CuzImDope Rocks the Party with “No Time For Scrubs”
“I got something profound to amount to”
-Sterling “Stz” Wadsworth, “Supreme”
In an era of uninspired clout rap and artists emulating their contemporaries, someone inevitably comes along and serves as a breath of fresh air in the midst of a cloud of unoriginality. Enter CuzImDope with their sophomore album No Time For Scrubs, an album released in January, but spiritually rooted in the 90's.
CuzImDope is composed of two brains, Spencer “SpennyAlmost” Wadsworth and his brother Sterling “Stz” Wadsworth. Officially released on January 15, “No Time For Scrubs” serves as a showcase for CuzImDope’s lyrical prowess and borderline eccentric delivery. Produced by Tracy Morgan jr., DeadRite, BronzeKneeCaps, Brendan “Bcon” Conley, Damir Inbar, and even Spenny himself, this album proudly flies in the face of whatever’s currently hot and dares to forge its own path in the realm of hip-hop.
The duo out of Inwood, New York starts 2021 with both their feet on the gas in a car with no brakes with the track “Supreme”, an absolute monster of an intro. Almost three minutes of energy and intensity over a knockout of a beat produced by Tracy Morgan Jr. sets the tone for the rest of the album.
No time for breaks, no time for rests, and certainly no time for scrubs.
D.C. writer, director, and producer Deadrite also gets tapped for the beats on “RockTheParty” and “Unlucky”, one of the leading singles off of the album. Over a beautifully chopped Patrice Rushen sample, we get just a taste of SpennyAlmost’s technical prowess as he rides the beat like it was the 4 Express train. Stz is certainly no slouch in this regard either, as he graces the track with his trademark charisma and electricity. Together, CuzImDope and DeadRite tell the age-old story of falling in love with a random person on the train, only to never see them again.
No Time For Scrubs is yet another testament to the fact that Spencer “SpennyAlmost” Wadsworth can rhyme his face off, and does it on the daily. It’s also a reminder that wherever Spenny goes, Sterling “Stz” Wadsworth is right alongside him, channeling the character of the 90’s boom bap scene.
To put it simply, SpennyAlmost is to Stz as Q-Tip is to Busta Rhymes on The Abstract and the Dragon, with Stz’s off-the-wall delivery and presence on the mic complimenting Spenny’s lyrical and technical prowess almost seamlessly. As SpennyAlmost brags on “RockTheParty” “My skill level too high to rest it on the shelf”.
There’s a lot to like about CuzImDope, part of it being the countless references that pop up throughout the album like Easter eggs in a video game. References ranging from countless cartoons to Bruce Lee to Esperanza Spalding run rampant through this album. Another big part of their appeal is the myriad of influences heard in their music. Ever-faithful students of the 90’s and early 2000’s, references to Slick Rick, Black Star, A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, The Fugees, and many more are spread throughout the album. Samples that serve as ear-candy to those in the know lie waiting for listeners’ ears to pick up on them.
Even more impressive is Spenny and Stz’s ability to utilize these references and samples to create the 1 of 1 sound that is CuzImDope.
SpennyAlmost, Stz, and the many gifted producers that helped create this album start off 2021 by blessing us with an album that oozes that “give no fuck” attitude that some artists search endlessly for. Stz’s Mom’s love and support is what matters more than the opinion of any music critic, as Stz boasts himself on “Filthy Subway Blues”, followed immediately by a positively nasty beat switch from Tracy Morgan Jr.
True hip-hop lovers rejoice, you’re in for a bright future from CuzImDope.
Stream No Time For Scrubs on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube!
