There’s no need to worry about how Bizzy Crook is doing in life. In his new album, From Me, to You, BZZY finally comes to terms with his chaotic past. The South Florida artist is moving on to the next phase of his life.
After spending the past nine years gaining global notoriety for his music, the 28-year-old rhymer finally puts his past behind him and focuses on the future of his rap career — no co-signs necessary. From Me, to You is the first body of work that consistently portrays his life in a positive light despite the turmoil happening throughout the world thanks to COVID-19.
Like most people nowadays, Bizzy Crook spends most of his time at home to protect himself and his family from the coronavirus. He’s usually surrounded by his work and his 2-year-old daughter Zen Love, but today CitrusRap is catching up with Bizzy on a Zoom call live from his living room. During our conversation, we reminisce about the pre-COVID days and reflect on how we’ve all had to adapt.
“It’s definitely a harsh change,” Bizzy said. “I definitely miss performing but on the bright side it’s opened my eyes to so many other things bro. Most importantly, what this pandemic has taught me is that we need to be self- reliant because the system could shut off at any minute. Man I got into real estate and recently started my first construction. I got into stocks — Shout out to Telsa. I made a lot of money with Tesla during the pandemic. These are things we all should be taught at a young age but you know sometimes it takes being stuck at the crib to figure it out.”
Bizzy’s extra sources of income definitely help him embrace his new life journey. The Good Luck Forever Records founder delivers 10 profoundly personal tracks that give his fans deeper insight on who he’s become as an independent artist today. He’s no longer holding on to minuscule grudges or the detrimental characters who previously held him back. Instead, Bizzy takes a stand for himself and proves to the haters that he feels greater than ever before.
The introduction to the project alone indicates exactly where Bizzy’s head is at. “Over You” solidifies his split from the one girl in his life that he couldn’t let go of. Although he mentions the end of their relationship in “Breaking Bad” off his last project Confetti, Bizzy elaborates further about life without his former flame. He mentions how much happier he’s been since he got over her.
“If you’ve been following my music for a long time, then you know that I’ve been kind of like holding on to a specific relationship with this certain girl,” Bizzy Crook told CitrusRap. “And I was just like… “Fuck this shit” like I’m ready to let go. I’m ready to start a new slate. And when I put myself in that state of mind, the song is just about all the things that the doors that open when I close that one.”
The rest of the LP is indicative of what the newest chapter of Bizzy’s life looks like. His day-one Florida fans will appreciate refreshing new songs like “Dios Mio” and “South Florida Girls.” The latter is a bouncy banger produced by Zalezy that lets the put on for the hard-working baddies from Dade County all the way up to the northern border of Palm Beach.
Meanwhile, “Dios Mio” lets the world get a better understanding of his Latin roots. The Cuban and Dominican MC overcomes the identity issues he once struggled with to create a Spanglish bop produced by fellow Florida natives J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. The song alone is a huge step for Bizzy. Early in his career, Biz was surrounded by people who pressured him into shielding his Latin heritage.
“Certain people in my corner would be like ‘Yo don’t say you Latin. Just don’t say you Latin,’” Bizzy explained. “On the inside, I wouldn’t understand it like ‘Nigga, but I’m Latin. I’m Dominican and Cuban like Afro-Cuban. My ancestors came from Africa to Cuba like why can’t I say that?’ I guess it was that people didn’t know how to market that at the time. So it was just weird bro. Now I’m just embracing who I am bro like the Hispanic community is so supportive of one another. I need a group to identify themselves with me and be like ‘Yo I see us in him and vice versa. So I threw a little Spanglish on there for “Dios Mio” and I’m definitely getting more into that.”
As the music industry continuously evolves, Bizzy does everything possible to embrace his family’s heritage in his music to working as a self-sufficient, independent artist. In “No Co-Sign,” the seasoned lyricist rehashes the trials and tribulations he experiences to get to this point in his career. The J.U.S.T.I.C.E League produced track, explains why Bizzy Crook doesn’t need an endorsement from anyone regardless of their status.
While his confidence stands out more than ever before, Bizzy also takes some time to humble himself. His collaboration with South Florida natives, Foreign Teck, and Legaxy is Biz’s testament to his survival in the rap game. With Teck on the beat and Legaxy on the chorus, “Humble Hill” allows Bizzy to reflect on his own shortcomings and how he resolved them. While it’s easily one of the more powerful records on the album, it was also the most difficult to complete.
“I’m ready to start a new slate. And when I put myself in that state of mind, the song is just about all the things that the doors that open when I close that one.”
Bizzy Crook
“I recorded “Humble Hill” in a certain space, and then we lost the session,” Bizzy said about the song. “Yo I’m talking about at least 2-3 times a month I would try to recut that again and it just wasn’t coming out the same. I probably got 25 takes, full cuts of that record. Then I tried this thing where I envision Rick Ross being in the studio on some A&R shit, for delivery sake, and then I just nailed it.”
If anything, the song proves that Bizzy will bounce back like he always does. While he constantly puts his best efforts forward, Biz knows that he can’t be great all by myself. He closes out From Me, to You by thanking the most high in “Thank You Lord.” Bizzy delivers his grateful bars over a heavenly instrumental produced by Dante Martinelli. Martinelli originally presented to Kanye West for his Jesus is King album. ‘Ye apparently passed on the beat, which essentially gave Bizzy the lay-up and made him feel even more grateful.
Bizzy Crook has finally come full circle. Before his beloved 84 mixtape hit the streets in 2013, Bizzy was rapping about his “Stan”-like emails to Kanye West. Seven years later, Bizzy is closing out his 11th project over an instrumental that was once in ‘Ye’s possession. It’s the metaphoric cherry on top of the progression and overall growth Bizzy has shown us with his new album. From getting over his ex to flexing his Latin roots, the rapper-entrepreneur is proud of the place he’s in. But he’s nowhere near done yet.
“I want to start experimenting with the songs but I want to make bigger songs,” Bizzy said. “I was listening to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy today and the thing I admire about Kanye is how out of the box he is. Like hearing lyrics and instrumentals, and man, you don’t even know what to call it. I want to start making shit like that. Stuff that you can’t just easily call rap. But I want to experiment and challenge myself to make bigger songs.”
Listen to From Me, to You below.
STREAM: Apple Music / Spotify / Tidal
