Cazwell returns to Denver PrideFest

Cazwell, the queer rapper and self-proclaimed “very sexy person with a great taste in music,” is coming back to Denver to perform at his second Denver PrideFest.

“I always love coming to Denver even though it was the sweatiest I’ve ever been while performing,” Cazwell said about his time on the main stage during 2013’s Pride.

We chatted with him about the terrors of getting his musical start in Massachusetts, longevity, and when he’s finally going to release another music video. Check it out and catch him on June 19th at Civic Center Park.

When did you start pursuing music?

When I lived in Worcester, Massachusetts I started rapping with a friend of mine who was gay, and we started this fag and dyke rap duo. Eventually some radio stations heard it and we started doing a few radio shows, which lead to doing actual gigs.

So we both moved to Boston together to pursue something that we were good at. When we got to Boston, gay clubs weren’t hiring gay rappers so we would go to these straight venues. So just imagine a late 90s Irish straight pub and I walk in and rap about being gay, which was very difficult. But I’m thankful because if you can make it in Boston then you can make it anywhere.

I remember this one time, I went to show and the place was filled with all these yahoos in white hats who were playing beer pong, but when I got on stage I had them eating out of the palm of my hands. They were just all feeling the vibrations I was sending out. After that I thought, I could really change the world.

I took a step back and thought, ‘Hey, I’m pretty good at this.’

The pivotal moment for me was when I had to really make a decision between college and a music career. So I met with my college advisor, literally the day after that show, and I explained to her what happened and how I was feeling. She just turned to me and said, ‘Just drop out.’

But after I did that, I got to apply the same effort and work I was putting into college into my music. I really disciplined myself in it. I was my own manager, booking agent, and the talent.

When I moved to New York City, I went solo and got signed by Peace Biscuit.

Things started to take off for me when songs like All Over Your Face and Watch My Mouth came out. It was also when YouTube just gotten big, so the videos had gone viral.

Tell me more about a gay rapper going into these straight bars in Boston.

People in Boston in general are assholes, whether they were straight or not — I knew people were going to be assholes. I’ve had the worst experiences in my life in Boston.

Boston is the kind of place where you get on stage and there is another rapper in the audience who would literally try and grab the mic from me. It’s totally happened before.

I guess the entire state of Massachusetts wasn’t that great. When I first started, I had a gig in my hometown at a place called Sir Morgan’s Cove where they had chicken-wire in front of the stage to protect the performers. We showed up to this gig, and it was a ‘Battle of the Bands’ and we were one of the ‘bands.’

So, here we are battling against this heavy metal band called Kripe, and I called them Tripe on stage and immediately pissed everyone off. They even started trying to throw coins and popcorn through the chicken-wire.

But when you’re on stage you feel like you have the power, though. I basically convinced myself that I could do whatever the f*ck I wanted to do.

Where do you pull inspiration from when you write?

Deadlines.

Break-ups tend to give me motivation.

Also, there’s this thing on YouTube called Queen of the Ring, which is a female battle-rap channel. I really love female battle raps, because these women get really creative with it. What they do is get these two girls into a boxing ring and give them three rounds to basically disrespect each other to death. Their pen game is really on point.

I’m blessed to work with very talented producers whose beats get me in the mood — smoke a little blunt for inspiration.

The current state of the world also inspires me. Like right now everyone is really into getting famous, and we have some pretty stupid famous people. Little things like that.

You’ve been making queer music for some time. What’s your key to longevity?

Just never stop. There are always ups and downs but just never, ever, ever stop.

I dropped All Over Your Face and people loved it and you get a lot of shows, then I dropped Watch My Mouth and people didn’t like it as much and they didn’t come to shows. It just depends on how well-received the single is. Ice Cream Truck fed me for a few years.

The gay community is really fickle. If I drop a video and there are no boys in it, then people are asking, ‘Where’s the hot boys? It’s still there, girl — go back and watch her anytime you want. Then I do a video and it’s colorful with tons of men dancing and I’m quickly a one-trick pony. I don’t even care anymore. I’m done trying to make people happy. I make the best work when I’m not paying attention to what people are listening to.

Just believe in yourself — as simple as that sounds.

What’s going on over in your world right now?

I moved to Los Angeles on Christmas. I was really only going to live there during winter, but I’ll probably stay a year. It’s really easy out there.

I’m making new music and doing it right — I’m taking my time with it. I plan on having an EP out at the end of the summer. I’m dropping a DJ mixtape and a separate rap mixtape this summer.

This is all so new to me, because if I don’t drop a music video within six months of my last one I just start itching. But, my manager convinced me that I have the money and the gigs to survive the summer, just focus on these things. So I’m organizing all my ammunition for the fall.

It’s going to gag you.