Popular in the New Jersey underground music scene, Cook Thugless gained national attention with their 2019 single titled, "Lockjaw".

[1][2][3] Jace Limb, Brian Clines, and Jeff Petescia met in Sparta, NJ, before attending Rutgers University together.

Simultaneously the members of Cook Thugless were living in the kitchen a rapidly deteriorating Anaheim influencer mansion, with the power cut off.

Allyson Klein of Elevator Mag wrote in her review of the album that "it feels threatening...electrifies the scene of any party, encouraging manic behavior," and calling the project "the epitome of trap.

"[16] Aupium called the project "...glorious mutant of pop, punk, lo-fi, trap, and chaos where the choruses jump over the bursting cadence..."[17]