Cashley Forte - Rap 101 Single + Scoop

Cashley or Forte as he is known has come a long way in the Namibian Music Industry. The self-made hip Hop superstar released a new single entitled Rap 101. We give you an update of what Cashley has been up to with and without Cyberspace. Interview after the Jump.

What is the message in Rap 101(Certified Classic)?

Well the song is basically just all about me getting out of my comfort zone a bit, and also revisiting the art of making competitive rap music that is more Abstract on subject matters and thus less confined to a single topic or situation, continuously challenging myself to do better than what I did last, by raising the bar higher every time as far as Hip-Hop and Word Play is concerned.

I felt like having defined song titles was kind of becoming creatively limiting to certain extends. That’s why I called this one Rap 101 (Certified Classic),  it’s all about being free and vocal on the microphone by expressing yourself without being too predictable by doing something less conventional like the booty-rap type of songs that are dominating radio lately. As much as that is equally appreciated and there’s a lot of listenership for Booty-rap songs I also felt like a certain sector of hip-hop fans especially in Namibia where being starved for a while, which is practically torture coz they are forced to listen to what is kicking that time despite really having a different preference for the ear. I felt like I had to do something about that coz I was partly to blame for that as well coz I have been quite for a while just reading trends and peeping the game, so I felt now was the right time to bring balance to the equation a bit.

How is it compared to your previous turntable king projects?

Well firstly this is my 2nd Hip-Hop single as a solo act, so you can practically say it’s a sequel to Metamorphosis. The difference with this project lies perhaps in the way it was engineered, the whole background process that took place before the track was born.

Secondly, we did the song on the same day the Annual Jazz Festival 2013 was taking place in Windhoek, it was produced, recorded and released by 22h00. K-Boz and I had just returned from a gig in Otjiwarongo, a bit exhausted so we just decided to stay in studio and play around with some sounds.

We were working on a specific idea when K-Boz got a Light-Bulb moment, he made me listen to another Loop He had just created so we decided to go with that, the beat construction began, then the rest was history. This is probably one of those most productive moments in studio so it was a very beautiful feeling.

What is your fans reaction to the single?

Well after the online release the song got 242 plays, and 65 downloads out of a 100, practically that’s like a 65% thumbs up rating. Then I got people requesting it via WhatsApp, email, a couple of shout outs on twitter and quite some good feedback on Facebook as well. LOL, So me being a Cyberspace maniac, It’s very exciting to test and really see what technology and social media can do for you as an Artist and how it can help you build on the results you get.

I am very overwhelmed coz I think this was one of the easiest ways for me to really sample and satisfy my audience. For me that was very important coz I like to keep my music as exclusive as possible so it’s very important to target and reach the right kind of audience with the right kind of ear you want.

When are we going to see a Cashley Album available?

I can’t give you a precise date because that takes away the excitement, but I can say I haven’t been this excited to be in studio in a while. So while the hype and energy is there I will take advantage of the space that I’m in right now to make more good music. So if that gut feeling hits me again like it did now with this single, I might just surprise my fans sooner than they expected.

What is your take on the Entertainment industry in Namibia at currently?

I can’t say much on the Entertainment Industry, because that is something totally different and a bit broader. People often mistake Entertainment and Music… What I can say though is that, I am very fortunate to have been behind the scene for a while coz it gave me an opportunity to witness the industry shape itself to what it is today.

I have learned a lot in this business, enough for me to be able to do things at ease without any pressure or rush. Right now, I feel like I’m not hungry for the Industry like I was say 5-10 years ago, but the industry is definitely more hungry for me now unlike it was say 5-10 years ago and that’s the beauty of patience and hard work.

One last Question (Hip-Hop) is it dead in Namibia?

Well in the interim one might say it has taken a short recess, due to the absence of certain content in the broadcasting spectrum perhaps. Which is a normal trend everywhere in this business, there’re cycles and phases to everything, ups and downs etc. One thing for sure though: Hip-Hop will never die, for as long as I am Forte.

Download Cashely's Single straight from his Sound Cloud account here,or listener to the MP3 Below.

Watch Cashley Metarmophosis Music below