Kazzy Chase is one of most unique artists I have ever came across. I can’t quite pinpoint why just yet but the fact stands. I catch myself being a fan of whatever I hear him on, not to mention he has a great ear. We got the chance to talk to him over here at GroundSounds so maybe you can find out what I mean through our convo below!
Kazzy Chase whats the word! Thanks for sittin’ down with us I appreciate it!
I’m a man of the people, AD
Now I’m not totally familiar with your career so this is gonna start from the bottom. How long have you been at it? (making music and involved in the fashion world)
I started DJing at around 16, really only because I couldn’t record raps at the time. I’ve been writing raps since I was little, like 8-9. I didn’t start recording ’til around 2006 but didn’t start “releasing” music ’til around ’10.
I’m not really too involved w/ the fashion scene myself. I love the culture & a lot of my friends have brands & that but I dont. I think people get it confused cuz I fuck with a lot of boutiques & brands out here but don’t expect a line anytime soon. I did work in the creative department at Knyew for a while, though.
I feel like you embody all aspects of the culture – you really RAP and can flow on any type of beat, your also an engineer so you know how to make the final product sound crispy clean and your also involved in the world of fashion. Do you feel that it is necessary to be part of every facet of the game these days?
If you can, definitely. I handle all my own graphics & engineering. For most music videos, I’ll have a cinematographer shoot it & I’ll edit it. I don’t trust anyone else, yet, to present my product the way I want. If you have the talent & means, definitely do that shit yourself. It’s less people to cut in on a check & also a side job for other creatives.
What is a lane you haven’t jumped in yet that you eventually want to??
Acting. My face is too pretty for rap.
You represent Vegas very well but is this where you are originally from?
Nope, thanks though! I can only rap what I know & the city’s definitely my biggest influence. I was born in Riverside, CA & raised all over the country. My dad was in the military & we moved every 4 years so I grew up in Cali, Utah, Texas, South Carolina, Missouri, New Mexico & Nevada. When people ask, I just say I’m from space. Damn, I should have said “space”.
What is your favorite thing about the city of Las Vegas?
The allure. To tourists, it’s this adult-Disneyland with shiny lights & 24 hour lituation. To locals, this is all an opportunity. Living here, you adapt & get used to a lifestyle built around the fantasy tourists see here. The money is easy to make & the cost of living is cheap. I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
What is your favorite city outside of Nevada and why??
San Diego. That’s where I wanna end up. Air just taste better out there. I’m tryna live off a beach in La Jolla or some shit like that, hella white people on some Get Out shit. Mmph, that safety!
What was the first project you put out?
Lol it was called “Tumblr Tape 1”..it was fire as hell and probably somewhere online still.
How do you feel you’ve evolved as an artist over time?
I just learned how to still convey the same feel with my music & be completely honest. That’s one of my favorite things about my content right now, is, I’m not saying “rapper shit” just to say it anymore. This city, luckily, puts us in situations where I can really talk about shit some rappers might lie or exaggerate about. I listen to so much different music, I’ve never had a particular “sound”. My music evolves every time the next one gets made.
You and JaYY have this “Very Vegas” campaign going – describe what it is about and what it consists of?
Very Vegas started off as a phrase we’d say when something obscene or scummy happened. Example: Girl walking out of Drais with her shoes in her hand; Very Vegas. A little bit after we started using the term, we started noticing our lifestyle was reflecting a pretty obscene & scummy look. We procured an entire studio via some chick’s sugar daddy; Very Vegas. The day we started recording, we didn’t expect to make a project. The process was a blur, to be honest. Lots of Hennessy & other substances were more than abused during that weekend. Got the studio Friday & by Monday, we had a project called Very Vegas. All based on factual event, again, my favorite part.
How would you describe the music/hip-hop scene here in Vegas??
Bubbling. It’s getting to a better level of respect & support. The talent is endless out here. It’s really just a matter of getting the talented artists out. We gotta support our people. It’s the only way to thrive.
What is the ‘culture’ from your perspective?
Me as hell.
Drug of choice?
Acid. It’s the only “drug” that changed me for the better.
Top 5 rappers of all time?
Me, Me, Me, Me & Me
Highlight of your career thus far?
Getting kicked out of Hard Rock Live (twice) post-performance, for generously giving the crowd doobies. I am a man of the people & if being an amazing human gets me kicked out of an establishment, I’ll take it.
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now??
Somewhere exotic with a robe & a Gucci durag on. Probably some soft slippers. A medicated e-pen of sorts. All types of a felony in my drug drawer.
First word that comes to mind when you hear ‘Trump?’
Eghk (Pusha T Voice)
How do you feel about white people using the n-word?
-I’m over it. I used to have a problem with it, at this point it’s the smallest part of “racism” that’s worth arguing over. Fuck it. BUT if someone around your white ass has a problem with it, just accept that & don’t say it. I don’t see why that part’s so hard.
Favorite video game of all time?
the Grand Theft Auto series (San Andreas is my favorite, obviously.)
Favorite cereal of all time?
French Toast Crunch
As a fan I would love to see a project from you & JaYY and the cover be some type of ‘Kid n’ Play’ ‘Money Train’ or ‘White Men Cant Jump’ theme – not really a question – just think it’d be dope!
We actually dress up like Kid N Play & perform “Don’t Wanna Hurt Nobody” all the time, we just don’t talk about it that much.
Best/Worst things about being an independent artist?
Best would probably be the freedom. You can do whatever, whenever, with your music. Worst part is just accessibility. Having to figure out what channels to go through to pull off shit that’s probably pretty simple for a label or machine.
When does Very Vegas 2.0 drop??
When the Party God from Adventure Time tells us to.
What does the rest of 2017 hold for Kazzy Chase?
I have a full length project dropping before Summer & an unnecessary amount of unreleased music so I plan on just destroying & over saturating the market like I’ve been known to do. My last FREE project drops this month, also.
One last thing for the readers/fans/listeners…
I love most of y’all. Thanks for being somewhat dope. Keep supporting, I appreciate it. If you ever come to one of my shows, bring me drugs. Look me up on your streaming services and uh stay tuned, kids!
Well thank you for your time brotha – I appreciate it & look forward to your success!
-Thank you, my guy! I appreciate everything you do for the movement. You the man.
