We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Boston rapper Cousin Stizz, who hit us with an in depth analysis to some of the bars on "Switch Places." And while the insight is interesting in its own right, there's one bit in particular that really stood out. Apparently the One Night Only album opener shared an interesting connection with none other than Kendrick Lamar.
"That song was supposed to be "Levitate,"" reveals Stizz, alluding to the untitled. unmastered banger. "I had the beat before Kendrick, crazy enough...and then that song dropped...I wasn't mad about it, I had to basically remake another song...It wouldn't have been "Levitate," it would have been "Switch Places," only on the "Levitate" beat." It leaves you to wonder what might have been. Although Stizz would have absolutely murdered the "Levitate" instrumental, Kendrick Lamar certainly put a unique stamp on the eerie instrumental.
Listening back to "Switch Places," you can really hear the similarities with "Levitate." Both possess a strange, otherworldly bounce, which seem to encourage a more laid-back, refrain based flow. It's interesting to get a glimpse into the politics behind production, how one rapper can have a beat...until he doesn't. To be fair, a worldwide renowned artist like Kendrick Lamar probably free reign to select whatever beat he wants. And while it was probably frustrating for Stizz, at least we ended up getting both "Levitate" and "Switch Places" out of it. If you're a fan of Stizz, be sure to check out the entire video below.
