Firmly based in West Coast rap, South Central, LA native Cozz was born Cody Macc, a birth name that also became the title of his calling-card single. Cozz didn't start rapping until the beginning of 2013, but his honest style fit in with the rising popularity of "reality rap." Uploaded in early 2014, his introspective cut "Dreams" hit the Net hard and impressed rapper J. Cole, who signed Cozz to his Dreamville imprint. The track landed on Cozz's 2014 debut , Cozz & Effect, which also featured the Meez-produced single "Cody Macc.