Smino may not be the biggest star in the rap game, but man is he not one of the most consistent going right now? The St. Louis, Missouri do-it-all artist never seems to truly disappoint whether it be in terms of singles or projects. We can certainly say that as of now as well, because everything he has put out in 2024 has been nothing short of sensational. In Febraury, Smino would come back strong with “mister misfit but ain’t missed a fit in months”. This track was released to essentially remind people that he’s got it like that. Then, just a few months later, he would give us “Polynesian”. A fun summer banger with loads of character and blissful production. Now, Smino is back just before the end of July with “Nokia”.
This single sees the “Wild Irish Roses” MC tack on a Cousin Stizz feature, making it his first collaboration of the year. On “Nokia”, these two give you some bars about linking up with a female. While we would say this isn’t Smino’s best work out of the three, it is certainly another respectable outing. One of most fun moments on the record is the inclusion of the original Nokia ringtone from back in the day at the beginning. Additionally, the chorus is clever and delivered in such a goofy and creative fashion. “I sent you this s*** from a Noki-a / This b**** eat me up like some gnocchi, uh / Yeah, I whip the Tesla, it ain’t got no key, bruh / I was f***in’ shawty on the lowski, hush“. At this point we just want the new Smino album.
I rеally can ball, I can hoop (Splash) And me and your bitch in cahoots (Me) Only thing I know is win, no tie, don’t bе wearing no suits (Me) I’m in here sipping my sins, been smoking my sorrows aloof (Me) Hop in the stu and go stup’, I put the “ooh” in the Lou
Most people might know Cousin Stizz for his party banger “Perfect” with the City Girls and its remix featuring Doja Cat and BIA. However, the Boston, Massachusetts MC is showing that he has stories to tell. “On The Muscle,” may be one of Cousin Stizz’s best written songs, as he talks about it being hard to trust others. However, there are also themes of showing that you need to make sacrifices to get to where you want to be in life. Essentially, you should strive to become a self-made and prideful person and not skate through obstacles.
We should be attacking them head on every time and that is a message we want to hear more in modern rap. Stizz raps deliberately, helping his words and point get across clearly and from the start. What also makes “On The Muscle” so enjoyable for us is the entrancing beat. That comes from the beautiful looping guitar sample and the simple but bassy beat.
It is quite possible that Cousin Stizz is working hard at getting a new album out this year. Since March 1, he has been dropping a steady rate. In fact, “On The Muscle” is his seventh single since that point. For now though, be sure to run up the streams on what is a quality track with a great message to boot.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new single, “On The Muscle,” by Cousin Stizz? Is this the best track he has dropped as of late, why or why not? What is your favorite element of the track and why? Do you think he has a new album in the works for 2024? Does he deserve more shine than he is getting right now? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Cousin Stizz. Finally, stay with us for the most informative song posts throughout the week.
For residents of Massachusetts, one of the main festivals they can look forward to every year is Boston Calling. Now, thanks to Cousin Stizz and friends, there’s a new festival in town and it could be around for the foreseeable future. The inaugural Commonwealth Fest was announced today by Cousin Stizz and friends and it arrived with a message from the rapper. “This MY first show back in a year too and it’s gon be one of those ones,” he wrote. “Got some homies from all over the country plus some of the best from home.. some BIG surprises comin too.”
The Commonwealth Fest, which kicks off the weekend of September 16 and 17, is headlined by Cousin Stizz himself as well as rappers Buddy and Kenny Mason. The full list of performers features names from New England that include SuperSmashBroz, Michael Christmas, Borirock, Jiles (of Van Buren Records), Alondrugs, Avenue, Kei, Clark D, Snax, Nay $peaks, Tyler Loyal, and Nino Francis. Tony Shhnnow and Jenno represent the additional performers from outside of the New England area. The Commonwealth Fest will take place at Bellforge Arts Center in Medfield, Massachusetts in a two-day showcase presented by Stay Silent, a Rhode Island-based creative platform.
You can view the festival lineup in the post above. Tickets for the Commonwealth Fest go on sale Friday, August 11 at 10 am EST through the festival’s website.
It’s been five years since the deadly shooting that occurred at a show in which Cousin Stizz was on the bill.
A new development regarding the incident shows that Sony is actually partly responsible for the tragedy.
Rapper Coustin Stizz performs onstage during day one of the Rolling Loud Festival at Banc of California Stadium. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
As the 2017 performance at the Atlanta venue, The Masquerade was ongoing, a shooter opened fire on the crowd. The Boston native was one of the performers getting ready to take the stage later in the night. The shooter is responsible for hitting four innocent members of the audience. Two of them, Giovan Diaz and Ewell Ynoa, passed away from their injuries sustained that night.
The police were later successful in identifying the suspect as 25-year-old Jonathan Bautista. He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of murder.
On December 15, a DeKalb County judge ordered Sony Music Holdings to pay $160 million in damages for the incident. The judge labels the company’s failure to protect concertgoers as the reason. Additionally, the victims’ families allege the venue didn’t have proper security present. The awarded money will go to the families of the victims.
Furthermore, the Beasley Allen Law Firm is responsible for filing the lawsuit in 2018. They named Sony and RCA Records, as well as Live Nation and Masquerade as defendants in the case.
To make matters worse, reports indicate that Sony never even showed up for the trial.
Consider what the court elocutions of rappers like Gunna or Slimelife Shawty mean in terms of civil liability. Musicians are stating plainly that their label was a front for criminal activity. There are dozens of victims of violent crime – all potential litigants – in this case.
“One of these men had been told he would be a father just a few hours before the shooting happened. Combine that with the fact the concert endangered everyone, and this Defendant refused to participate in the legal process, and you get the type of verdict we saw here,” Atlanta lawyer Parker Miller says in a statement, explaining the outcome.
Earlier this year, Cousin Stizz dropped off his latest project, Just For You. Boasting a feature from Curren$y, the 13-track album finds the 30-year-old reflecting on years of abiding by label restrictions.
What are your thoughts on the ruling? Comment down below. As always, make sure to stay tuned to HNHH for the latest industry and pop culture updates.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
A little over two years ago, Boston’s Cousin Stizz was Trying To Find My Next Thrill. The title of his 2019 sophomore album presented a man searching for the next excitement in his rap career. He’d won the hearts of those in his hometown through his first two mixtapes, 2015’s Suffolk County and 2016’s Monda, and well as his 2017 major-label debut One Night Only. He’d collaborated with some big names in music like Offset, Smino, Freddie Gibbs, Yung Miami from City Girls, and more. So a search for his next thrill through two albums and two mixtapes made sense.
In 2022, though, Stizz returns with his third album, Just For You. The 13-track project is a mostly solo effort, with just one guest feature from Curren$y. While the Boston native’s search for his next thrill is ongoing, he continues this journey with a project crafted for those who adore him the most. Stylistically, it’s quite reminiscent of Suffolk County and Monda. Backed by strong production from Kal Banx, Charlie Heat, Latrell James, Luke Crowder, and more, Cousin Stizz runs the show from start to finish with equal amounts of precision and finesse.
Fresh off the release of his new album, we caught up with Cousin Stizz to talk about the project, how it’s been searching for his next thrill, the Boston hip-hop scene, and more.
Pandemic things aside, what have you spent the last two, going on three, years doing that brings us Just For You.
Learning bro, literally. Just been learning the game, where I want to be, and where I see myself in the game. Learning life things, you know, things for myself to just help me grow and put us here.
I really liked the idea and concept behind Trying To Find My Next Thrill. Where do you feel like you are on that journey and what place does ‘Just For You’ have on this journey?
Ironically, I feel like Just For You is filling that void. I feel like right after I made Trying To Find My Next Thrill, the world shut down. I went on my own about the business, so that and all the things that happened in the midst of that, it kind of just ironically became that.
Speaking about Just For You specifically, what was/were your biggest intention(s) with this project?
Man, I just wanted to really put something out. My biggest intention was just to get some music out and really just kind of see how people feel about it. My biggest intention was just to get my point across and see how people felt about it because it’s been a while.
You released two projects under RCA, and now you’re back on the independent route, what went into this decision especially ahead of this project?
I think it was just where I saw myself in my journey and where I want to be. I feel like I kind of have to build my foundation just to make sure everything is done the way I want it to be done.
The scarcity of features on this album reminds me of Suffolk Country and Monda. Why did you choose to completely lock in with yourself this one?
I like making music, you know? And I make a sh*t ton of music that doesn’t get out there for people to hear, but I like making music. It’s not even a thing that I do intentionally. I just make music and everybody ain’t there when I’m making music. I make music a lot of time at my crib around like one or two in the morning. I’m rapping from like, 10 pm to 6 am in my crib. So it’s like who am I really around during those times, but myself?
So it’s not really like an intentional thing because I like the people I like and I like working with the people I’ve worked with, we’ve made great music. I make music for myself and I tried to keep my fans in mind when I’m making the music as well because, without them, there’s no me, but I really make music for me.
What are some things you wanted or tried to do differently on Just For You compared to your previous releases?
I kind of try to always do that. I know what I’m good at. I know what I do well. I always leave pieces of that in records because that’s what you should do. I know what people want to hear from me, for the most part, but at the same time, in order to keep it exciting for me, I always gotta just try things and let that part of me go.
Being able to put out five albums and still get the attention you get is a blessing. What keeps the love alive for crafting projects each time around?
Man, that is a blessing and I’m super grateful for it. I think that’s half of it, just knowing that it’s been since 2019 and I’m still getting some type of love and that’s crazy to me. I’m just super appreciative of that, and that alone helps me love this sh*t a lot. It shows me people care, and when people tell me that they care — those real person-to-person interactions where a motherf*cker come up to you and they tell you “This record helped me” or “This record did this for me or that for me” — that keeps the love in the game for me every single trip. Plus, I just like making music, it’s something I was doing for free, it’s something I would do for free. They say if you don’t love your job, you should quit and it’s like I just like making music.
Looking back at your days of doing cyphers at 12For12 and dropping Suffolk Country to where you are now, you’ve accomplished plenty in your career. What are some personal goals you what to check off for yourself and your legacy?
I want to be the best in my eyes. When I feel like I’ve accomplished that — and I got a long way to go — but when I feel like I accomplish that, then I’ll be okay. I don’t even know what that means because we always feel like we can get better, especially with music or with any art, you feel like something can be better with something. But whenever I feel like I’ve got to this point and I can look back and say I’ve done something, I’ve helped a lot of people, and I’ve taken care of everybody that I needed to be taken care of, then I feel like I could be like, right.
When we look at the Boston scene, acts that you came up with (Latrell James, Avenue, Kadeem, etc.) are still working. Then there are acts like Van Buren Records, Sean Wire, BIA, Najee Janey, and more who are getting their shine now. How does what you see going on in the scene feel to you? Is it reminiscent of what you experienced in the city during your own come-up?
Shoutout to everybody that you named. I think it’s super f*cking dope. I think around the time that we were doing what were doing, it was really me and all my friends. I remember booking venues that we were going to and sh*t like that, I remember being there for all of that. Now, it’s a bunch of different cliques and crews doing their thing and that sh*t is fire. I think that’s super important. You need a bunch of different energies in order to make a scene and I think that’s what’s starting to happen. I think that’s what is happening. Shoutout to all those kids, keep doing y’all things, keep going, keep being consistent, and don’t stop. Literally, just don’t stop.
In these few years, as you’ve worked on the latest chapter of your career, what was the best advice that you received?
There’s been a couple of different gems, but really one of the best [pieces of] advice that anyone’s ever given me is that this sh*t does not stop. Once you get to what feels like your goal, it just kind of restarts. You put a new goal on yourself, just so just know that when you’re in this, there’s no break. So if you’re willing to understand that and you’re willing to make those types of sacrifices, then this is for you. If you’re not willing to be that then, maybe you should try something else.
Just For You is out now via Stizz Music Inc. You can stream it here.
