Pairing evocative lyrics with chilled-out soundscapes, L.A. rapper, singer, and producer Croosh has cultivated a successful DIY career. • Croosh was raised in Las Vegas until he was 13, when he moved with his family to the Los Angeles area. The rapper’s mother is Hispanic, and his father is Persian. • The artist started out playing guitar and adopted the name Crucial J as a beat-making teen. As he evolved into rapping, he abbreviated the name to Croosh. • He learned to produce on the MTV Music Generator game for Playstation. He later moved on to GarageBand and Maschine software. • He’s produced songs in his car—partially to avoid disturbing neighbors, but also because he finds the sound system to be ideal. • Croosh released the 2018 single “R.I.P.” just hours after the death of Mac Miller. The heavily streamed track also honors fallen rappers XXXTentacion and Lil Peep.