Cozz dropped the video for his song “Demons N Distractions” on Thursday, which follows the release of his second studio album Effected on Feb. 12.
The video starts with Cozz hidden in a veil of smoke and shadows. But the Dreamville rapper soon puts the viewer directly in his situation, as we see him drinking and smoking, fighting with his girl, and going to the studio to record. Every now and then, we see a group of people wearing devilish clown masks, most likely alluding to the internal demons that Cozz fights. The video then cuts to a short skit between him and a friend before going back to the song.
Cozz broke the song down in a recent interview with Billboard. “The only way I was getting away from [the demons] was smoking weed or drinking. That’s why I say, ‘I need a drink and a joint lit.’ I was trying to find happiness, but it wasn’t the right way to find happiness.” He continued, “When I found music, that was the first time I found something I loved to do, that also took my mind off the world. It became therapeutic to write problems down. It’s good to get that shit out.”
The 14-song album features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Curren$y, and J. Cole. Before its release, Dreamville shared a mini documentary on Cozz’s life and career.
Cozz joined Dreamville in 2014. In the years since, he released Cozz & Effect in 2014, and the mixtape Nothin Personal in 2016. He also appeared on Dreamville’s 2015 compilation project Revenge of the Dreamers II.
