>> Cazwell
bio: In this era of cookie-cutter pop stars, Cazwell is one of a kind, his own special creation. That much is obvious once you survey some names this New York-based rapper, songwriter and entertainer cites as influences: Biggie Smalls, Deee-Lite, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper. Like those groundbreakers, Cazwell puts the Icon in Iconoclast. His propulsive beats and tongue-twisting rhymes are carving out a new musical style, while his streetwise fashion sense and eye-popping videos serve up visual panache to match. Cazwell's art isn't about lifestyle with a lower case L, the type you purchase off-the-rack after reading a magazine article, but a Style of Life, one which celebrates everyday existence, from his first waking moments to the hazy, shady episodes that unfold in the wee small hours.
The track that best exemplifies our young hero's raison dtre is "Mission Possible," his raucous affirmation of the power of positive thinking. "I was having a really bad day, doubting myself," recalls Cazwell. "And my Dad, who loves psychology, commented that the human brain naturally causes you to doubt yourself in times of need. So I wanted to write a song that sounded like two parts of me fighting each other, as I'm trying to win over my antagonistic side."
Cazwell has a playful side, too, as represented by "All Over Your Face", his 21st century funk-rock overhaul of "Is It All Over My Face," the 1980 disco classic by Loose Joints (one of the many outlets of dance music innovator Arthur Russell). Augmenting the original track with some instrumental crunch produced by Kaz Gamble (Cooler Kids), Cazwell lays down a rhyme inspired by the raunchy, carefree sexuality of the pre-AIDS era. "I was trying to paint a picture of New York in the '70s, like I'm getting it on with a hooker in a hotel room, and make it all sound like one big, dirty cum shot."
Cazwell has a distinctive flow, syllables and asides and verbal pictures somersaulting over each other, building up momentum like sugar-high school children tumbling down a grassy hill during recess. He cites the Notorious B.I.G. and Slick Rick, as well as author Augusten Burroughs, as artists who taught him to select his words precisely. "I try to put alot of thought into the words i use." That streamlined delivery gives his songs, and live performances, an immediacy that many of his contemporaries lack. "I may not be the world's best rapper, but I think I'm a very good conductor of energy," he opines.
"Rhymes are like spells to me," he adds. "You can shape your future with what you say."
In addition to his recordings, Cazwell has also made two dazzling videos to date. For "I Buy My Socks on 14th Street," Caz's jazzy reflection on a pedestrian's adventures in downtown NYC, director Lukas Hauser followed him through the city streets, even stumbling through protests during the Republican National Convention en route to the titular destination. For the hiccupping hi-jinks of "Do You Wanna Break Up?," David Silverberg and Cazwell concocted a colorful, fast-moving clip that is equal parts West Side Story and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." These videos, and the free-wheeling spirit the embody, are key components of Cazwell's master plan. ""I wanted to make a grass roots video that would introduce some of New York's downtown scene like Deee Lite did.
Cazwell grew up in Worcester (pronounced "Wusta"), Massachusetts, an industrial city with few outlets for an artistically-inspired adolescent. Growing up, Caz hooked up with a butch dyke who went by the handle Crasta Yo, and the two began concocting rhymes together. "We would write about the silliest things when we started: Cheeseburgers and our Converse sneakers." They cut their teeth in basement parties full of skaters and punk rockers, and tapes began to circulate. They called themselves first Wordsworth, then Morplay. In 1999, the duo moved to New York, and started lining up gigs. Morplay released an album, Thesaurus Metamorphosis, with the help of renown DJ and trend-spotter Larry Tee.
Today, Cazwell has a growing stable of collaborators. In addition to his regular henchmen, producers DJ Drama, Mike Skinner, and Chris Bracco, he has pushed his boundaries as a songwriter, working with acts like Avenue D (with whom he recorded two tunes, "The Sex That I Need" and the Wendy & Lisa-era Prince homage, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright), Kevin Aviance and Boy George. His latest coup is penning an album for international style icon Amanda Lapore. The genesis of the project dates back to Amanda's birthday celebration a couple years ago, for which she tapped Cazwell to provide entertainment.
"I remember looking at her, sitting up on this chair, enjoying a glass of champagne, and she just looked so glamorous." His effervescent tune for her, "Champagne," proved only the first of a slew of songs including "My Hair Looks Fierce" and "Brand New Woman" slated for Amanda's new full-length. "I've always wanted to write an autobiographical album like the Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die or The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," says Cazwell, and in Amanda he found his muse. As if this flash of kismet needed further cosmic confirmation, the two were recently asked to appear at the Life Ball in Vienna, an annual fundraiser to fight AIDS; the 2005 event features a Versace fashion show, and an appearance by Elton John as well. Donatella, Sir Elton, Amanda Lepore and a kid from Wusta, MA. Not too shabby.
One other aspect sets Cazwell apart from many of his peers: His sexuality and his fresh mindset about it. "I want to make gay people cool again. Yeah, we have Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, but not all gay men want to makeover your house. Growing up gay, you have to think outside the box your whole life. I want to show what the gay mind can do for hip-hop, for electronic music, and how interesting that take can be." And although there is a smutty, playful side to some of his raps, who Cazwell sleeps with never upstages who he is as an artist. "To just talk about gay stuff seems so surface level. I know I can't just show up at the Source Awards and go, 'Hey guys, I'm here!' So instead, I have to create a new space and invite the people, everybody, to come to me."
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