Artist Highlight: Chieftaine

I reached out to Chieftaine through Soundcloud & email:

Chris, best known as Chieftaine aka Casper the Friendly, has called Fredericksburg, VA home. Currently he is based in Richmond, VA and attributes his time in F-burg as the 'push he needed' to aspire for more:

"I'm from Fredericksburg.. And [Fredericksburg] really only inspires me to try hard with this music, so I don't have to be [there]. It's so boring. But in Richmond, I've went through a lot of different crazy things that have inspired me. I've been through many things I never thought I'd experience that I know [others can connect with]. I have many stories to tell."

This emcee is currently working on a tape called the Misadventures of Chieftaine. The project is basically a continuous series of songs dropping every 2 weeks.

(Vandalism)  http://chieftaine.bandcamp.com

(Dreamin' prod. by JG Beats)  soundcloud.com/chieftaine/Dreamin-prod-by-JG-beats

Vandalism, a free mixtape, is available for download from Bandcamp, while the single Dreamin' is available for streaming through Soundcloud.

Q & A With Chieftaine

How and when did you get into music?

I wrote my first rap in 6th grade, but I didn't start recording til the 10th grade when I dropped my first project. My dad is also a rapper, so I really grew up around rap.

Who or what inspires you musically?

All of the crazy things that happen in my life inspire my music a lot [haha]. But I really have always pulled inspiration from 80s & 90s rap (Wu tang, Pharcyde, 2Pac, etc.) and I also pull inspiration from a lot of other rappers like Ab-Soul, Earl, or Joey Bada$$.

What are some of your major goals with music? Why do you do what you do?

My goals with music are to: 1) Impact this world & 2) Help open some eyes to what is really important in life. I want to use words that really imprint on people who spend their time chasing material items, and show them the real wealth of one's soul. I want to expose the system and rebel against the corruption in the government. It's time to spark the revolution.

What is your greatest weakness as an artist? On the flip, what is your greatest strength?

My biggest weakness would probably be writer's block. It comes to me and stays for days, maybe weeks at a time- just making sure I don't get inspired. Luckily, recently I've found ways to really draw inspiration and I haven't had writer's block in a while. I think my greatest strength is my use of metaphors and word play. I could make puns for hours. I've never said a line that didn't have some connection to the others, or that didn't have a double meaning to it. It's just my passion, yo.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time with your music?

In 5 years, I see myself at Mac Miller's fame level. I never have really seen myself on the radio, or in some expensive-ass-million-dollar car, or in some mansion. I've always saw myself on an underground path, torch in hand, leading people to true freedom away from all of these gold chains and expensive whips that keep the youth shackled to the system. Scalpel in hand, I wanna change the face of the earth.