Arif Cooper grew up around music from birth. His father, Michael "Ibo" Cooper from Third World, introduced him to the music industry from a young age, putting him through piano lessons, exposure to a large record collection as well as allowing him access to watch greats such as Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen and Sting (musician) in various studio and show settings. When Arif was old enough, Ibo brought Arif on tour to work with Third World (band) as a road crew member.
In 1991, based on his past exposure to the Jamaican sound system culture, Arif began DJing everything from house parties and local dances to nightclubs, and not long after, international festivals, and major international dancehall events. He was a founding member of Syndicate Disco in 1992-1997 and after leaving went on to establish himself internationally, DJing all over the world at clubs, parties and shows in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta and Japan. He has held residencies at Club Mirage, Jamaica and Club Soul, Atlanta and also toured with artists such as Sean Paul, Voice Mail, and Alaine.
Fresh Ear Productions was founded in 1997 when, after working on the development of 2 Hard Records, Cooper re-entered the world of production.