Griselda's New Wave - Rome Streetz + Stovegod Cooks Live in Miami May 7th!!!
Stovegod Cooks Bio:
What are the best albums of 2020? Rolling Stone, NPR, and The New York Times overlap quite a bit, predictably highlighting Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia,” Taylor Swift’s “Folklore,” Run the Jewels’ “RTJ4,? Bob Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” and Fiona Apple’s “Fetch the Bolt Cutters.”
But Complex magazine has come out with its own list of the year’s best new music, and a Syracuse rapper made the cut.
Stove God Cooks, formerly known as Aaron Cook$, had the No. 42 best album of 2020, according to Complex — ahead of hip-hop heavyweights like Nas, Big Sean, and Ty Dolla $ign.
Cooks released his major label debut, “Reasonable Drought,” produced by Roc Marciano, on Busta Rhymes’ The Conglomerate Entertainment in March.
“‘Reasonable Drought’ is the work of a rapper who, while inspired by Roc, is far from a clone. Stove God Cooks’ phrasing, his vocabulary, and his whole aesthetic is unique and compelling, even if the subject matter and some of the musical backdrops wouldn’t sound out of place on [Marciano albums like] ‘Marcberg’ or ‘Reloaded’,” the magazine said.
The album features references to Cooks’ life growing up on the southside of Syracuse — including a song called “Jim Boeheim.” The track’s lyrics have little to do with the Syracuse basketball coach, but contains a range of pop culture nods to the James Bond video game “Goldeneye,” John Candy’s 1989 movie “Uncle Buck,” and Honey Smacks cereal.
On another track, “Crosses,” Cooks references Syracuse basketball legend Carmelo Anthony: " Me and Melo got a lot in common / We both got dropped from them rockets.”
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Aaron Cooks, a 30-year-old Henninger High School graduate, connected with his manager, Brand Nubian’s Lord Jamar, in 2015 and later signed with the Conglomerate, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. He moved to NYC in 2016 but his family remained in Syracuse, running the popular barbershop House of Hair on the corner of State and Burt Streets.
He released music as Aaron Cook$ and collaborated with artists like Busta Rhymes before changing his name to Stove God Cooks for the new album.
RapReviews.com marveled at how Cooks’ “Reasonable Drought” doesn’t feature any other rappers while exploring a variety of hip-hop styles and influences, such as Drake and Wu-Tang Clan.
“The content of Cooks’ lyrics isn’t what makes him remarkable – it’s largely based around selling crack cocaine and the danger that profession entails. It’s the fact he’s effectively on the same level as your Benny the Butchers and 38 Speshs, with his first attempt. There are no features. He’s singing his own hooks,” the site’s review said. “If there’s any emcee he reminds me of, it’s 50 Cent. Someone who can apply their hand to different songs yet maintains a natural menacing presence and a brashness I’ve not heard in a long time.”
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Buffalo hip-hop trio Griselda also earned its fair share of best-of-2020 nods. Westside Gunn’s solo release “Pray for Paris” made the top 50 on Consequence of Sound, Conway The Machine’s “Lulu” was named among the best of the first half of the year by XXL Magazine in June, and Benny the Butcher is featured on Boldy James and The Alchemist’s “The Price of Tea in China,” which made Rolling Stone’s year-end list.
Stove God Cooks also appeared on two releases by Westside Gunn this year, and just released a new collaboration with Boldy James, “Thousand Pills.” And with an average of 41,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, the future looks bright for Cooks.
“I go to a different world when I rap,” he told syracuse.com in 2017. “Nobody ever taught me how to write lyrics or count bars. I learned all of that just listening to music. This was God-given.”
“Coming from where I come from, a lot of times you gotta inspire yourself... I thank God. My mother’s super proud of me. I tell myself we goin’ to the moon. I’m putting gas in that spaceship.”
Rome Streetz Bio:
Rome was introduced to music at an early age. At six years old his interest in hip hop music was sparked after hearing Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” for the first time. He became fascinated with Ice Cube and the whole west coast gangster rap movement. However, it wasn’t until he heard Nas and Wu Tang when he truly fell in love with the music. In 6th grade Rome realized he had a knack for putting rhymes together. After being un-impressed with a schoolyard rap battle in 8th grade Rome believed he could do better and began writing for the first time. Although Rome’s new found hobby was positive, his involvement in the street life at such a young age was not. By the age of 14 Rome’s mother deemed him out of her control. Desperate to get his life back on track she brought him to London and left him with his aunt. Without prior knowledge of his mother’s plan, Rome felt abandoned and was filled with anger and frustration. Rapping was his only outlet and he began taking music more seriously. At this time, London’s hip hop scene was infatuated with the “garage” style of rap. It was heavily based in rhyme schemes and designed to be a type of party music. Rome didn’t know it yet, but he was about to be a part of London’s rap evolution.
As New York City’s hip hop style grew, London MCs tried to get on the wave. Rome began mixing his New York background with his newfound London culture. As the hip hop scene abroad grew, Rome developed with it. He grew as an MC while experiencing firsthand the transition of London “garage” rap into London grime. At this time, Rome was going all in on his career; recording songs, participating in rap battles such as “The Jump Off” and performing with London artists such as Skepta and CasisDead. It wasn’t long before school took a backseat and Rome was approached with a potential record deal. His aunt did not approved of the direction Rome was headed and he was sent back to New York City. After a near death experience and several stints in the county jail, Rome emerged with a new focus and drive to take the music industry by storm.
Originally born in London, Rome has been a true vagabond his entire life and his artist name pays homage to his nomadic lifestyle. His unique style and rhyming technique is best described as a mix of gritty New York boom bap with London grime. In a time where hip hop music has become obsessed with keeping up with the latest trend, Rome has always stayed true to himself. Rather than simply ride the beat, Rome brings his verbal prowess to the forefront and transforms each song into something special.