Rapper Big Cruz Coasts Through Industry Streets With Debut Album Cruz Control

By Carrie Smith / October 18, 2023

Ascending from the roots of Albania, DC-raised rapper Big Cruz is rattling the music scene with the release of his fourth official album Cruz Control. Tapping into the depths of his upbringing, greatest losses, and rise to music, Cruz serves listeners a diverse plate of gripping tracks. From vibrant highs to chilling lows, this album scours the intertwinement of musical elevation and sentiment.

It all started in his early childhood when Cruz grew magnetized to constructing poems. Weaving in and out of trouble, he often found himself subject to long study hall hours, where his musical instincts first churned. After taking a few warm-up laps around the microphone, Cruz recorded his first-ever song in his home country. But it wasn’t until 2015 that he released his first mixtape, Facts Only, laying the foundation for his music career and entrepreneurial journey.

“Looking at myself back then and then looking at myself now, there’s been a lot of growth,” said Big Cruz reflecting on his experiences. “You gotta make mistakes to learn. That's how I see it. Every mistake is not a mistake, It's a lesson.”

Since then, Big Cruz released a plentitude of tracks, garnering substantial attention from listeners across the globe. During his ascension to stardom, he was consigned by DMV staple Yung Gleesh, making ripples across the local music scene. In 2021, he dropped international sensation Banda, whose traction signaled a pivotal progression in his career, accumulating over 200,000 streams on Spotify.

Now, accustomed to the fast life, Big Cruz is coasting through the charts with Cruz Control. Featuring 11 galvanic hits, the album explores the multi-dimensions of Cruz- from the grueling past to the promising present. In a dynamic approach, each song features an enthralling beat blended with gut-punching lyrics.

“I want to take control of listeners’ ears, whoever's tapped in,” said Big Cruz. “I want them to hear me and really take control of what they want to hear next.”

True to its name, the album serves as a road trip essential, according to Cruz. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other recording, Cruz crafted almost 300 songs on the open road. In a two year long process, they were condensed into just two handfuls of polished tracks, with a few stragglers set to release later for fans.

Winding with its motivational intro, the album dives head-first into three thrashing bangers, Basics, Need Em, and Skrt Off. Fourth on the album showcases Dear Heaven, an insiders look at the hardships Cruz and others grapple with. Coinciding with similar themes are Soldier, a depiction of adversity in a third-world country and Devi, a front-to-back portrait of Cruz’s path.

“I've never had a problem giving my side of my feelings, my emotions,” said Cruz, verbalizing his outlet. “That's what makes me an artist, that's my passion behind this shit. I love that shit. I do it for a living. I don't do it just for fun.”

Much like his album, Cruz is a multifaceted artist. Subsidiary to his music career is his record label, Facts Only Music Group, a staple part in his current trajectory. Although created only one year ago, the company evolved silently since his start. Born with an entrepreneurial itch, Cruz foresaw business plans before even adopting his stage name.

“I always wanted my own music entity,” said Cruz regarding his record label. “So creating this was the first step. It's something that I've been practicing since I was 15-16. I was doing merch, getting sweatshirts together. Then when I was in high school, I was selling them to my friends- $30 a piece. And then it was elevating and elevating to where I had release parties, starting working with different companies.”

The music organization serves to elevate creatives in the music scene and bolster their careers. Through his philosophy of “own your own”, Cruz established a self-rooted empire to ground his arc. As a successful musician and business owner, he offers aspiring musicians with a valuable piece of advice:

“Don’t believe people selling you dreams. That’s my main thing I wish I was told on the come up. Don’t believe the cap and keep your circle tight.”

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