Cousin Stizz

A native of Boston, Cousin Stizz is an MC with a direct, laid-back flow and confident lyrics about his life experiences. He grew up listening to ’90s hip-hop acts like A Tribe Called Quest and the Notorious B.I.G., but when he heard Southern rapper Gucci Mane, he became enamored with the slow, hypnotic beats of trap. He built up a buzz with his self-issued mixtapes, then made his major-label debut with One Night Only in 2017, followed by the 2019 full-length Trying to Find My Next Thrill. He became an independent artist again, and released Just for You in 2022.
Initially a member of a group called Pilot Nation, Stizz (born Stephen Goss) set out on his own, releasing his debut, Suffolk County, as a free download in 2015. With minimal promotion, the release gained a word-of-mouth following, attracting the attention of Drake and Mac Miller (who invited Stizz to open for him on tour). Second mixtape Monda, named after a friend who passed away as a teenager, appeared in 2016. Suffolk County was issued on vinyl by Omertà, Inc. in 2017, the same year Stizz signed to RCA Records. The “Headlock” single (featuring Offset of Migos) preceded One Night Only, which dropped in May. Moving quickly, Stizz followed up later that year with a pair of non-album singles in “Living Like Khaled” and “Lace Up.” In 2018, he issued the All Adds Up EP, which included the tracks “Shop,” “Did It,” and “Way Up.” Cold Times appeared a month later.
The following year saw the arrival of Stizz’s sophomore full-length effort, Trying to Find My Next Thrill. City Girls guested on the track “Perfect,” and a subsequent remix featured Doja Cat and BIA. Stizz released a few more singles on RCA before leaving the label. Several tracks were independently released in 2021, including “Say Dat” and “Lethal Weapon,” before Just for You appeared in 2022, with Curren$y making a guest appearance. ~ Paul Simpson