New York rap rookie CJ is on a non-stop tear in 2021. Fresh from an epic Hot 97 Summer Jam concert where he shocked hip-hop heads bringing out Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and Method Man along with rap stars like French Montana and DreamDoll, the Warner Records hitmaker has plenty to talk about. CJ […]
CJ’s new video “Hit Up” opens with something we’ve rarely seen in a rap video: A disclaimer pronouncing that all the illegal substances depicted are just props used for atmosphere. I’m not completely sure where I stand on rappers breaking kayfabe like this, but it sure got my attention. From there, CJ delivers the usual trappings of the many, many videos he’s dropped so far: The enormous crew shot, plenty of red bandanas, and a lot of fancy footwork as he raps over a spare but explosive drill beat.
It’ll certainly be familiar to anyone who’s seen CJ’s “Whoopty” video — or his explanation of it for Uproxx’s Behind The Video. It seems he’s fond of using his budget as efficiently as possible, so there are few bells or whistles — even his rider consists mainly of water bottles — but the shoot is dynamic enough to get his point across. For reference, check out the videos for his other Loyalty Over Royalty cuts, “Bop,” “Real One,” and “Set.”
Of course, he’s also shown a willingness to switch things up, as he did in his video for deluxe edition track “Lil Freak” with DreamDoll.
Watch CJ’s “Hit Up” video above.
CJ is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Staten Island standout CJ wisely keeps the “Whoopty” content coming, breaking down his viral hit’s video for Uproxx in Behind The Video. Surprising practically no one, he admits there was no concept for the video when he shot it and recalls that the shoot was a relatively quick one, taking place on a hot summer’s day. What may be surprising is the content of his behind-the-scenes rider, which consists of mostly water and trail mix — “no Hennessy or Patron or stuff like that,” he says.
When it comes to the comments, a truly astonishing number of them focus on his muttonchop sideburns, drawing comparisons to the X-Men‘s Victor Creed (BKA Sabretooth) and photos of Civil War soldiers. CJ takes the comments in stride, though, accepting the Sabertooth comparison and contending that the sideburns are popular with the ladies. When one commenter notes that “pointing at people is rude,” CJ agrees: “I guess I’m rude,” he chuckles.
The rapper also acknowledges the popularity of drill music in the UK, makes a recommendation for Hot Cheetos dusted elote (roasted corn!), and does little to clear up the question of his ambiguous ethnicity.
Watch the latest episode of Behind The Video above.
CJ is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In a bit of a curveball for his first Uproxx Sessions performance, buzzing Staten Island rapper CJ foregoes his big hit, “Whoopty,” in favor of playing a simmering rendition of its slick follow-up “Bop.” Sporting a low-key black-on-black ensemble, CJ delivers a pitch-perfect performance with all the restrained energy of the swaggering original recording.
CJ, who saw the 2020 “Whoopty” climb all the way to the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, was resolute in pursuing the success of his breakout hit with new music, following up with an EP, Loyalty Over Royalty, earlier this year. This past New Music Friday, he dropped a deluxe edition, which featured two remixes of “Whoopty” that approached the song from different angles.
On the NYC Remix, he recruited vocal doppelganger French Montana and the recently released Brooklyn drill prototype Rowdy Rebel to add complementary verses to his, then, on the Latin Mix, he employed fellow Latino artists Anuel AA and Ozuna to speak their piece. Not content to just ride remixes of his breakout, CJ also dropped videos for most of the songs on the EP, including “Bop,” “Real One,” and “Set,” then put out a new song from the deluxe, the sex-positive “Lil Freak” featuring fellow New Yorker DreamDoll.
Watch CJ’s Uproxx Sessions performance of “Bop” above.
UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.
CJ is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
You really have to give CJ credit; the kid hit it big with “Whoopty” and he’s been running with the ball ever since. While releasing his NYC Remix with French Montana and Rowdy Rebel and a Latin Mix with Anuel AA and Ozuna, he’s also kept up a steady stream of videos from his debut EP Loyalty Over Royalty. Today, he released a deluxe edition of the project containing the above-mentioned songs, as well as two new tracks. One, “Lil Freak” featuring fellow New Yorker DreamDoll, got the video treatment as well, and hallelujah, CJ finally changed locations for this one.
Removing himself from the dreary warehouse location of the “Real One” and “Set” videos, CJ lands in sunny Miami, where his tendency to rock his shirts unbuttoned fits right in. Here, he’s surrounded by bikini-clad women poolside at a hotel, where he professes his appreciation for — ahem — sex-positive women as his video vixens twerk around him. DreamDoll pops up halfway through the video to spit a high-speed verse while showing off her own gluteal tactics (“backward in heels” continues to hold true in the rap world).
Watch CJ’s “Lil Freak” video featuring DreamDoll above.
Loyalty Over Royalty (Deluxe Album) is out now on Warner Records. Get it here
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CJ is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Staten Island rapper CJ continues his quest to dominate pop culture with the video for “Set” from his debut EP Loyalty Over Royalty. This brings the total number of music videos from that project to five of eight, including “Whoopty,” his original breakout hit, “Bop,” its first follow-up, and “Real One,” which he released in the final week of March to extend his run.
In addition to the aforementioned videos from the EP, he’s also released multiple remixes of “Whoopty” to ensure maximum saturation. On the “NYC Remix,” he recruits French Montana, his vocal doppelganger, and Rowdy Rebel, the GS9 New York drill forebear who recently ended a six-year stint in prison, to hype up the Big Apple aspect of the standout hit. Then, he got in touch with his roots via the “Latin Mix,” which features Reggaeton/Latin trap stars Anuel AA and Ozuna to talk smack in Spanish.
To date, “Whoopty” by far remains CJ’s most popular track thanks to an infectious beat that even other rappers find irresistable. So far, Tierra Whack, Westside Boogie, Polo G, and Young M.A have all gone in with freestyles over the melodic loop, with more sure to come.
Watch CJ’s “Set” video above.
CJ is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
