Following the craziness of Election Day, the Life Section wanted to provide a lighthearted read for today’s issue. The viral “Costco Guys,” also known as A.J. and Big Justice, are a father-and-son duo that is basking in their 15 minutes of fame after creating uncanny videos in Costco that got big on TikTok. For a remix of their song, “Still Bringin’ It,” they recruited FaZe Rug, a former vlogger who’s now one of many Mr. Beast clones. The track can’t be that bad, right?
Noa Climor, Campus Correspondent (she/her/hers):
The boom was brought for sure. Is that a sentence I thought I’d ever write? Absolutely not. The song is catchy and considering that their first song, “We Bring The BOOM!” was also incredibly well written, I am certain that the boys have rhymes! I am conflicted, my heart is torn and my brain is scrambled trying to come up with a solid review for this song. I will admit I have never tried a chicken bake from Costco; should I? Also, do we always need a remix of a song? I am unsure about that. What I am sure about, however, is that this song will be stuck in my head for the rest of my life. They brought the boom, and they worked it out on the remix.
Rating: 5/5 BOOMS
Bonnibel Lilith Rampertab, Campus Correspondent (she/her/hers):
“Still Bringin’ It …” What are they bringing, exactly? Violence? Suffering? Drugs? Even worse: sex? No; they’re bringing the boom, of course! Everyone knows that! Naysayers simply haven’t paid attention to how influential this super duo is, and now they’re extra-supercharged with the household name of FaZe Rug.
The instrumentation is refined, and dare I say better than their last effort (which is still high quality, of course). The atmospheric drums bring shame to the underground black metal scene. The guitar is something Jimi Hendrix would sweat at. Les Claypool dreams of playing the bass like on this track.
The lyrics are indicative of a loving American father and American son bonding together. Did I mention that they’re American? Slim Shady has nothing on this!
The most important thing about this seminal song for the history of A.J. and Big Justice, however, is that they were inducted into the FaZe Clan according to the very benevolent FaZe Rug. Congratulations to them!
Rap rock has never been in a better position since the days of Limp Bizkit. It makes one dream of A.J. and Big Justice headlining the next Woodstock one day. History will treat this dynamic duo well ideally (unless they somehow mess it up; we’re always watching).
Rating: 5/5 BOOMS
Dan Stark, Staff Writer (he/him/his):
Many were quick to write off A.J. and Big Justice as one-hit wonders after their smash hit “We Bring The BOOM!” became the song of the summer. But the Boca Beach boys fired back with “Still Bringin’ It” and the subsequent remix with FaZe Rug. The call and response between FaZe Rug and America’s favorite father-and-son duo creates a dynamic experience for the listener, showing that anybody can be a “Costco Guy.” The lyrics are delivered with such incredible flow and ease that even Eminem is shaking. And the slick, funky groove is a clear step up from “We Bring The BOOM!,” showing the duo’s continued musical evolution. The sequel may never be as good as the original, but the boom’s still here and they’re still bringing it. Take that, Jimmy Fallon!
Rating: 5/5 BIG BOOMS
Ayyan Tamjeed, Campus Correspondent (he/him/his):
First, there was nothing, then the big BOOM happened and now we have the piece de resistance that is “Still Bringin’ It”, now with a remix featuring the revered FaZe Rug. I must say, before hearing “Still Bringin’ It,” I was down in the dumps. I got sick, I did poorly on a calculus exam, a pigeon pooped on me (while I was inside a building) … it got bad. But when I booted up my computer and loaded up this remix, I felt a rush of joy, of calm, of true happiness. A.J. made me feel at peace when I heard him say he’s still bringing it.
The call and response between A.J. and Big Justice is fast and hard between both emcees. Newcomer FaZe Rug spits bars that put every other rapper in the U.S., nay, the world, to shame. I love the moment when the guitar drops out, as if to take a breather, before returning to bring the BOOM of the chorus. This chorus is the stuff of magic; it’s as if Zeus came down from Mount Olympus and delivered these words to us mere mortals with A.J., Big Justice and FaZe Rug as his messengers. The rap rock beat can’t be slept on either. The drums make that low-end BOOM, while the guitars sound crunchy and distorted. “Still Bringin’ It” is such a great song, so don’t be surprised when Grammy nominations come out and the only nomination for Song of the Year is this.
Rating: 10/5 BOOMS
James Fitzpatrick, Associate Life Editor (he/him/his):
According to the lyrics on Genius, there are 69 booms uttered in this song in total. Nice. The boys are still bringing it, and they get extra double-chunk chocolate brownie points for traveling to my hometown of San Diego, California to record this remix with FaZe Rug. It’s pretty wild to know I’ve likely entered the same Costco that the double-chunk chocolate cookies and chicken bakes from the music video were purchased from. If A.J. and Big Justice weren’t banned from the establishment, there could’ve even been a chance that they had been to that warehouse before. What a small world we live in.
The boys are so excited to bring the boom on this song that they often trip over their words. When Big Justice claims that “there’s plenty of boom to bring the boom out West,” I like to think A.J., Big Justice, Erika (Big Justice’s mother) and Ashley (Big Justice’s sister) each originally held 25% ownership of “the boom,” which is quite the abstract concept, of course. Then, every time they show off their muscles, “bringing the boom,” a minuscule amount of the boom leaves their bodies and is transferred to their increasing number of collaborators. First, it was “The Rizzler,” Jersey Joe, Cousin Angelo and RJ Pasin, who I’m sure you know from the Costco Guys Extended Multiverse. Now, with this remix, FaZe Rug has bequeathed the boom. Their power levels are ever-increasing, so look for the boom in your area.
Rating: 69/5 BOOMS
Ben Lassy, Life Editor (he/him/his):
“Who said one-hit wonder would bring the boom?” Well, to answer the opening lyrics, I said that. I’m wondering how hard I hit my head to be reviewing this song right now.
This song would be number one in the charts of an anarcho-capitalist parallel universe in which the global Costco monarchy was led by his majesty A.J., Prince Justice and Royal Squire, “The Rizzler.”
With incredibly inspired lines from FaZe Rug, a YouTuber who reviews carpets, this song feels like the “Costco Guys” are shoving double-chunk chocolate cookies down both of your ears. You’re strapped to a chair while the guys chant “BOOM” over and over again and FaZe Rug is kind of just there, smiling awkwardly.
I hope I hit my head really hard and that this is all a dream because none of this adds up to me.
Each boom makes me feel less and less sure if the Costco parallel universe isn’t already here. Maybe we’re all “Costco Guys” in a Costco society.
Even worse, I think the Life section has been compromised. With no rating less than a five, I feel like Winston at the end of “1984” when his personal freedoms are eaten by the rat, his greatest fear. Costco is my rat.
But let me sink this ship while I still can.
Rating: -1,000,000/5 BOOMS
Absolutely outrageous scores. These reviews epitomize the abhorrent decay of music journalism as we know it. 69 BIG BOOMS? With no Rizzler? Are you kidding me? This FaZe Slug fella WISHES he was as cool as him. At least someone here was levelheaded enough to recognize the shortcomings of this subpar remix.
You all went too far this time. This “Glaze for FaZe” made me so sick while reading that I passed out and woke up in a hospital bed 12 hours later. It took another six hours for me to remember how to read. I will be boycotting The Daily Campus until these high numbers are retroactively awarded to the masterpiece “We Bring The BOOM! Crew Version (Crew Version),” the best song of the decade so far.