Cousin Stizz- Trying To Find My Next Thrill (Track-by-Track Album Review)
The story of Cousin Stizz is a familiar one to the city of Boston. Inspired by the communal energy of the city’s vibrant hip-hop scene, Stizz broke out in 2015 with his fan-favorite tape Suffolk County. A year later, Monda arrived and was also met with applause. But recent times have shown what it means to ascend from local darling to a nationally recognized artist, one who is under constant pressure and dealing with audiences who often want who you were versus who you are and what you’re becoming.
In 2017, the star-studded album One Night Only elevated Stizz’s status in the industry, but some longtime supporters had mixed feelings. While not a misstep, ONO became a turning point for Stizz. As he’s said himself, artists create music based on their life in that moment. Certainly an understandable position and explanation for ONO’s direction. After experiencing the ins and outs of Los Angeles and its glamour, Stizz went back to work with a newfound perspective.
After wisely feeding fans with two 3-track EPs last year, Stizz is back before summer’s over and has delivered a new body of work titled Trying To Find My Next Thrill. There’s already been a strong positive reaction to the album and rightfully so. With much to say, we’re going to cover the project track-by-track to paint a full picture of a vision materialized through highs and lows.
- “Meds” (prod. Lil Rich)
A foreboding intro. The eeriness is similar to “Bonds” off Suffolk County, which makes sense with Lil Rich (executive producer) on the production. One of Stizz’s greatest strengths is the songwriting and delivery of his hooks. This quality is heard loud and clear here (‘I smoke the gas up, cause it’s my medicine’ is equally catchy and accurate). Powered by a trunk-rattling beat and descriptive lyrics touching on Stizz’s past, the classic motivational aspect of Stizz’s work resonates. The outro of “Meds” of a woman asking ‘what’s your next thrill’ stands out, creating a cinematic/conceptual focus which is different from previous Stizz albums. A top 3 song off the project and one that sets the tone for what’s to come.
2. “Perfect” (feat. City Girls, prod. Lil Rich)
The lead single off the project, “Perfect” has already achieved its purpose. Capitalizing off the ‘Hot Girl summer’ trending topic, Stizz links up with Young Miami of the City Girls to deliver a song that’s hit 1 million Spotify streams and counting. With Lil Rich behind the off-kilter production, Stizz finds a comfortable pocket and puts his flair for theatrics on display. “Perfect” is undeniably catchy and fitting for a club/live environment. Finding the right single is always of the utmost importance and thankfully this doesn’t sound too forced. It’s just Stizz having fun.
3. “Anonymous” (feat. Smino, prod. Kenny Beats)
Staying with the theme of fun, “Anonymous” thrives off the feeling of pure bliss. It’s like entering an arcade with Stizz when the Kenny Beats production kicks in. This collaboration has been in the making and it sounds exactly as it should. Stizz comes through with new flows/cadences, which is nice to hear and necessary considering how Smino tackles this beat with precision. “Anonymous” is one of the best feel-good records on the album.
4. “RR” (prod. Tedd Boyd & Tee-Watt)
When you see Tedd Boyd and Tee-Watt on the production credits, you know you’re going to hear quality. Stizz sounds comfortable as ever on “RR” despite the uneasiness of his words. You can visualize Stizz ‘blowing his problems through a blunt’ as he shares his trials, tribulations, and what he’s done over the years to overcome the obstacles of home and beyond. The spoken word outro adds a nice touch and further compliments the thematic aspects of TTFMNT. A great example of a song serving as a strong block to the greater foundation.
5. “STP” (prod. Take A Daytrip)
A tweet from Coley Mick from Barstool about the album: “Five tracks in and this sounds like a soundtrack to a Fast & Furious type movie but every car scene is a 27 mph blunt cruise.” We’d say this is an accurate description of “STP” in particular. Stizz and Take A Daytrip teaming up proves to be successful and was a logical single choice similar to “Perfect”. Another example of Stizz riding a captivating beat with mass appeal, yet not seeming like he’s reaching for a hit.
6. “Soso” (feat. $ean Wire, prod. Lil Rich & GIB DJ)
It’s customary for Stizz to feature another Boston artist on his projects. This one doesn’t come as a surprise after seeing $ean Wire with Stizz over the past few months. But to be honest, “Soso” exceeded our expectations. Typing this next to a beach hearing the Lil Rich & GIB DJ production ring off as $ean Wire delivers an impeccable opening chorus/bridge is an excellent feeling. Stizz sounds accomplished as ever in his opulent verse. But from a Boston point of view, we love hearing $ean’s voice command the record, it truly is Rolling Stone worthy. We strongly advise you to go listen to the rest of $ean’s work and it’s great to see his talent shine through with the spotlight on him. Fantastic hometown collaboration.
7. “Off With Ya Head” (prod. Lil Rich)
Jarring at first, Stizz utilizes an entirely new flow on the Lil-Rich produced “Off With Ya Head”. Some may point to Sheck Wes, who clearly ‘interpolated’ Stizz’s “Lambo” track on this DJ Snake record. Call it returning the favor I suppose. The energy here is consistent with the rest of the album and the experimentation makes for an interesting listen as the pace of things pick up. “Off With Ya Head” is bound to be a favorite at live shows.
8. “Toast 2 That” (prod. Tedd Boyd & Lil Rich)
The third and in our opinion, best pre-release single off the album. “Toast 2 That” features the almighty Freddie Gibbs, a collaboration that’s been highlight anticipated from us. Simply put, Tedd Boyd & Lil Rich serve up hard-hitting, exemplary production for Stizz to provide one of his best choruses on the album. As listeners rejoice in the celebratory mood, Gibbs comes in and just bodies the record. His rapping and breath control is second to none at this point. Stizz continues the spoken word outro method to speak on thrills and where he’s at in his artistic journey. This has been on repeat and will stay that way.
9. “Jump Out The Phone” (feat. Leven Kali & Brady Watt, prod. Lil Rich)
Featuring a smooth opening chorus from Leven Kali, Cousin Stizz gives us a record for the ladies in “Jump Out The Phone”. The relaxing, intoxicating nature of Kali’s vocals and Rich’s production compliments Stizz as a versatile mood-setter. There’s nothing overly complicated going here. A nice opportunity for Stizz to show some diversity and keep listeners engaged with relatable songwriting.
10. “Two Face” (prod. Mike Hector & Vado)
As expected, it’s good to see Mike Hector with a production credit on the album. “Two Face” is standard Stizz execution with its message of self-belief combined with witty punchlines. Nothing not to like here.
11. “What You Bout” (prod. DumDrumz & JewPaidro)
It’s also great to see DumDrumz on here as a producer of some of your favorite Stizz songs dating back to Suffolk County. “What You Bout” features another strong Stizz chorus, asking listeners about their vices and how they tie in with the concept of thrills. With the honest reflection in Stizz’s verses and head-nodding production laid down by DumDrumz and JewPaidro, “What You Bout” is a sleeper record on the project.
12. “Beamin” (prod. LDG & Brady Watt)
Most artists find themselves at their best when sincere introspection is offered in an inventive, but digestible fashion that’s unique to their own experience. “Beamin” fits the bill and is perhaps Stizz at peak maturity. With LDG providing fresh, captivating production, Stizz reflects about his journey since Suffolk County and the things that are still happening in the neighborhoods of his city. Lines like ‘I be thinkin bout shit way more than I speak about it, bro said ride with the beam on you cause the streets is cloudy’ are not only cleverly constructed, they’re poignant and leave a lasting impact. And when the production is taken to the next level on the outro with a powerful arrangement of horns (Potash Twins), strings (Johan Lenox) and bass (Brady Watt), it’s unlike any other Stizz record we’ve ever heard. Definitely a thrilling moment.
13. “Traumatized” (prod. Mike Hector, Dez Wright, & Brady Watt)
The last 3 records on TTFMNT deserve their own merit due to their thoughtfulness. “Traumatized” grows on you with each listen as Stizz holds people from his past accountable and describes what it’s taken to overcome struggles to be a leading voice, ‘How can I stop now I’m sellin hope, it’s the one who hold the pain who don’t show the most.’ Hector, Wright and Watt are a formidable triple threat on the production and another standout outro shows the extra time and care put forth on this record.
14. “The Message” (prod. Tee-Watt)
The last record on the album may be the most creative. With Tee-Watt providing a bright, intricate soundscape, Stizz pens a letter to himself sharing vivid details from his adolescence. Each anecdote takes listeners on a trip down memory lane with a personal touch that’s hard not to appreciate. And when Stizz closes things out saying he’s not done finishing this tale, you believe him and it adds an even greater impact to the full listening experience.
Final Thoughts
To close things out, it’s clear to us that Trying To Find My Next Thrill is right up there with the best of Stizz’s early work. The 14-song tracklist doesn’t contain much filter. Every collaboration adds to the bigger picture. The hooks and strong production are there as always. The extra instrumentation, spoken word outro’s and thematic focus are welcomed qualities to the Stizz arsenal.
By exerting patience and sticking with a tight-knit group of producers, Stizz crafted an album that’s both familiar to his longtime supporters and welcoming to a national audience that’s deserving of further expansion. From a local point of view it’s hard to believe, but in national circles some still consider Stizz as slept-on.
Personally, I don’t think TTFMNT would be of this caliber without Stizz making One Night Only first. Learning from the thrills and experiences of our past is what shapes the future. So for Cousin Stizz and the rest of the city, this album is worthy of a toast. There are more thrills to be had for everyone.
