Cas One

Hip-hop artists Cas One starts things off with a funny little introduction comprised of voicemail messages. The MC work throughout “Liberation” is cold, breezy, but yet perfect and doesn’t sound like the urban corner rap. Often you’ll hear melodic singing alongside of the rapping. But it’s the huge beats and stellar production that creates the bombs included on “Liberation”. “Puppet Dance” is definitely my favorite but other notables include the melancholy “Distortion”, “Wings” with its stadium guitar loop, and “Two Steppin’” which features great jazzy drums and Tommy Jamin. Pick this album up now.

- J-Sin - www.smother.net

we generally keep up on new artists, every once in a while we'll be given an album from an artist that we've never even heard of before. And after listening, we'll wonder how we missed them in the first place. That was the case with CasOne's "Liberation." Coming straight out of Evansville, Indiana (that is not a typo) CasOne is on a mission to prove that the midwest definitely has something to say. While it's an album three years in the making by his own admission, he should take three years for every album if the end result would always be this impressive. Clever, thought-provoking wordplay is what really drives "Liberation" and will have you actively listening to make sure you don't miss anything. Artists who make guest appearances include Brother Ali, Proe, Tommy Jamin and Ignite among others. Production, which is equally dope, is courtesy of newcomers Sauce, Equalibrum and J Brookins. A major accomplishment right out the gate. Get it.

4 out of 5 stars. - ToFlo.com

reality check:so i am gonna ask you some basic questions and a few more personal ones ok ?

cas one:Im ready.

1st of all lets let every one know who you are ok ?

cas one: My alter ego's name is cas one but if you're a fan you can call me Jacob...Im from the midwest and make hip-hop music.

reality check:what are your feelings on the current state of hip hop?

cas one: I feel like it's going in a lot of diffrent directions..some for the better...some for the worst...A lot of people are breaching boundaries and I have a lot of respect for people that dont stick to the same formula. I like a lot of hip hop music coming out right now. I hate even more...as for the state of hip-hop I dont think its dead I dont think its dying I think its going in a diffrent direction than a lot of people want it to...I blaim the media.

reality check: what do think of all the rap beefs in the industry? and do you have any?

cas one:I think some are needed..It never kills a career..It revives a career..never kills it...A lot of the shit is pointless and to sell records..Who am I to say another man cant hate another man and speak about it on a track..if its good music fuck it..I wanna hear that shit. as for REAL beef..none that I would make widely public..I mean theres some local shit I wouldnt ever put out...but I'll cd-r the hell out of it and distribute it to his fan base. theres talk about a line i said on my record toward a certain label.....i dont know what will come of that...but i hate hipsters...enough said.

reality check: what do you think makes an artist a good artist?

cas one:Passion,Soul,Creativity and a business mind. as much as people like to down play music into not being a business it IS. and love doesnt feed families. just egos.

reality check: you got alot of poetic lines in your songs where did you pick up your knowledge on poetry?

cas one: you know when you go to bed...and you cant sleep...and you just stare at the ceiling for like an hour..I think thats when I come up with my best material.

reality check: youv'e told me before that you have panic attacks sometimes when your around alot of people. how do you rock the crowd and cope with that at the same time?

cas one: I shed everything of who I am when Im on that stage...On stage Im a monster..Im all the monsters in my head as one person...A lot of the times after a show I just bounce...like...you wont see me..I'll be in the back...Its not that I dont want to talk to anyone..I just dont know what to say and Im scared I'll freak the fuck out....It comes and it goes....

reality check: when and why did you decide that music was your calling?

cas one:I was 12 years old...I had friends that freestyled and I was always thinking how I wanted to do that shit to get the spot light for a minute have people be like oohhhh at my lines...and I remember staying up real late and writting a bunch of shit down and saying it over and over again until i memmorized it..then i went to the basketball courts and rapped it for everyone the next day...I got laughed at...eminem wasnt out then and white people wernt supposed to rap...still arent?

reality check: ok i got your new album liberation and honestly i have to say there is alot of classic material on there. you got your network on with some well established people too. so who are you lookin to connect with next? and how did you go about getting together with the people on your album?

cas one:I appreciate that man, as for the future I've talked with a couple of people..Vaste aire for one, Maker, Glue...I try to become friends with the artist before I come at them with the idea of doing a song...You gotta know some one before you work with them comftorably you know? If dreams came true I'd wok with jay z..and i'd die happy.

reality check: who's the hottest bitch on the planet right now? and what would you do to be able to get ya grown man on with her?

cas one: SOOOO many to pick from....ummmm...I really dig Jessica Alba, and that one latino chick from Hitch...Im horrible with movie star names....But I would stuff a human being full of marshmallow peeps and throw them off a high rise building to court those broads....not to mention seeing what an exploded marshmallow peeps human being looks like.

reality check: i know alot of time went into liberation. so when should people be lookin for some new cas one material and what should they expect?

cas one: I am working on so much shit it's ridiculous right now. I have table scraps coming out in about a month which is just a tour cd of unreleased stuff and new material im working on. Im working on a L.p with Proe called Perfect Strangers,an e.p with equalibrum,an e.p. with human crop circles (jkr70) and A new album called The monster and the wishing well...and Im on a gang of people albums I dont know if Im allowed to say Im on or not yet or if I even made the cut. so you can plan to see a whole lot of me.

reality check: d - Reality check