“Is Smashis a part of Cashtime Life? What’s his relationship with Kid X and K.O now? Is there beef? How come he hasn’t dropped an official single yet? Yeah, he definitely fell off”
These are some of the questions that have crossed many people’s mind. After rising to recognition on YFM’s Siz n’ Scoop freestyle circuit back in 2011 and subsequently crashing onto the scene as part of the Teargas’s extension project, Cashtime Fam, the 24-year old KZN-born rapper has been through his fair share of things. He sat down with HYPE to address some of the questions.
In the beginning there was Cashtime Fam with you and Kid X, AB Crazy and the Teargas O.G’s. You guys released an album and some time later K.O announced that the group was no longer functioning and that the focus was on all the members’ individual projects. Take me through has been happening since then…
I’ve practically been cooped up in the studio. I didn’t really ever get the chance to develop myself individually, because it was always about the best work we could produce as a crew. When you’re in a group you need to be selfless and play your part. It was only after I really started to focus on myself that I realised I didn’t really have an musical identity that people resonated with outside of Cashtime. You’ve got to understand that I only really started writing in ’09 when I heard Drake’s Best I Ever Had; that’s when got inspired and really thought to myself that I could do this rap thing. I was always good at writing in general but ‘09 was when I started to apply myself. And in a split second, it went from that to being mentored by the greatest songwriters to do it in the rap game. Shows, interviews, the album, etc. So it’s only now when things died down with the group that I started searching for my voice as an individual. That’s where I’ve been.
What is your relationship with K.O, X, Ma-E and the rest of the guys like right now?
Nothing has changed on my side, it’s still all love and respect. But understand that I’m a man of pride. If someone is your boy who you’re always hanging out with but he switches up on you with no explanation, it’ll hurt at first but eventually you’ll have to take the hint and have to start focusing on getting back to a place where you can survive on your own. K.O called me out of the blue some time last year to check up on me, you know? Considering what was happening, it was a bit surprising. But the way I look at it is, if that’s what the relationship has come down to then I’m cool with that. At the end of the day they don’t owe me anything. If anything, they have done a lot for me. People didn’t know me before them. I was a kid from KZN who had just started rapping and was ill, but there were so many others too. They chose me and gave me the opportunity to learn from them and release music on a high level. They put me in the game so I have no reason to feel entitled for anything. All I can do is appreciate that and take it from here.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW GO OUT AND BUY THE APRIL/MAY ISSUE OF HYPE MAGAZINE AVAILABLE IN STORES NATIONWIDE