Fab Five #4: An Interview w/ CRUZIN
CRUZIN, the Bronx MC signed to MIKE's 10k Global, returns from a 3 year hiatus to talk recentering his mental, NoClue, hope for the future and the 5ish albums that inspire him.
What feels like a lifetime ago, I started using Twitter. At 16 I was scrolling through memes and sports updates, fucking off in class with one Skull Candy headphone expertly running up my sweater sleeve allowing me to play Tha City or 700-Fill while my teacher droned on about physics (the one class I ever failed.) This combination of ignoring my school work, playing rap music, and scrolling is how I lived most of the COVID lockdown, some 5 years later. It was through this ritual I’d discover NoClue, a crew of kids in their late teens and early 20s from across the East Coast making music in the mold of all the underground guys running Bandcamp that I thought only I knew.
The mix of rappers and producers Amir Bilal, illohim, 98Preem, Argov, Bart Buurman, blackchai, Riley Lamarre and CRUZIN shattered fuzzy dirt filled records from under the dollar bin section into hypnotic, knotting rap songs. As time went on, lockdown got weird and eventually lifted, and some guys got shit popping outside of my corner of the internet. Argov has since scored beat placements with Earl Sweatshirt, R.A.P. Ferreira, and Your Old Droog (his most famous contribution coming in the form of “Uzbekistan,” which was originally used by the crew). Last year, blackchai released the astounding August Fanon-produced tornado Otherwise A Blur and followed it up this year with another fantastic collab album, this time with illohim on Pathfinders. Some slowly faded out of music as life got back to normal, dripping out features or EPs in their free time. CRUZIN seemed to be on that hobbyist path until 2022, when he began working with 10k Global, the budding label headed by the underground pied piper and fellow New Yorker, MIKE.
His debut EP on the 10k label was 2022’s Love Keeps It Going, a dreamy synthesis of blunted nights staring at the stars and the casual therapy of shit talking sessions with the homies. A handful of features arrived in 2022, marking the last time anyone heard from the Bronx Sound Bomber. Until last week when he released the double single “Open Mic Nite / Express,” one a stream of thought lament on life’s little moments, the other a crunchy neck snapper.
Inspired by these new joints, I wielded the power of the internet one more time (this time using Instagram) connecting with CRUZIN to talk about his career to date, the 5 albums that inspire him, learning and growing through the power of community, fire ass sad music, and the hope of Zohran Mamdani’s election to Mayor of NYC.
The following interview took place over the phone on November 7th, 2025 and has been shortened and cleaned up for clarity.
Anthony (The Linx): I’ve been a fan of your stuff for a minute, back to the NoClue days. How did you meet all of those guys?
CRUZIN: One of the first people I met was illohim and 98Preem before NoClue was a thing. We were just mutuals on Twitter talking about music, current events, all that. I met Amir and Riley in a similar way, through Twitter. At that time, Amir was starting to drop, and he was tough. Riley, too, his beats were fire. From there, I started dropping in 2019. I asked illohim if he wanted to go unite as a group, and he suggested, “Yo Amir, Riley, 98Preem, they got a crew going, let’s talk to them.”
Amir and Riley were in New York, and we all had a studio session at Bart Buurman’s crib when he was in Brooklyn, and we were locked in ever since. A lot of what we created during that time, we needed for ourselves, healing wise. It was a good space to escape from reality whenever we’d make music or hop just on Discord in a group chat.
Were you already recording before you got involved with them or was that the very start?
Before I met them, I recorded something for a homie, there’s like an interlude floating around on the internet. I recorded a poem I wrote for this interlude, but I was always interested on working in recording, I just never really had the equipment. What really got my brain turning was helping with a podcast from 2017 to 2019, I got involved in the vocal editing. I had some free audio editor learning, barebones basics from the studio engineer. He’d send me the files, let me chop it up and mix it. It got me inspired like “Yo, what if I actually recorded all this stuff I was writing? What if I got the proper equipment?” I feel like everybody has jailbroken FruityLoops in they life *laugh*
I remember being inspired by Yeezus or something and downloading FruityLoops. I was young, I had no guide or references though. When I got around NoClue I started going to more underground shows, tapping into the local scene. All that really brought me to the conclusion of, I can really do this. I got a mic, an interface, started with the bedroom raps, and now I’m here.
Going to those early underground shows, who were the artists you were drawn to?
The whole sLUms movement. MIKE and King Carter. Going to a show of everyone that was sLUms involved was a great time. Fun music and so much love in the room. Also going to Deep Cover, this vintage shop that closed in like 2019 or 2020. Theravada would always be there, and because of him, I learned about so many people in the local scene. I cop some drip sometimes and just chill there. Because of them, I was tapping in with Armand Hammer, Mach-Hommy, that whole side of the underground.
How old were you at this time?
I’m bad with time, so like 21-22.
That’s 2019, then COVID happens the next year. How did it affect your artistic path? Did it throw things off for you or make you just lock in more?
Honestly, 2018 to 2020 were some of the craziest years of my life. On some personal shit, I went through some of the worst events. Throughout that I was still going out and living. I remember that whole 2019 summer…my mom had a situation that led to her being in Hospice care…all summer I would visit my mom at the Hospice center in the morning, and by the night I’d be at a show or somewhere else in the city. My whole summer ‘19. Going out, then going to the hospital, trying to make it work.
One day I was caught up on something, and she was like, “If I go, you can’t just stop.” She told me that a few months before she passed, and still to this day I gotta remind myself that. Still to this day, I gotta tell myself that ‘cause y’know grief never really goes away but you learn to live with it.
That’s a strong message to live and ride with. That’s something that always stuck out in your music. That self-motivation, fighting through everything in life. Is that a conscious choice to make art that way, or is it just what flows out?
I’ve tried not to write about all the self-reflection and guidance and self-love. I tried for a while and eventually just gave up because it’s just my thoughts. Whenever I felt something was too crazy, or even now, the best therapy is just writing it down and getting it out. I don’t sit down like “Ight, let’s get the people motivated.” I only want to talk about real stuff, honestly, because that’s what comes from the heart. So you [the fan] can actually say “Yo, I relate to this” and that’s fire. We’re all in this together; you’re not alone.
It makes the music better because the words are true. You’re not trying to remember and connect the fake stories.
Don’t get me wrong, I tried not to talk about those things, but it’s real! For a minute I didn’t wanna be like Rod Wave. *laughs* But aye, a lot of our favorite artists’ songs are about something extremely emotional. Whether it’s heartbreak, new love, or finding hope. All these 60s, 70s, 80s classic songs we gas up crazy have lyrics that are dark as hell.
I feel that. I think about it with James Brown, that shits all pain. He’s working out pain, frustration, demons. It might be funky as hell, but his life was a mess!
I’m Dominican, right, and one of the greatest bachata artists is Anthony Santos. He’s got a song titled “I’m Going To Kill Myself” or something. [“Te Quiero Morir” which in English translates to “I Want To Die”] You drop that now, you’re getting all kinds of 18+ maturity ratings!
TikTok is blacking that out ASAP.
Right, you gotta say “unalive.” Regardless, people are going to mess with what’s emotional, regardless.
In the time between those early projects and this new release, what was going on in your life? Were you ever contemplating quitting?
I’d say it was more sitting back and processing how life was going for me. The last 2 years haven’t been peachs ‘n cream. I was trying to process a lot, heal, unpacking things, all that therapy talk. Not like I wasn’t creating, but it got to a point where I just couldn’t drop. I needed to focus on me, because whatever I drop, I’m just not in the headspace to really explain anything. I’d rather be on my own time and pop out when I feel right. Luckily, during that time, I had a great support system, people who just wouldn’t turn their back on me. I appreciated that because it helped me get out of that loop. On the quitting question, I think anyone who has ever put their mind to something has thought of quitting. Teachers, doctors, they’ll think it then months later be like “Why’d I ever do that?”
It sounds like from the beginning ‘til now you have a tight community around you of friends and artists always rocking with you. How important has that community and team around you been?
Having a team is mad important. If you could have a guy for this or that, it makes your life so much easier. I’m so grateful to be with the 10k homies. Naven is really the quarterback. Anything that needs to get done, he’s the guy.
Having a full community is important to building out that team. We can’t be too individualistic even though that’s how America wants us. There’s strength in numbers, and you see what happens when people are united, putting pressure on the old guard. I mean, we saw Zohran win, and everyone who’s a piece of shit is losing their mind. Everyone that’s conscious is like “Let’s see what’s gonna happen.” This is the most progressive I’ve ever seen in my life, and he actually won. That doesn’t happen.
I’m grateful for my community. I was so glad I could find one that ‘19 summer. To decompress, go to these shows…man, I’d go to three shows in one night. All underground Brooklyn shows, or bouncing from Manhattan to Brooklyn. If you’re trying to do things on your own, you get so much stress on you. When you get that idle time without people, that’s when the Devil toys with you, shrouding your head with doubts. But when you have a community or team, you have people to pull you out of that, though.
As a non-New Yorker, the Zohran situation does give some hope. For the city, for the country, even maybe, I don’t know. I’m not holding my breath about it, but there is something there. Coming out of those darker times in your life, back into creating and releasing music, do you feel hopeful for the future?
I’m very hopeful. If you think negative or move too pessimistically, you’re never even viewing life right anymore. If you start planting your seeds with negativity, when you bite the fruit, you’ll get sick. You gotta preach positivity even when it’s dark because anything can change. Just how fast shit can be the end of the world, it could be the other way around. It could be paradise on Earth, and maybe it won’t last long, but you gotta appreciate it for what it was. There’s gonna be waves to it. It’s a rollercoaster.
How did you get involved with 10k? Did you have a relationship with MIKE and the guys from those sLUms shows, or was it later down the line?
Half going to shows but also I met Adé Hakim at an Earl Sweatshirt show. After that show, we linked up and got cool, and later he’d put me on his sets as an opener around town. He’d put me on to a lot going on at the time. From there, I went to more shows, following and staying in the loop with all kinds of shows.
Sometime in 2019 I tapped in with MIKE in a green room chopping it up. Later on he was looking for a phone and I had an extra one, and I either sold it to him or gave it to him off the strength I don’t remember now. Ever since then I’d pull up to the crib, listen to beats, talk about life and whatever random stuff. From there, I met the whole 10k team andit evolved from there. I’m grateful that I ran into them for real, it let me see life from a different perspective.
I liked hearing you rap about doing shows and running around on “EXPRESS,” one of the new singles. Have you been fully back outside performing?
Recently I haven’t been performing. In the crib though you gotta practice so you don’t lose it. I’ve been focusing on getting right that way. I recorded 4 new tracks the other day, trying to catch the wave of creativity.
Is there plans for a new full length project?
For sure. I’m thinking March for the release, but honestly it might come in February. I’ve got about 13 tracks done already, but I just gotta add the little finishing touches, maybe one more song. One or two video, photos.
All the 9-5 professional rapper side of things.
Right! I’ve been all on the writing creative stuff but it’s time for the business stuff.
When you’re crating a project is it about choosing the best songs from a stockpile or attacking it with a concept?
Usually it starts with making tracks and seeing where the stream of thought goes. If they end up being cohesive, I put them together. If I have a side project though, I like to do it all with one producer. But for my own solo stuff I mix it up, working with all the homies. Who supports me, I support them.
Anything you’re comfortable sharing about the project?
Yeah, the cover is gonna be done by Brayan Ramales who also did the single covers. In terms of tracks I got a bunch of tracks by A Haunted House, Riley [Lamarre], DORIS, Garcon2k, Keysun. I’m sure I’m forgetting someone but I also want to work with more people for the next next thing. I’m hoping to drop the next single around Valentine’s Day.
A lot of your stuff is slower, more sample based. Do you ever feel a want to branch out to new sounds, or do you feel this is your lane?
I always want to try something new. I got one track from the other day I made, and my vocals sound way different from any track I’ve ever done. It’s got not that much autotune, but a little. It’s a love track. I always want to branch out, but sometimes I gotta just work through with the beats I got. What they want out of me. You can’t force every producer to send you something specific, you gotta roll with it. I want to get on more upbeat beats, they sound so good on the speakers live. You want some shit to jump to.
So it’s time for the CURZIN bachata song?
Might fuck around and catch me doing a whole verse in Spanish you never know. Might even learn guitar and sample myself. You can’t keep yourself in a bubble. If you got a sound cool, but you can always experiment.
What are the 5 albums you’d say inspired your style or keep you inspired creatively?
1) Madvillain by MF DOOM & Madlib
First, obviously. Madlib is crazy. DOOM, you already know. RIP.
2) Disintegration by The Cure
I really love Robert Smith, he’s a genius. How he could make some of the darkest shit sound really beautiful. Some of them Cure songs have a beautiful beat, all the instruments make it sound like a beautiful day, but what he’s saying is NOT that.
That pain comes to balance it out.
Sometimes I catch that in rap songs. I love songs that balance that. The first song on the Clipse album [“Birds Don’t Sing”] reminds me of that. They’re going back and forth talking about losing their parents, and the beat is beautiful. That’s art to me. You’re free to express however you’re feeling, regardless of how dark or light it is. Can you just make it understandable to the people, evoke that emotion? That’s art. Shoutout Robert Smith.
3) DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
It’s funny cause I was like “eh, it’s OK” about it when it dropped. But over the years, especially when you reverse it the way it was meant to be heard, it really hits. “DUCKWORTH” all that. It’s talking about real life shit that might not be pretty, but it’s gotta be said.
It’s translating that human experience in a simple way without cutting out the heavy shit. What turned you off to it initially? For me, hearing him over those Mike Will beats turned me off. I wasn’t big on “HUMBLE.” Was it the same for you?
I loved “HUMBLE” when it came out. All those singles I was rocking with heavy. Not gonna lie though, Playboi Carti dropped that same week. Lowkey that caught me wayyyy more than Kendrick. Like “finally *laughing* Carti dropped! Over time though, some tracks caught me like “oh this is good, I missed this.” But a couple years ago, one day I was just listening like “oh, this is too real”
Finally clicked.
The lightbulb popped up on top of my head! Like damn I was sleeping this whole time. Shoutout Kendrick man, he’s a GOAT. I always catch myself saying a random Kendrick line, something goofy.
He’s good for that. Talking about family issues, generational curses then boom some goofy adlibs, sneaky jokes. Real duality of man shit.
Lowkey that Baby Keem song “The Hillbillies” is hilarious. Very fire.
4) The entire Max B catalog
I don’t have an album for him, but I listen to Max B a lot. Less for inspiration, but he’s a dude that can just talk about regular living in a way that’s catchy as hell. He’s got some of the funniest, coolest, catchiest hooks.
He’s a cartoon character in the best way. Everyone can get in it.
The last artists that gave me that Max vibe is RX Papi and RXKNephew. That New York, funny, ignorant rap. *laughs* I can’t even choose one, he’s got too many songs to choose from.
And some of the best joints aren’t even really his, half are like French Montana songs.
That too! “Gain Greene Team,” “Hey Let Me Love You” is off a French tape. There’s one I slipped up on til this year off the Bryd Gang tape “Do Bad By Myself.” I don’t know who produced it, but I was sleeping. Stack Bundles opens it, Jim comes in, then Max as the closer? Even in 2025, I’m discovering shit.
He’s had the formula for 20 years.
I’m excited to see what he can do now when he’s home.
5) Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix
You know you have a rotation of albums you go back to when you need a spark? I remember growing up, I loved rock and punk cause the first MP3 I bought with my own money…not even my own money, it was a Napster credit I got with buying my laptop…Radiohead “High And Dry.” That whole album [The Bends] put me on the Radiohead discography, then boom, I’m all into rock. Jimi, though I never really tapped into it until I got older, but bro just had it. Watching his Monterey performance, hearing “Voodoo Child,” “Rainy Day” “All Along The Watchtower.” Bro was him. A real rock star.
Honorable Mentions
Honorable mention though…Stakes Is High. I remember finding that CD one day before they were on streaming, like “oh, I heard so much about them, let me check it out.” It was my first De La Soul experience, and it was beautiful. I go back to that album so much whenever I need inspiration. Especially the title track. You can feel the seriousness of everything they were going to. The group was feeling like they were being pegged to one sound, everyone wanting them to be on that 3 Feet High & Rising “positivity” shit, but life gets real. You listen to Stakes Is High and you feel it, it’s made gritty. It’s not light or upbeat. It’s not “It’s a Saturday! Saturday!”
Right! It’s Monday, and they gotta go to work now.
The stakes were high! We might not get another album, all these real situations. Common had a crazy verse there, too. It’s a classic. I listen back when I need that reminder, whenever stakes are really high, no funny shit.
It ties with everything you’ve been saying about yourself. Your journey, your values. Shit is really real, and we can’t lie and act like shits sweet all the time.
We’re seeing the gravity of the tensions in real life. How it affects relationships and friendships. Back in 2020, I remember losing certain friends because of different views of reality. The ones on some groupthink like “We’re fine! We just gotta vote or do this or do that!” Like, nah, sometimes you gotta say the dark shit. This shit is corrupt, our mayor is corrupt. We gotta protest cause the government doesn’t care about us. And we saw all that in 2020. I don’t wanna say activism is trendy, but it became a tool. Not all influencers, but the wolves in sheep’s clothing, using activism as a tool to build a platform.
It’s an easy win for them.
And lowkey, it’s hard to be a hater! People say, “You’re just hating; they want to do good.” Like bro, you know how many times I’d try to call out Sean King’s bullshit and I’d have people go “Nah nah he’s good.” Like no! Talcum X ain’t it!
It’s a grift, a good-hearted grift, but still a grift.
In a dark world full of grifters, you gotta keep it real. The art, music, clothes, everything. You gotta keep it intentional. I think that’s the root of every artist I shared. They’re all intentional as hell. Everything is said for a reason, every chord is there for a reason. We just gotta maintain focus. Focus on the real, not the grifters. We can’t let that kinda shit ruin the beauties that exist in this life.
Check out CRUZIN’s newest single “Open Mic Nite / Express” here.