DR CUZ + WITH A ZED
VOODOO DOLL
Hip hop stylings from Dr Cuz with mystery guest vocalist, With A Zed, throwing down? Hells yeah! Especially with a cowrite from the ubiquitous and multitalented Pete Renzullo. Even better with the Hendrix reference.
“Dr Cuz is deceptive like that…”
Yep, latest single from Perth criminologist turned musician and human rights activist, Paul Cozens, aka Dr Cuz, is the Halloween treat that has it all, including a nice little lyrical sting in the tail to offset all that All Hallows sweetness. After all, it would be remiss of Dr Cuz to do anything that was just for fun.
The menacing opening lines of With A Zed’s rap that is the heart of ‘Voodoo Doll’, Puppet on a string / Or a dog on a leash, set the tone for what is a highly personal stream of consciousness about addiction and survival that serves equally as well as a comment of the fucked up state of the world today. This is powerful stuff from Dr Cuz’s mystery collaborator, the veiling of their identity only adding to the spooky Halloween vibe, but making it all very real.
Musically we’re definitely in Dr Cuz’s funky wheelhouse, but the seas are high and there’s storm clouds on the horizon. Dr Cuz is deceptive like that — as a human and an artist — he’s personable, danceable, good-time vibing, but never far from the darkness. It’s part of what makes his appeal as an artist so broad and authentic. ‘Voodoo Doll’ is certainly a step away from the light, but it’s a darkness we all need right now. The pseudonymous protagonist of ‘Voodoo Doll’ is a survivor, maybe even the anti-hero we’re looking for.
As for the Hendrix reference, his estate may be in touch, but I warrant they’d only be writing to say Jimi told them how much he enjoyed the track.
‘Voodoo Doll’ is available from 31 October on all streaming platforms, or maybe just Spotify. There’s a link below 🙂
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