“Find Myself” by Cliz

Conceptualism that goes too far can kill a quality rap career, but as of 2021, this has yet to be a problem for Cliz. Cliz has defied trends in the underground to create a straightforward style that doesn’t borrow anything from the mainstream or his indie contemporaries, and in his new single and music video “Find Myself,” this style takes center stage in the most physical of ways possible. Without having to rely on a synthesized beat, “Find Myself” sees its creator dishing out some of the sleekest grooves he’s stuck his name on since coming into the game, and if you know his work, you know this is no small statement for me to make. 

Efficiency seems to be at the core of everything in this track, starting with the compositional pillars that separate the lyrics from the instrumental backbone tying them together. When possible, Cliz is sourcing the mood here from the bass and the percussion as much as he is his own lyrical delivery, which results in the song sounding really full-bodied even though there isn’t a lot of grandiosity to its construction at all. Being larger than life is one thing, but using nothing more than personality and organic musical prowess to get there takes God-given ability. 

Cliz’s aggressive attack at the mic is really the only element here that could come even close to being described as indulgent, but it’s something I would never change about “Find Myself” for anything. He has so much moxie coming into every verse, and when he does come undone in this track, it’s only to advance the narrative and the emotional subtext we’re supposed to be getting out of it. That speaks to the same aforementioned point of efficiency at the foundation of this single, rather than anything particularly over the top from an aesthetical perspective. 

The songwriting skills he has are epic for sure, but Cliz’s treatment of the music video for his latest release definitely proves he has a strong interest in keeping things as cut and dry as he can. There aren’t any props or other agents of bombast to get between us and the artist unleashing his true form in this document, and I would even say that the video for “Find Myself” refutes the very notion of his selling out with the success it’s likely to yield for its designer this spring. 

I’m a hard critic to please when it comes to modern, independently-released hip-hop almost exclusively because of how much talent is circulating around the underground nowadays, but if you’re looking for an all-around winner this February, Cliz’s “Find Myself” is an excellent addition to any rap-focused playlist. Cliz isn’t playing amateurish pop games in this performance; he’s reiterating what his priorities as an artist and composer really are, which is more than can be said for many of the other players getting exposure in the press right now. “Find Myself” feels not like a conclusion but instead a segue, and I highly doubt it’s going to be the last hit we hear from this talented young man. 

Mindy McCall