Loyalty Over Royalty

CJ Continues His Hot Streak With The Economical ‘Hit Up’ Video

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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.

CJ Plays A Simmering Rendition Of ‘Bop’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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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.