like to tell the good stories and really re educate people on things and people in the cannabis space. And he came across your story, which is a very interesting story, which we'll get into, you know, a little bit more during this podcast. But basically, you went to jail for prison for 40 tons of marijuana, right?

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah, Correct.

[JoJo Simmons]

So can you explain a little bit more of your story in a nutshell? Like kind of not quick, quickly, but like, because I know you could probably.

[Corvain Cooper]

Be here for days, days and days and going on.

[JoJo Simmons]

So explain your story a little bit about you being this, you know, kingpin, right. They called you and, and then getting out through Donald Trump clemency. Right?

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah.

[JoJo Simmons]

Which is a story in its own. Explain your story a little bit to the, to the consumer and to the people that are watching.

[Corvain Cooper]

So In October of 2013, me, Evelyn Lachapelle and Natalia Wade all went to trial in a western district of Charlotte, North Carolina. And after our trial for the 40 tons conspiracy, it read, man sentence, kingpin sentenced to life for 40 tons of marijuana. And I woke up to this newspaper clipping every single day while I was in prison. And I used to carry it with me. I was obsessed with was in my Bible. It was just everywhere that I went, if I went to a new institution, the only thing I cared about was where was the newspaper clipping. Because I was always taught that I was going to change this and I was going to turn this around. I never accepted that I was going to die in prison and had a life without the possibility of parole. So I said I was going to turn this minus to a plus some kind of way. The same thing that took me down is the same thing that wanted to bring me back up. So with the 40 tons conspiracy, before we even get into that, that's how 40 tons was birthed and that's how 40 tons started. But as far as like the marijuana goes, and I started with £1 with me and my friend aunt, we were actually started with an eighth and we flipped an eighth, actually.

[JoJo Simmons]

Wow.

[Corvain Cooper]

Right. So we flipped the eighth and we built it up once we started sending the weed out of town. If I found out that you really didn't even need any money, actually, I mean, well, you needed money, but you needed. Back then it was to stress Brick, Reggie, right? Regular week, regular weed, you get it for $300 out of here, sticks and.

[JoJo Simmons]

Stones, all of it and everything.

[Corvain Cooper]

I don't even know if it tests for weed, right. And then you get $600 for it out of town on the east coast, right? So but your money comes back the next day. So originally, if your next day in it, you got your money back the next day. That's every day a week, Monday through Friday, you can make 15 grand off just your initial three grand.

[JoJo Simmons]

So 15 grand a day?

[Corvain Cooper]

No, you can make $3,000 a day. So 15,000 a week. Right. So you can make 60 grand off of just an initial $3,000. If you had a good person on the other side of the world, someone to get the money back. And it can just flow like that. And it can just flow and that's how it reaches to the 40 tons. Because it was a consistent thing. There's other members that were involved, actually. So it was this, you know, tallied up with some kind of guesstimated.

[JoJo Simmons]

So he basically guessed and guesstimated. But it could have been more, it.

[Corvain Cooper]

Could have been more, it could have been less, you know what I mean? It could have been 80, right? It could be 80.

[JoJo Simmons]

Could have been 80 tons, right, exactly.

[Corvain Cooper]

You know what I mean? But they, they, you got out of.

[JoJo Simmons]

Jail and obviously made the name 40 tons into a brand, right?

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah.

[JoJo Simmons]

What is 40 tons and what are you looking to do with the brand?

[Corvain Cooper]

So with the 40 tons with the brand, we. The main goal is to let everyone know that nobody should be in prison for a plan. That's the main goal. Right. And to get the people out that are currently constituents. So when you go to 40 tons co and 40 tons brand and you learn about like our career hiring fares.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right.

[Corvain Cooper]

Because if I have my record expunged, this would have never happened. Right. You can't get three strikes if you had the record expense. Because I was the, I was one of the front people for Prop 64 and Prop 47 and I got those both priors, took off my jacket. Right. And that's all we were asking the courts to do. But everything happens for a reason. We were actually going to the Supreme Court, actually. And I got denied saying, well, he no longer has these priors today. Can he just be resentenced? Right. But the way God works is if that happened, then I would have got re sentenced, I just would have came home another black male that had 10 or years in prison and it wouldn't have been no hula about it. Right, Right. So the way that God works, he had to do it with some kind of extraordinary plan. Right. He had to make it where Trump did it in the last two minutes in office. Right. So it didn't happen like it happened immediately when he did everybody else's.

[JoJo Simmons]

It seems like it wasn't going to happen.

[Corvain Cooper]

It was like, it's like he walked out the door and said, oh, before 12 o' clock, let me make sure I signed Cormac Cooper.

[JoJo Simmons]

Wow.

[Corvain Cooper]

Because at 11:30 I wasn't even on the list.

[JoJo Simmons]

And that's what it felt like to you?

[Corvain Cooper]

Because I checked NPR at 11:30 and it's like I gotta, I gotta get suited back to do a life sentence again and back do my time. Because it wasn't on NPR yet and it wasn't on CNN. I was checking every 30 minutes on the day that, you know, Harry O. I got his Lil Wayne, I got his Kodaka, got his. Everybody had got theirs on that day and shout outs to them, right. And still gonna see my name. And I had probably like the biggest push as far as like a marijuana prisoner with Rob Combs and Nas did the documentary, the smoke documentary that brought a lot of light to my case, you know. So.

[JoJo Simmons]

So you say you had three strikes. The other two strikes were non violent offenses, correct?

[Corvain Cooper]

Yes. So we want people to know this is another thing that we teach in 40 tons and I teach this in a lot of our courses. It's because I had one pound of marijuana and I had a bottle of cough syrup was my two priors. And I hear people rap about a hangout with it. They talk about it in a lot of songs and I don't think that they know that those are two broad two drug priors. Right. So if you get caught on the third and get caught a conspiracy today we have people that we're advocating today this can happen to you. If you walked out of this thing right now and someone said hey Jojo, Nah man, I don't like Jojo out there. You got the three is for he out there chilling. Remember when Jojo sent me them five pounds? He's adding that to his conspiracy because he's sitting on the bunk. They give you a lot of power of people that's in prison. People that's in prison have more power than you think.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right?

[Corvain Cooper]

Right. So our conspiracy, the 40 tons conspiracy was buil in prison. He built it after he was caught and didn't want to do his his time. He built the conspiracy of hey Evelyn, Evelyn was getting back the money. He was this, this person was. Natalia was doing this. Corvine was doing this. They, he built this from a bunk.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right?

[Corvain Cooper]

Right. So someone can just edge as long as they have your phone number and and able to say that you made some kind of transaction within the last five years. Because it's five year statute limitation to get out of the conspiracy. Like my partner, aunt. He was four years, six months.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right.

[Corvain Cooper]

In that last six months that he didn't get out the conspiracy that he got the 200000 is what tied him into the conspiracy. So if someone can prove that within those last five years, this is a person that went and got his PhD, this is a person that went to college, they don't care about that.

[JoJo Simmons]

Wow.

[Corvain Cooper]

If you committed that crime less than five years ago, that's the. They can still come after you. They can still come after you.

[JoJo Simmons]

All right, let's jump into community work, because here at the For Good podcast, that's what we like to focus on, is things that we're doing good for our community. Sometimes things that are not spotlighted or things we don't speak about because we just do it out of the goodness of our heart. So tell us about Cana Christmas Charity Drive. Because that's one of the first things that we linked up on 3 is 4, sent a few toys, and we really, you know, created our friendship and our bond off that first. So speak about Cana Christmas Toy Drive.

[Corvain Cooper]

Can. Can of Christmas Toy Drive was for. For cannabis prisoners that are currently locked up. And we had to pick certain ones and we said, well, we had a tree, right, that was set up with people's names and stuff and. And the things that you need, right? So when a person goes to prison, guess what? They still have bills. The lights still need to be on. They still need food in the refrigerator. The kids still want Christmas, right? So we had to figure out a way to. And what happened was I was a recipient of things like this from Mickey Martin, Rest in Peace, that did parents for pot. They used to give my kids stuff while I was in parent was in prison. So I always wanted to always return a favor and do that. So that's kind of how Canon Christmas all started. And me and l' Oreal came up and she came up with the idea on how to do it and stuff like that. We had to figure out. Shout out to l' Oreal on figuring out a way all the times Anthony went to prison, she wanted to figure out all the Christmases stuff that she did.

[JoJo Simmons]

Explain who L' Oreal is to. To people watching.

[Corvain Cooper]

L' Oreal is our CEO at 40 tons and. And her husband is Anthony, my partner.

[JoJo Simmons]

Who is the COO.

[Corvain Cooper]

COO. Yeah. So we're all the founders of 40 Tons. And it's just us. We're like a trifecta, you know? So she represents the women that are left behind right when.

[JoJo Simmons]

And that's why it was her idea because she lived that life where three.

[Corvain Cooper]

Times somebody goes to jail, you know what I mean? Where he goes to jail. But you still had a light.

[JoJo Simmons]

Kids still need Christmas toys and lights still need to be on and food still needs to be in the refrigerator. So I think the kind of Christmas toy drive you guys do is like.

[Corvain Cooper]

So it was like super organic on how we met, because we met on that and it was like, okay, he cares.

[JoJo Simmons]

And it was easy for us to support that because 3 is 4 stands on community and charity and giving back is one of our main initiatives and giving to the underprivileged and underserved. So like when we, we heard what it stood for, Canada Christmas Toy Drive and who it was for and your story, it just, it made sense and it tied together and it, it aligned with us so well. So we, you know, we appreciate, you know, and you involving us in it and we, I appreciate what you do for the community, your community and, and.

[Corvain Cooper]

The kids loved it. You know what I mean? You gotta understand to put somebody's. Their parents are gone.

[JoJo Simmons]

Yep.

[Corvain Cooper]

Right. Their remain provider is gone. And the lady that ended up winning her husband's home, now she won the top. We, we had different tiers. Like out of the, the nine grand was raised. Some people get gifts or some people get toys and some people get. She got it like a cash prize. Right. So, you know, some people get different stuff on what it is that they needed the most that they put on their Christmas list. So I think it was dope. Hopefully it's going to be bigger and we can triple it this year. You know, this year, this year we want to continue to make a triple, triple, triple and just really, really, really, really, really, really make this thing a big deal for people that's locked up.

[JoJo Simmons]

Before I get into the mind of Corvain, speaking of community. And I don't want to not shed a spotlight on your career conferences you be doing. You guys do. Because besides the kind of, you know, Christmas toy drive, which I think is amazing, those are also amazing conferences you guys do. Can you explain a little bit what you've done and what states you've done them in?

[Corvain Cooper]

We started our first two here. We did two in Hard thine first. It's just, just, you know what they are like.

[JoJo Simmons]

Can you explain what they are?

[Corvain Cooper]

Okay, yeah.

[JoJo Simmons]

What is the goal of, of those?

[Corvain Cooper]

The goal of those is for the people that are socially impacted, the black and the brown people that are impacted by the war on drugs. Right. To find their seat at the table, to learn how it's. It's a thousand different jobs in cannabis. People just think it just has something to do with weed. No, you can be in marketing, you can Be in this, you can be in that, right? So we do breakout sessions and we have people that, that own 20 stores or somebody that's owned 10 stores or somebody that's owned this many grows where we. We've linked up with Amsterdam and we give out scholarships. So we give out. We've. We've maybe gave out about 50 scholarships worldwide. We have given out over 500,000 in headshots and resumes and get you on LinkedIn so the job can look for you, you don't have to.

[JoJo Simmons]

So more than just money, but things that these people really need, you need.

[Corvain Cooper]

You need a haircut, we're gonna give you a haircut. You need a suit, we're giving you a suit. You want your resume and get your headshot done, we're giving you that and we're going to give you the information and we're going to put you in front of the jobs and put the actual jobs there that are actually hiring. And we put the expungement clinic in there so you can get your record of sponge as well.

[JoJo Simmons]

What state so far have you done them?

[Corvain Cooper]

We did two in Los Angeles. We did one in Oakland. We did one in Trenton, New Jersey. And then the last one we did and for Juneteenth, that was in Chicago and we rented out Malcolm X College. Yeah, that was pretty good.

[JoJo Simmons]

I'm praying that it gets bigger and bigger. You know, I'm always here to support that, but I figured that we'd speak about that too because that's definitely something you're doing in the community and not just your community, but the community as a whole for people in different states. So let's get into the mind of Corvain.

[Corvain Cooper]

Okay.

[JoJo Simmons]

While you were locked up, knowing you were sentenced to life, what was your mindset? What did you look forward to and what did you think about?

[Corvain Cooper]

The main thing that I looked forward to was like I still was a hustler. So the main thing was like how I'm send my kids a check this month, right? So when you get a check, when you hustle and you get money and print. I was trading stocks. I learned the stock market. I used to get up at three in the morning and call Anthony and we'd trade options. Call my homegirl cl. We trade options right now. Get a put on this, get it by time lunchtime, I'm. I'm selling it. You know, I'm trying to figure out, you know, what's going down and what's going up and, you know, who's doing earnings this week. And stuff like this. And any way that they can get a check, the check will have their name on it. And I would, like, need them. They were young at the time, too. So it's like, go bug their mom to go cash a check. But it's like, hey, my dad sent me a check, $300 or $400. But if I. I did that consistently my whole time that I was going.

[JoJo Simmons]

And that's how you took the. Wow.

[Corvain Cooper]

So that. That's how I got to stay in tune with them and show them that even though I'm not there, I don't care if we're on lockdown. I'm the guy that's screaming on the door, give me a green form so I can send my kids a check.

[JoJo Simmons]

What was your mindset in there? I mean, I know I said that's what you looked forward to, but what was your mindset of being in there and, you know, having life? Like, what. What. What did I know? All you said you thought about was your daughters, but what was there to look forward to? Like, what was your mindset? I know you said also earlier that you never believed you were gonna die in jail.

[Corvain Cooper]

I never believed, not at one second, that I was gonna die in jail. Right. And secondly, another thing that I did was I learned. I stayed busy, right? I learned how to be a bookie. All the sport betting stuff comes from there. So I was the bookie in there. I was the ticket. So basically, I was Vegas, right? So I learned sport betting. I. I opened restaurant. I don't even know how to cook to the. To this day, but I would back other if I see you had talent, but you just didn't have the marketing skills. And I would go put up all the different. I called it old money. Rest my. Everybody used to call me old money because I used to carry nothing but old hundreds in my safe deposit box. The picture just had nothing but old hundreds and old fifties. I would collect them, right? So when the feds came, it was like a part of my discovery. So everybody would call me old money, but because I only had little faces, right? So when I seen stuff like that, I would. I would say, I'm a. I'm. I'm a. Put this in every unit. We're cooking this this weekend. We're doing this. I was the first person to do the above the rim tournament in there. So I was birdie for a day, you know what I mean? So nobody went to chat. So it's safe to say I let you win 100. 100 books.

[JoJo Simmons]

You kept yourself bus crazy until the day God let you out because you knew I'm not going nowhere. So you just were looking forward to the day you get out. I'm just gonna do what I can do.

[Corvain Cooper]

It was like he was working with me, right? God was working with me. And he needed to mature me. He needed me to become a better father, a better son, a better friend. And he had to sit me down for a minute so I can get his full attention and that I can only depend on him because he's a jealous God. So he wants you. Sometimes you're depending on the money or you're depending on the streets, right? And with him being a jealous guy, he's like, all you gotta do is depend on me. So some of the things that I used to hustle for, now I get for free. You know what I mean?

[JoJo Simmons]

So you spoke about getting your daughter's money while being in jail and trying to balance that life. Tell us about your journey in parenthood and how did you manage to parent while being away?

[Corvain Cooper]

It's very extremely difficult because can't really see them that much, right? Because you're far away, you're losing touch. Sometimes you're on lockdown in the feds for two, three months because you have to live for everyone else's actions. So even though you did not make that action, it still affected you. You're still locked down on yourself for three months because he went to the chow hall and he stabbed somebody. Because these two people have a problem, right? So that's affecting you and your kids. Even though you're. During your time, you're staying out of trouble, you're not in the mix. So that's one of the hardest parts of like, you know, sometimes even missing their birthdays and have to send a car because you're on lockdown. And, you know, I mean, like that, that part really. Missing daddy daughter days. Yeah, you know, it was a really, really. It's really a difficult thing.

[JoJo Simmons]

So how has the parenting dynamic shifted now that you're out? And was it hard to step back into being a father? And what challenges do you and your.

[Corvain Cooper]

Children face just with them getting older? Right? So when you have two daughters, right, they're getting older, they're developing, right. Not only are they developing their ex, they're learning new things and they're learning the songs. And now, as a parent, when your mother didn't want you to listen to Lil Kim, now you don't want them to listen to Cardi. You know what I mean? Like you know what I mean? Like, it's just. It's the. It's like history just keeps repeating itself. Of all the stuff that just goes on, and especially with the Internet, right? So the Internet is one of the most dangerous things that. In a parent's life because just pick up that phone that you got them and they can learn everything. The YouTube is way more dangerous than this, than the song.

[JoJo Simmons]

So how was the parenting dynamic when you came home? Was. It was. It was an easy transition because, you know, it seems like you stayed in touch with them the whole time while inside. So obviously they were excited when you came home. But did you find it harder to implement rules and things like that because you were away for so long?

[Corvain Cooper]

Cause I know me, I'm like, I think, I think that, I think that. I think you hit a key point of implementing rules and being the soft parent while their mom is being the tough parent, where you have to. Shit, you're going to have to be a little softer. You're the one going, you just miss nine years of your life, right? So you're coming home. That's not a good way to walk in, Right? So you're gonna have more fun. I spent a lot of money. You're gonna be more lean. You're gonna do. You know you got two girls. I know. Yeah. You know what I mean? So you got two girls. You don't want nobody showing your daughters anything. You know what I mean?

[JoJo Simmons]

You wanna show it to em first.

[Corvain Cooper]

You wanna show it to em first. You know what I mean? So, like, you want them to do everything with their dad, right? So once you're their king and you're their hero and they look up to you, it's a whole different vibe.

[JoJo Simmons]

I think what you said is so true about being a dad and having daughters and showing them first what no man can show them later in life. So they're not impressed by the small things and they expect those things. Those are not things that are going to impress them, but more their expectation of what their father already said.

[Corvain Cooper]

You know what I mean? Like, drove every car.

[JoJo Simmons]

I feel bad.

[Corvain Cooper]

They got big parties. They, you know, it's like she doesn't.

[JoJo Simmons]

Know what economy class looks like. So I'm like, good luck, future boyfriend in 15 years. You know what I mean?

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[JoJo Simmons]

All right. So going to jail, sentencing day. What was it like saying goodbye to your kids and family?

[Corvain Cooper]

I didn't let anybody come to my sentencing.

[JoJo Simmons]

Wow.

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah. Yeah. I wanted to.

[JoJo Simmons]

Like, you don't want them to see.

[Corvain Cooper]

You like that, not like that, like in what they were.

[JoJo Simmons]

And how old were your daughters when you went away, if you don't mind me asking?

[Corvain Cooper]

I was about 33.

[JoJo Simmons]

So you were 33 and they were, how old were they?

[Corvain Cooper]

Four and eight.

[JoJo Simmons]

Oh. So it was kind of hard for them to grasp. And really eight year old may understand a little bit better. Four year old, probably not. Right, right.

[Corvain Cooper]

So they already missing and it might be seven and three. I gotta. But still, those ages, those ages, they're not fully developed yet.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right.

[Corvain Cooper]

You know what I mean? So they're still developing, they're still getting into. They don't really, like Scotland didn't really get to know me because from one to three you don't have any memory of that. Right. You see what I'm saying? So it's like you can go to memory on your pictures and show. So it was like our first reincarnation was basically when I got out, she came home.

[JoJo Simmons]

Yeah. And she knew. Okay. So what do they think about dad? Mr. Cool guy, Mr. Rolex, Mr. All these cars, Cartier glasses? I mean, you're a pretty cool dad. You don't, you know, I tell my, my daughter all the time, you're lucky you don't have a dad that has to go into an office from 9 to 5 and can be there, can show up. What do you think about that? How do they, like, what do they think about what you've been through? How do they see you? How do they. In their eyes, you know, what do they view you as? What do you think they view you as?

[Corvain Cooper]

I think they think I'm cool. You know, hopefully. I mean, we all think, you know, I mean, you know, I mean, I'm like, oh, like, like I'm your dad. Like, you know, I mean, I'm trying to be as cool as possible. So sometimes I think I'm cool and sometimes they get on me like, oh, dad, you're not cool. You know what I mean? So it's like, you should tell them.

[JoJo Simmons]

The coolest thing in the world is to beat a life sentence.

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[JoJo Simmons]

All right, now let's talk about mental health. Because on this show, that's another one of. A key subject we speak on is mental health. So how did you stay mentally strong while you were away? Did you have moments where you would just break down? And if so, how did you get yourself out of it?

[Corvain Cooper]

What you have to do is like in there, you can't wear your feelings on your sleeve.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right.

[Corvain Cooper]

Everybody's watching, everybody's looking. Right. So you Know, it's like you're in a zoo full of predators, right? So, like, it's not really for the weak. Because when I, when I talk about the feds, a USP is the maximum security prison in federal. And when I talk about it, I always say, you're in 50 states in one state. That's what the Feds is, all 50 states in one. So when you walk in the room, it's somebody from this state. That's it. So nobody really cares about you and your story from your state. Right, Right. Because DMX told you everybody thinks they're the man in their own hood, right? So going from the state to the feds at the highest level, it just really is a different feel because you have to deal with all different type of politics. So when you're just in a state jail, you're just dealing with California politics. When you're in a federal prison, you're a gd, you're a Vice Lord. He's a blood, he's a crib, he's a Texas syndicate, he's a Mexican mafia, he's from dc, he's from New York, he's from. Everybody has different beliefs and different things that of rules of that they go by in their state and they're trying to implicate their rules within their crew and their car in prison. So it's just, it's, it's definitely.

[JoJo Simmons]

How did you stay mentally strong inside?

[Corvain Cooper]

I mean, you said by, by the way that you have to do it, you have to block a lot of stuff out.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right?

[Corvain Cooper]

Right. Because you have to live in there now.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right?

[Corvain Cooper]

Right. So you have to, you gotta, you.

[JoJo Simmons]

Got to understand and realize this is what it is.

[Corvain Cooper]

This is what it is until it gets better. Right? So you have to live in there, make your situation in there right first. Right. Still contact your family, still stick to your loved ones. And. And you really just gotta have faith. Because once you lose the faith, it's gonna start showing. You know, you're gonna start getting the gray hairs, you're gonna start getting this, you're gonna start losing your hair, all that. That is what I've seen with other people that lost their faith. I'm like, damn, you're what, you're 29, you're 28. Right. But the faith in what they believed in, they believed that they weren't coming home and that they were going to live in there and they can show on how you look.

[JoJo Simmons]

So how do you stay mentally strong now, now that you're out? Been a few years, still have to deal with our mental health. How do you stay mentally strong? Now?

[Corvain Cooper]

It's the same way. It's like having faith in, like, chasing your goals, right? Having a plan like, you know, I want 40 tons to be this $100 million company. I want the doc to do this. I want the book to do this, right? I want to leave something or some kind of legacy for my kids, right? So in order to do that, with living in, you know, California, one of the highest places to live in the world, right? So with high bills, with high gas, with inflation, with this, with that, right? With taking on all the challenges of being a independent owner of a company and trying different things and trying different hustles of everything that you're trying to do. You're trying to be independent. So when you're trying to do everything independent, you're not a boss until you take a loss. You know what I mean? So it's like. You know what I mean? So it's like once you take the loss and once you, you know, have to climb back from that and have to deal with taking a loss, industry that is failing, right? And your family, your health, you know what I mean? So, like, dealing with all those three different things, components, your mental health is gonna go through some things, and sometimes you're gonna have to cry and you're gonna have to let them tears out and just let it out and start over, because it's gonna feel good. And just, you know, talk to God in silence and let him know what your problems is and what are you trying to do, right?

[JoJo Simmons]

So while inside, did you call somebody every day, and who was that person you called every day? And I know you're gonna say Anthony probably, but was there any Corvain was calling every day.

[Corvain Cooper]

I would call Evelyn every day, and we would. I would drive Evelyn to work, right? So I'll drive her to work and drive her off, and that would be my thing.

[JoJo Simmons]

Like, so you call her while she's.

[Corvain Cooper]

Like, while she's in the car on the way to work.

[JoJo Simmons]

Wow.

[Corvain Cooper]

And I drive her, drop her off.

[JoJo Simmons]

And then call it when she gets off.

[Corvain Cooper]

Call when she gets off. At the time, she had two jobs, so she was working in Nordstrom. Then she'd go to her other job, but I would call her. I'll call my mom, call my family, call my kids, call Anthony, Trey Stocks, call Cloney.

[JoJo Simmons]

So you had a. You had a. Quite a roster of people.

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah, Yeah, I had a roster. I had a roster.

[JoJo Simmons]

Let's talk love and lockup. My brother you said you was talking to Evelyn. Like, how. How did you manage to deal with that relationship while being inside?

[Corvain Cooper]

I think it was easier because all I had to do was be like, a shoulder to cry on, Right? You know what I mean? So it's like.

[JoJo Simmons]

And you had all the time in the world.

[Corvain Cooper]

I got the time to listen. I got the time to hear your problems. I got time to really. That's the difference, right? So your woman talking to a guy in jail is dangerous.

[JoJo Simmons]

I better say you're making it dangerous for us. That ain't in jail.

[Corvain Cooper]

He had time to listen because what happened was girl, women. Women always like, all right, just don't worry about him because he's just in jail, right? So, you know. You know, the results of that comes. Comes home as I come home and I date her and I get her, because at the time, I got the. I know everything about her, right? You know, so because you had all.

[JoJo Simmons]

The time to be.

[Corvain Cooper]

You got.

[JoJo Simmons]

You got all the time and really know.

[Corvain Cooper]

So I used to tell dudes, like, I used to see dudes in there, and they would be, like, arguing with the girl on the phone. Like, bro, you're already in the worst predicament in the world.

[JoJo Simmons]

Yeah. Why are you arguing? What are you making it worse?

[Corvain Cooper]

What are you arguing for? You've been to go in a cell with another man and lock it up in an hour.

[JoJo Simmons]

So take that.

[Corvain Cooper]

First thing you want to do is go argue with her. No, go out, spread love and go out and listen, and go out and hear what's going on in her day.

[JoJo Simmons]

That's dope. That's deep. I mean, I think a lot of people need to hear that because that's true what you just said. And locked up or not, you know, just listen to a woman. You know what I mean? And I think that it's safe to say that you learned that while being inside is, you know, listening to a woman and understanding a woman is probably the best, you know, way to deal with them.

[Corvain Cooper]

And it makes your relationship better. Makes my relationship better with my kids, with their moms, with my mom, with my sister. I'm raised around nothing but women. It was my grandmother, my mom, my aunties, my. You know what I mean? So it was nothing but women I was raised upon, you know what I mean? So I have a love for women. I have nothing but respect for them. I still open doors to this day.

[JoJo Simmons]

All right, I want to talk about a quick. I guess this would be a funny. I don't know. So, you know, you Served a lot of time and seen a lot of things and kind of know how it works on the inside and not kind of know, you know, how it works on the inside. So how do you feel when you see people who are incarcerated now making TikToks on social media? How does that even work inside? Like, how, how does that even possible? I mean, I know people get phones in, but like, come on, Tick Tock and Instagram, they're making full, like, you know, content. You got content creators in jail now.

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah.

[JoJo Simmons]

How does that work?

[Corvain Cooper]

And how do you feel about it at first? Like, back in the day, a person would get on your ass about that because not only are you making it hot, Right. If you showed up a silly as that, well, how else can the phone get in there? So you're making the police hot, you're making the building hot, you're making everything hot. Everything is hot on fire. Because now you got some people that are, that are not into that. They want to know what I got the pimp at the phone, because he can threaten me or he could do this, or they're scared or this person can do this or they can make this call or whatever. Right. So now they're calling out to jail. Yeah. How do you get the phone? Now they storming, taking everyone's phone off. This one dude that made a post, they came in a building because all it takes one person to call and complain. Now they're going to come take all the phones. So the same person that brought you the phone was taking the phone.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right.

[Corvain Cooper]

And now you got to buy it back. Right. So there's only one way you can get the phone in.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right.

[Corvain Cooper]

You know, I mean, so, you know, I, I don't.

[JoJo Simmons]

Have you seen the videos? Are they enjoyable?

[Corvain Cooper]

I mean, I'm kind of old school, so it's like, that's kind of like.

[JoJo Simmons]

Not cool to you.

[Corvain Cooper]

It's not cool. And it's kind of dry snitching. Yeah, right. You know, so it's dry snitching on the person that risked their job to bring you the phone.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right, Right.

[Corvain Cooper]

You feel what I'm saying?

[JoJo Simmons]

So, all right, so you want to tell us about anything else you got going on? Any projects that we should be aware of? Obviously, we know 40 tons is in multiple states. If you want to name those states, you can. And if anything else you want to talk about, like maybe the two of us or you and three is four maybe working on some. Not maybe are working on some things. Are working on some things about your life. Story, huh? And don't give too much away, but if you want to tell the people, you know, any of the projects you have coming that they don't know about and things you can talk about, okay.

[Corvain Cooper]

We can give them just a little bit of brief. We got to look into my eyes. The book, the story coming out, right? So as far as what you're talking about, it's really, really. The pot is finally. The pot is cooking, and the pot is stirring up in the. In the pot is definitely. I just want to let y' all know, the pot has finally got the sauce on it, right? And it's. It's mirroring up, and you can start smelling it now. So we're cooking up something that you can smell, something that's going to, like, live forever, you know, and, like, that's going to go for legacy. And legacy. And legacy. And there's no L. A story that's been told like this. So the way that we're going to do it and we're going to tell it is this can be the best way possible is definitely the best way.

[JoJo Simmons]

So it's good. What are you excited about or inspired by right now? Any book, podcast, song, quote, anything you can tell us that's inspiring you right now?

[Corvain Cooper]

It's just a lot. I'm. I'm really so tied into the things that I want to do and the things that. And I'm tied into, like my crew. I listen to my cruise music, you know, I mean, I listen to Rose. I listen to this part, you know, I mean, like, I like to.

[JoJo Simmons]

That inspires you, right?

[Corvain Cooper]

I like to get. Everything needs to be more independent. Like, we really. We bleed 40 tons.

[JoJo Simmons]

Yeah.

[Corvain Cooper]

Like, I literally wear it every single day. I have 62 jackets now, you know, I mean, so it's like. It's just. We bleed it. We think of different ideas on how. And speaking of the states, we're going to Minnesota next. Oklahoma.

[JoJo Simmons]

Congratulations.

[Corvain Cooper]

Launched in New York. 11 stores in New York, where I think we're in 16 stores out here. We're on ease.com. we maps.

[JoJo Simmons]

Yeah. Everywhere. Yeah. Illegal to legal. Yeah.

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah, yeah. So. So we're trying to move the brand.

[JoJo Simmons]

They say legacy. They say legacy to. To legacy. Yeah. Legacy to legal. That's what they call it, right? That's amazing, man. That's what's.

[Corvain Cooper]

So we're praying. We're praying on a license right now. We're just a brand that's trying to. It's 26 states legal. We want to be in all 26 states if you get off the plane and you go to 7 11, you can get Doritos. So we want you to be able to get 40 times in the marijuana source the same way you can. You know that Doritos is in there. You don't even have to ask. Go to 7 11. They got Doritos.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right? I like to always ask all my guests this for the person watching that may be dealing with things that don't really have a mental health regimen. What have you done for your mental health lately? And what do you do for your mental health? I know, you know, you and I off camera spoke about a lot of the things you are going through, and we won't discuss that. But what have you done and what do you do for your mental health?

[Corvain Cooper]

Last night I prayed and I cried, and I think that's good, right? To go on and let out and really, like, I'm just sweeping, right? I swept my hallway and I just asked God, I said, you know, God, I need more blessings. I need more this. I need more that, you know, to be able to. To do this, to do that, right? And let God know everything. He already knows everything that I'm already physically going through, right. So I don't have to make him aware of that, right? So since he already knows that, all I have to do is enlighten him on the things that I want to change and the things that I want to move progress forward. I want to give my daughter a personal chef so she can be with me this, this, this, that and other, you know, so in order to do things like, you got to ask, you know, I mean, so I was. I was told that I got one of the richest dads. You films that I got the richest dad. So all I do is I just go to the bank, I ask him in some kind of way just out of nowhere, every single time. He does not let me down. You know, he really provides for me everything that I need. Right?

[JoJo Simmons]

I love that analogy of God, man. Like, I don't think there was any other quote or better quote or better saying to end this podcast with man. I really appreciate you coming out, learning a little bit more about you, letting my fan base know a little bit more about Corvain Cooper, Mr. 40 tons himself, home breathing, living. I know we spoke about in the car how it just feels amazing. And some days you feel like you just have to pinch yourself, right? You just want to pinch yourself, right?

[Corvain Cooper]

Yeah. Like, damn, you're really here. Right? Am I still living? Yeah.

[JoJo Simmons]

Right.

[Corvain Cooper]

You know what I mean? Like, wait a minute, this shit's still going on? It hasn't stopped yet. Like, yeah.

[JoJo Simmons]

And that's why it's important to speak up for more people that are just like you. And we're just like you still in prison for the plant.

[Corvain Cooper]

Because I don't want to just take the second chance and do nothing with it, right? Because then it's like, damn, I'll get that second chance. So I want to be, you know, I want to be the front runner for it. I want to really make changes. I want to be able to go talk in prisons. I want to be able to go physically, because when they see me, I know how to talk to them. Like, if I go talk to a juvenile hall, I know how to make them see me in them.

[JoJo Simmons]

Yeah, you relate. You fly, come through. You wear the stuff that they like. You know, you got the jewelry. And sometimes people say, oh, that's flashy. But sometimes that's the only way to connect to the younger generation.

[Corvain Cooper]

Only way they're not gonna wanna look.

[JoJo Simmons]

You know what I mean? And still say, well, these are the cool things to do and these are the uncool things to do. Yeah, I appreciate you coming out Corvain. I really do, man. It's your guy, JoJo Simmons. This is the 4 Good podcast, where we focus on the good and never the bad. Where we're measured on what we do and not what we have. Signing out, y' all. Peace.

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