A few days before the start of Cruza’s European Tour, the band’s vocalist Adam Kain sat down to compile this week's Record & Tape Exchange playlist, informed by memories of a Tokyo trip and plenty of love for his native New Orleans. Listen to Cruza's debut album Cruzafied here.
What song reminds you most of your childhood?
The Bodyguard soundtrack by Whitney Houston was one of the first albums that I remember hearing my parents play non-stop. I’ll go with “Run to You” from that album. I always just thought that was such a beautiful song, even as a kid.
What was the first record you remember buying?Speakerboxx/The Love Below. I think I was 10 years old, and it was specifically The Love Below that I really identified with - I had never heard anything like that before. I was used to hearing Three Stacks rapping, so when I heard him just singing on the whole project, it just felt so melodic and new and funky. Specifically, it was “Spread,” “Pink & Blue” and “Prototype” - something about those tracks that really resonated with me, and I just fell in love with that album. |
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What song is the best representation of your hometown?
I'm from New Orleans, and the song is “Love Me or Love Me Not” by Soulja Slim. He was a legend. This song is about him expressing that he is the way he is, flaws and all, and you can either take it or leave it. To me, that really shows the essence of the city. For anybody who's ever been to New Orleans, they know it's a lot of fun; good food, great music, a lot of history, but I think it's the people that really make it special, because there's something so raw about them. They don't switch up for anybody. They're not easily impressed. They're very down to earth and they're humble, but they'll still put you in your place at the same time. I feel like this song is such a raw expression of that.
What song reminds you of traveling to a specific place?
I’ve actually got three songs; “Souk Eye” by Gorillaz, “How to Disappear Completely” by Radiohead, and then “Another Lover” by Little Dragon. Earlier this year, me and my band were working on Vultures 2 for about two months in North Hollywood, and on the day we were supposed to leave LA, we got asked by Ye to come out to Tokyo. On the way there, those three songs popped up on one of my favorite playlists, and I really honed in on them. The whole time I was there, I was listening to those songs a lot while I was roaming the streets and exploring the city. Those songs are always going to remind me of Tokyo now.
What song do you wish you had written?
What instantly came to mind was “Love is a Losing Game” by Amy Winehouse, and “Rodeo Clown” by Dijon. I've had an obsession since childhood with songs about heartbreak, and I just feel like those two songs paint a beautiful picture of heartbreak in such a vulnerable but poetic kind of way. I really relate to it, man. Specifically in “Rodeo Clown,” you can hear the raw emotion. It sounds like it's 4am, he's been drinking all night and he's just reached the point of, like, “fuck it, I'm laying it all on the line.” It's one of those songs that make me jealous and I'm like, “shit, I wish that came from me.”
What’s the best song to play at a house party?Alright, I gotta do it for my city again, man. There is undoubtedly no better song to hear at a party than “Back That Azz Up.” Funny story; I've actually tested this theory in real life. This wasn't a house party, but I was in Chattanooga, Tennessee with some buddies and the club we were at was just dead. I was chilling by these stairs that led to the DJ booth, and something just compelled me to go up there. I got on the mic, and I was just trying to get the energy going. I told the DJ to put “Back That Azz Up” on, and the party got so lit, just getting super out of control. But I started to also get out of control on the mic, to the point that the owners go “who is this guy, and why is he yelling all of these obscene things? Get him out of here.” So shortly after that, me and my friends did get kicked out of the club, but I'm forever going to say that that is the number one song to get a party lit. And it also just happens to be a classic for my city. |
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You’re abducted by aliens, and when you wake up on the spaceship, they pass you the aux. What is the song you’re playing to convince them not to destroy Earth?
I'm going to play “All Night” by Jai Paul, because I'm going to have them dancing. I’ll distract 'em because they're going to be so caught up dancing. I'm going to find a way out and I'm going to dismantle their whole plan and I'm going to make it back to earth. Got to save the people, man.