Ka$ino first left a mighty impression with our staff when we heard My Wave. So much so that when the year concluded we had to award him Best Produced Record for the same song. You listen to his music and it’s clear as day, he’s made for stardom. Born in Mississippi and now living in Hammond, LA, Keenan Richardson is as good as independent rap artists get. Known otherwise as Ka$ino, the artist pursues relatable but personal subjects with sublime honesty, madly catchy flows, perfectly-constructed bars, and slick visuals too. Write his name down because if you don’t catch his wave now, he’ll run you over later.
Enjoy Regardless and keep an open tab on it in the back of your mind ’cause we’ll get back to it later.
“So Ka$ino, where the name from and why the dollar sign?” I break the ice as Keenan offers a most unexpected but fun answer: “Well the name itself came from me being a betting man. I literally am that guy whether it’s rock-throwing or playing sports. I’m pretty much placing a wager on any competition!” We admire that there was intent and purpose behind the name itself. This is how you stay yourself while paving the way for your commercial name.
“Your record My Wave was awarded The Best Produced Song of 2020 by our B.R.E. Staff. Your new album, Da Coldest To Do It, yet again proves your commitment to delivering high-quality music. Who makes that sonic greatness happen?” we dig in as we gotta know how does the man of the hour sound better in only 3 years of being a professional music artist than some acts that have been around for a good decade? “First off I’m honored! Never won anything like that before so that’s dope being selected. It’s a major accomplishment for me! Secondly, eighty percent of my beats came from my brother RonaldtooHard. He produced my last album as well. Then got a few from a guy under Drum Dummies’ label BankrollShota. As for the mixing and mastering, that came from my guy back home, KoolKM, out of Jackson, Mississippi. The whole album was created there. The man is a musical genius!”
Speaking of Da Coldest To Do It, Ka$ino aims high with monstrous ambition, talking about needing two cars and islands on Mars, stealing other men’s women, being a lyrical surgeon, and being unbothered on his track Harder for example. The beat for Harder acts like a pompous amplifier of epic medieval vibes merged with modern rap bars. Ka$ino, keep your team because musically, you’re doing everything right.
“What inspired you to create Da Coldest To Do It? And how long did that take you?” goes our next question. Ka$ino shocks us again! “Honestly it’s been in the making for some time now. And I also realized I was subtly but consistently throwing the line “da coldest to do it” in my songs. So my cousin ZVN kinda pinched at the idea like “Yo! it’s time for a project!” So rather immediately I agreed and jumped on it. It took me 4 weeks to get it all recorded and mastered” Drake is somewhere crying in the corner 😀 14 records in 4 weeks with no ghostwriters. That is simply, f*cking herculean given both the complexity and completeness of the 14 songs. Keenan Richardson just proved he was born to do this.
Speaking of being born, Ka$ino shared with us a most endearing event that coincided with his album production: “The track 9 innings was the hardest to accomplish because at the time I kinda had the beat and I also set a cut off date to record everything before my newborn arrived. So I juggled back and forth a few days about doing it and adding it to the tracklist before I actually said “alright it’s a go this is the last song lol!”
As you’ve noticed by now, Ka$ino pairs his radio-ready records with first-rate visuals. “I have to thank my bro Simmie (Broskiipro Multimedia) for that. We kinda listen to the tracks and decide which one inspires him. He comes up with ideas and sometimes even a dope location triggers it. We shot a video on the side of his house before too. In large, whatever the vibes are that day, we let it determine everything and go with it”
So how did Ka$ino get so remarkably developed as a brand identity and music artist in such a short amount of time? “I’ve worked my ass off to be honest… I come from a musically inclined family. They all either sing, rap, play an instrument, or all three together. So the gift itself comes naturally for me but I’ve also worked ridiculously hard! I’ve practiced entire show performances in the bathroom mirror before I ever actually got booked. I’ve also written over 500 songs and still remain humble and focused on always improving myself” For the artists reading this right now, get to writing ’cause apparently it takes 500 records to sound like a professional and most of you have written a max of 30 records. It’s not us saying it, it’s Ka$ino and he sounds like he’s taken home a couple of Grammies already ⭐
“What was the most important lesson you got from the 3 years of pursuing music seriously?” we ask as we’re trying to get to the essence of who Ka$ino is. The rap artist, in his usual polite but sincere manner proceeds to share an answer worth of spiritual praise and work ethic admiration: “Stay patient and stay consistent. Not everything happens overnight, and not everybody is going to be the next Wayne. When it’s your turn, God will open the door for you, and you just better be ready to walk through it”
“What event triggered you to dive into a full-time career in the music business?” To which Keenan generously opens up for us: “Honestly, the loss of my baby brother… That was the turning point in my career. Being in a group (Sekund Kuzins) with my cousin and him kinda stepping away to deal with family matters around the same time, I felt like it was just me all by myself. Physically and mentally I shut down and if I’m being all the way honest, I was calling it quits on music. But through that mental anguish, all I could hear was my little brother throwing jabs and calling me soft for wanting to quit. Thus I put it all in for him which is why I’m always saying “LongLiveQuan” in just about every song. That drive alone kinda took me over the edge and I’ve been using that as my motivation ever since!”
Not only is Ka$ino a premium artist, but he’s an exceptional human being as well. The rapper veils all of his records in either direct tones of positivity or at the very minimum colors them with hues of upbeat moods. And behind all that feel-good aura there’s a tragic personal loss. Look at his smile! The man is actually legit smiling in his photos! How many rap artists you’ve seen candidly smile? Oh yeah! That’s right… N to the O to the N to the E.
“Do you mind telling us about your second job if you have one? And how do you make the two work?” we inquire curiously as we’re always keen on finding out how the best upcoming artists make their ends meet. Luckily for us, Ka$ino doesn’t hold back: “I am a service technician as well so working and doing music is hard for me. I’m constantly coming up with ideas or rhymes in my head while on my job and at that moment I gotta stop and write it down 😀” LOL we laughed too. Imagine the technician coming to your home to fix your internet and while he’s doing his job, he stops and excuses himself for a second to write down his bars 😀 Ka$ino, you are a funny dude.
As we’re reaching the end of our interview, we want to discover Ka$ino’s own taste in mainstream music: “SAINt JHN – “Roses” Remix ft. Future would have to be the one record I like most from Top 100. Also because it’s the latest thing I’ve been listening to. I like his last 3 projects he’s put out”
And we’re closing this fun, exhilarating, motivating, inspiring interview with Ka$ino by asking him who he’d like to send some special thanks to: “First and foremost shout out to God because of this talent! He blessed me with being able to create. Connecting to people due to my music is the ultimate blessing. Also special thanks to my loved ones, my team, and everyone involved in my success over the years even the ones that aren’t here anymore. And thank you guys of course at B.R.E. for having me!” No Ka$ino, thank YOU for having accepted to do this sit down with us! This was more valuable and captivating than we ever expected it to be.
Make sure to reach out to Ka$ino directly on Facebook HERE, on Instagram HERE, on Twitter HERE. And add his enthusiastic high-quality records on Amazon HERE, on Deezer HERE, on Apple Music HERE, and on Spotify below:
Interview conducted by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2020
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 