Home Page

Cousin Stizz Really Likes Making Music — Especially When It’s ‘Just For You’

by
Cousin Stizz 2022 press photo
Zhamak Fullad

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.

Megan Thee Stallion Will Star In The Film ‘F*cking Identical Twins’ Alongside Bowen Yang And Others

by
Megan Thee Stallion 2022 Fanatics Super Bowl Party
Getty Image

Like a good handful of her music peers, Megan Thee Stallion is giving acting a shot: Variety reports today that she has been cast in F*cking Identical Twins, alongside Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, and Saturday Night Live‘s Bowen Yang.

The A24 film is an R-rated musical comedy from comedians Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp, who are adapting it from their two-man stage show, which they premiered at Manhattan’s Upright Citizens Brigade in 2014. They’re writing the script as well as playing the two lead roles.

This one has been in the works for a while, as 20th Century originally acquired the rights to adapt the stage musical in 2016. Larry Charles, director of Borat and a Seinfeld staff writer, is directing the movie, which is currently in production.

Variety notes of the movie, “F*cking Identical Twins takes inspiration from Hallie and Annie’s mischievous exploits in The Parent Trap and follows two business adversaries who realize they’re identical twin brothers. They decide to switch places in order to reunite their divorced parents and become a family again.”

Meg has a bit of acting experience, as she popped up in a 2020 episode of Good Girls.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Too Short’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert Is Here And It’s Glorious

by

Go ahead and file Too Short’s Tiny Desk Concert as one of the most unexpected entries in NPR’s series, but the Oakland rapper totally owns it. Literally sitting on a makeshift desk made to look like an 808 drum machine and backed by a full band, he delivered a slew of classics new and old in a unique fashion.

The set opened with “The Ghetto” featuring backing R&B singer Maurice Smith humming the chorus. “Yo waddup? It’s ya boy Too Short in the house,” he said introducing the details of the set. “Yeah, we doin’ it like this: We’re gonna run through some Too Short classics. Basically, I’mma play you a Too Short song from the past five decades. The ’80s, the ’90s, the 2000s, the 2010s, and the 2020s. How many artist you know that got relevant records in five decades? That’s what I’m talkin’ about. Classic man, legendary, Too Short. Representin’ East Oakland, California. Biiiiitch, yea!”

That’s exactly what he and the band did, playing a jazzy R&B version of “Gettin It,” with a saxophone bellowing and silky keys guiding the track. Then a string-section sample paints the canvas for an expansive rock and roll version of “Blow The Whistle” that culminates with a guitar solo. The instrumental hook of “Big Subwoofer,” by the Mount Westmore rap supergroup of Too Short, E-40, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube, brought things to a close as Short said, “The new thang is Mount Westmore….We been doing this sh*t since the ’80s and we ain’t gonna stop any time soon! Short dawg in the house! Biiiiitch!”

Too Short has indeed been a prolific force in West Coast rap since the 80s and this performance flashes unprecedented range. Give the man his flowers. He’s earned them.

Watch Too Short’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert above.

Lizzo Hunts For A New Tour Dance Squad In Her Amazon Prime Show ‘Watch Out For The Big Grrrls’

by

Lizzo is on the lookout for new dancers to join her tour and what better way to find them than a reality TV competition? That’s the premise of Watch Out For The Big Grrrls, coming to Amazon Prime Video on March 25. In the show, Lizzo recruits 10 women for a dance boot camp at the Big Grrrls House, as they compete for a spot on Lizzo’s tour team.

Throughout her career, Lizzo has been very vocal and earnest about her experiences maneuvering in the entertainment industry as a plus-sized woman, and she makes it clear in the trailer above that she wants to use her power as a superstar to extend more opportunities to women like herself. “Girls that look like me don’t get representation,” she says. “It’s time to pull up my sleeves and find them myself.”

Despite her struggles, Lizzo has been extremely body-positive through the years, and very successful whether you believe it’s because or despite her appearance. She’s unafraid to strip down to promote her music and even enthusiastically reached out to Cardi B for a potential Playboy pictorial. Meanwhile, her music has appeared in countless avenues, from television and film to the Grammys to Barack Obama’s list of favorite songs. It seems almost certain that her show will have the same impact.

Watch the trailer for Lizzo’s Amazon series, Watch Out For The Big Grrrls above.

$NOT Lives For The Moment On His New Album ‘Ethereal’

by
SNOT Ethereal Interview
300 Entertainment

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.

Teenage rebellion has long been considered part and parcel of the hip-hop package and perhaps no modern rapper exemplifies this like $NOT. Emerging from Florida’s SoundCloud rap scene in 2018 with the pulverizing “Gosha,” the 24-year-old rapper could have been described as “teenage rebellion” personified. But what happens when teenage rebels grow up? $NOT shows glimpses on his new album, Ethereal, but he isn’t quite ready to leave his punk-rap roots completely behind.

Born in New York, but raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, $NOT bears every hallmark of the scene’s flourishing heyday. Like many other members of the Florida rap community, many of his more popular songs feature tortured, distorted bass, screaming, thrash-inspired vocals. He even has a signature look: A light hoodie pulled tight around his face that he’s rarely seen without – much like Ski Mask The Slump God’s durag or the mask of MF DOOM.

But he’s also always been something of an outsider to that culture as well. While he’s been largely defined by the accouterments of the scream-rap style, he’s also shown a more tender side. For instance, on “Revenge” from his debut album Beautiful Havoc, he dabbles in more melodic production, with mellow acoustic guitars and a singsong vocal delivery. And on Ethereal, he pursues these instincts much more enthusiastically, on introspective cuts like “Blue Moon” and “5AM,” which he calls his favorite song from the album on a Zoom call with Uproxx ahead of its release.

“I’m just like, ‘Yo, let me use my sound but let me add a little spice to it,’” he says of the departure. “It’s just one of those songs that hit different when it’s slow, but it’s still crazy when it’s fast, when it’s normal. When I recorded it, I didn’t have a thought process or anything. I just did what I wanted to do on it.” He does confess that the sharp left turn could alienate some of his day-one fans, but he also accepts that as part of the bargain when it comes to expanding his sound and doing what he wants.

“I don’t know if the fans will receive it well,” he admits. “That’s how it always is. Those are really experimental to me. ‘5 AM,’ that’s really experimental to my sound. It’s still true to my sound, but it’s like… it’s in my world but it’s in a different universe.” $NOT accepts that the perception of him as an artist doesn’t necessarily jive with the musical output he’s released so far. Part of that is down to the viral videos of his raucous performances, which he uses to grow his legend by reworking even his more mellow material to suit the live format.

“Even my name sounds crazy – like me in a mosh pit, it fits the name and everything,” he says. “But if you listen to the music, it’s very calm like chill. That’s how I am. But when I perform, I try to rage with those songs too. It’s kind of crazy, I’ll be trying to get the crowd to open a mosh pit for the saddest song.” That reputation for turning up has made him one of the more exciting talents, but he’s learning that his recklessness can have as many negative effects as positive ones.

Case in point, lead single “Doja” featuring ASAP Rocky. The song is a classic slice of that anti-establishment formula, fitting right into the skate-punk rap aesthetic that Rocky and ASAP Mob cultivated in the early 2010s. $NOT admits that the song’s title is a double entendre, and could refer to either the rapper Doja Cat or the slang term for weed, but in his verse, he mentions her by name. “I’ll f*ck a b*tch named Doja Cat,” he gibes, gloating in that exaggerated way common to hip-hop. However, a mistranslation on lyrics sites brought the song to the attention of the actual Doja Cat, who shot back, “You f*cked who?” on Twitter. After she deleted the reply, $NOT himself clarified that the lyric was misconstrued but by then, the damage had been done – or the song’s attention-grabbing purpose was served, depending on how you look at it.

“When all that shit was happening, I didn’t care,” he admits. “I was like, ‘Whatever. If this is going to bring more shit to the song, go ahead. It’s working.’ Some people thought it was a diss track towards Doja, but I’m like, ‘I got no animosity towards Doja.’ She looks good and I didn’t really think much about it, and plus, I needed some shit to rhyme with. So I’m saying ‘scat, pack, Doja Cat.’ It ain’t nothing too deep about it. They just think I’m trying to degrade women and all that, but I don’t know, it’s rap. I’m just being real grimy.”

Ironically, for such a reckless rapper, one who admittedly doesn’t put much thought into lyrics or even his album’s title (“I thought it was a cool word,” he explains. “It was a tattoo on a girl’s neck”), he’s already got his retirement plan figured out. When asked what he wants to have accomplished by next year, he says, “I’ll be like, ‘Yo, I own a gas station, bro. Come get this gas, it’s the cheapest gas out here, $1 a gallon.’” It’s hard to tell if he’s joking. The music on Ethereal is the same way; it could be deadly serious or totally frivolous, but it’s always captivating.

Ethereal is out now via 300 Entertainment. You can stream it here.

SNOT is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lil Dicky’s Offbeat Comedy ‘Dave’ Has Been Renewed For A Third Season

by
lil dicky and gata dave
Getty Image

Fans of the offbeat hip-hop comedy series Dave can rest easy — Lil Dicky‘s heartfelt yet absurdist brainchild has been renewed for a third season, as confirmed by the show’s official Twitter.

While the confirmation announcement is light on details — when does the show return? Who are the guest stars? How does the show’s Lil Dicky restart his career after blowing off the opportunity of a lifetime to remain loyal to his hype man and the show’s best character, GaTa? — it’s enough to reassure those of us who have been re-bingeing the show on Hulu for the last six months that at least the answers to those questions are forthcoming.

The show is named after its creator — Dicky’s real name is Dave Burd — and loosely based on his life and early career as an aspiring albeit awkward rapper, reproducing such moments as his first radio appearance, his XXL Freshman cypher, and his first big television performance, all while heightening both the drama and the comedy of those events to borderline belief-straining levels of ridiculousness.

The approach has paid off, making Dave one of the most beloved new comedies of the past two years and earning it comparisons — however misguided — to other contemporary classics like Donald Glover’s Atlanta. It’s also revitalized Lil Dicky’s entertainment career, giving him an outlet for his comedic proclivities while finally letting the rest of the world in on the joke. Whenever the show returns, it’ll be with a huge audience — and while we won’t know exactly what to expect, we’ll at least be expecting to laugh and sob in nearly equal measure.

R. Kelly Hires Bill Cosby’s Appellate Attorney After Losing His Chicago Legal Team

by
R.-Kelly.jpg
Getty Image

The Chicago Tribune reports that R. Kelly, who was recently convicted on charges of racketeering in New York, has dismissed his Chicago-based legal team to employ the attorney who successfully appealed Bill Cosby’s conviction as his defense for his upcoming Chicago sex abuse case. Calling into court from the Brooklyn jail where he’s awaiting sentencing in his prior conviction, Kelly told US District Judge Harry Leinenweber that he was switching representation to Jennifer Bonjean for the August trial.

Bonjean represented Cosby’s appeal in Pennsylvania after he was convicted of sexual assault in 2018. The conviction was overturned by a split court which found that Cosby had been unfairly prosecuted due to an agreement made with a previous district attorney in exchange for his cooperation in a civil lawsuit from one of his alleged victims. The incriminating statements he made while under this agreement were used as a driving factor in his eventual conviction, which caused justices reviewing the appeal to write, “Denying the defendant the benefit of that decision is an affront to fundamental fairness, particularly when it results in a criminal prosecution that was foregone for more than a decade.”

Bonjean is already working on Kelly’s New York appeal, for which he was granted an extension due to a COVID-19 diagnosis. However, she’ll have little time to get up to speed on the Chicago case; Kelly’s two co-defendants, Derrel McDavid and Milton “June” Brown, want the case to proceed to trial on schedule. Meanwhile, Kelly could receive up to 10 years in federal prison when he’s sentenced in May. Meanwhile, his Chicago case primarily revolves around his efforts to bribe or coerce witnesses in his 2008 child pornography trial. Incidentally, Cosby says he believes R. Kelly was railroaded.

The Lil Peep Wrongful Death Lawsuit Will Proceed To Trial After Judge’s Ruling Of ‘Causal Connection’

by
lil peep lawsuit
Getty Image

The lawsuit against late rapper Lil Peep’s record label First Access Entertainment will proceed to trial according to Rolling Stone, which reports that a Los Angeles judge denied the label’s request to dismiss the suit filed by Peep’s mother Liza Kathryn Womack.

Womack filed the suit in 2019, two years after the rapper’s death from an overdose of fentanyl in November of 2017, citing negligence and wrongful death due to FAE’s tour manager Belinda Mercer providing artists on the Come Over When You’re Sober tour drugs including cocaine, ketamine, Percocet, and Xanax. Among Womack’s other bases for suing were allegations that no one on the tour bus was trained in “life-saving apparatuses” for treating overdose such as Narcan or defibrillators — neither of which were provided — nor even to recognize signs of an overdose in the first place.

Judge Teresa A. Beaudet declared that the evidence provided by Peep’s mother was enough to establish a “causal connection” with Peep’s death, although she also ruled statements from Peep’s fellow musician and labelmate Cold Hart inadmissible as hearsay. Hart had claimed Peep’s managers telling the rapper to make “himself sick from taking a bunch of Xanax” to get out of a show without losing money. However, because he had not personally witnessed this, it could not be considered evidence.

Part of his statement was eligible though, as he was able to attest to Mercer providing the drugs to those on the bus. Beaudet acknowledged this part in her ruling, saying, “There’s no question there’s a triable issue as to whether (Mercer) provided the drugs or not. If you’re going to create an environment like that where drugs are flowing, and you’re providing it, and hey, you actually don’t have any life-saving device or any Narcan to help people who are going to have a problem with these drugs, it seems to me you are creating a very dangerous situation there… The fact (that the defendants) didn’t give the decedent adequate protection for that environment, I think that could add up to causation here.”

Unfortunately for Womack, Beaudet did dismiss similar charges against Peep’s co-manager, Bryant “Chase” Ortega, saying that the evidence did not show Ortega “directed” the negligence leading to Peep’s death. Peep’s mom also says that the label owes her $4 million from the rapper’s merch and music sales, which is being withheld in an effort to stall her lawsuit against them.

Quavo Is Now A Playable Character In NBA 2K22 But He’s Not Happy About His Player Rating

by
quavo basketball
Getty Image

In addition to being one-third of Atlanta rap trio Migos, Quavo is becoming increasingly well known for his love of basketball. He’s participated in the NBA’s All-Star celebrity game multiple times, winning the MVP award for the game in 2018, and helped launch Bleacher Report’s inaugural All-Star adjacent two-on-two game last year alongside 2 Chainz, Jack Harlow, and Lil Baby. Now, not only is he participating in the celebrity game again this year, but he’s also going to play in actual NBA games — NBA video games, that is.

Quavo was announced as the latest playable character in NBA 2K22, which is out now via 2K Games. The rapper made the announcement in an Instagram post showing off his character model during gameplay, and from the clips provided, it’s a frighteningly good likeness, right down to Quavo’s signature, iced-out glasses frames — which he would probably never wear in a real game. However, judging from the caption he added, it seems he has one major quibble with his in-game presentation.

“@ronnie2k why are u one point away from being rated the same as me?” he wondered, tagging 2K Games’ infamous digital marketing director Ronnie Singh, who was also added to the game as a playable character. “Who Rated Me??” Of course, players always tag Ronnie with qualms about their in-game player ratings, something the social media star made clear is always tongue-in-cheek and orchestrated to hype the game up (he, of course, probably has a lot of say in how he’s rated in-game, despite being far from NBA-ready). So, it really wouldn’t be official without some light griping from the game’s newest star, would it?

Check out Quavo’s announcement and in-game likeness below.

Kanye West Sends Love To Kid Cudi Days After Saying He Wouldn’t Appear On ‘Donda 2’

by
Kanye West Kid Cudi 2009 SXSW
Getty Image

The last week has been quite tumultuous for Kanye West and Kid Cudi. They’ve been close collaborators for 15 years now and, despite their differences, Kanye has always lent a hand to Cudi in times of need. Recently Cudi, who’s been very vocal about his struggles with mental health, sent out a concerning message on Instagram. “God…please watch over me and keep my mind sane,” Cudi wrote. “I could use it right now. To anyone who feels alone, I’m with you and I love you.” Kanye caught wind of the message and re-shared it to his Instagram page with the caption, “Love you family.”

Cudi did not directly respond to Kanye’s message, but he did share a message of appreciation to fans who showed him support. “I really wanna say thank u for all the love yall been givin me the past few days,” Cudi wrote. “U have no idea how much u all mean to me. I am forever grateful to have so much love and support from all over the world and I wont let yall down. I love you all. [prayer hands and heart emoji].”

The rapper’s exchange comes after some bad blood emerged between them. Kanye recently said he won’t put Cudi on his upcoming album, Donda 2, due to Cudi’s friendship with Pete Davidson who is currently dating his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. Cudi responded to Kanye’s message about Donda 2 and wrote in part, “Too bad I dont wanna be on ur album u f*ckin dinosaur hahaha.”