Rookie of The Year: Quickfass Cass is on His Way Up and Says There’s Enough Room for Everyone to Join Him
I could listen to Cass talk all day. The passion he has for his craft is one thing, but the blooming rappers desire to shift the dial for others like him is out of this world. “There needs to be more support for emerging artists in the areas the tourists don’t go,” he says blatantly, when asked about what advice he has for hopefuls who come from his side of the tracks in South Africa.
“As much as my career is about my story, it’s not lost on me that in many ways, I represent so much more. I know that right now, there’s a kid with all the talent in the world, just waiting for someone to take a chance on him.”
At the time of this interview, he is putting the final touches on his biggest project yet, and says that hip-hop purists will eat the day it drops. Titled “Rookie of the Year” the 12-track mixtape is set to drop in the next few weeks and sports some pretty impressive features.
For Quickfass, the journey has been a long one. He says that he has been making music since he was 12, and that it’s only now starting to look up for him. More than anything, he wants to share this with others. “I’m so tired of this idea that there’s not enough room for all of us. As much as my career is about my story, it’s not lost on me that in many ways, I represent so much more. I know that right now, there’s a kid with all the talent in the world, just waiting for someone to take a chance on him” he shares.
In 2015, he was that kid. Quickfass entered the music industry as a contestant on VUZU’s The Hustle, in which he placed 3rd after emerging victorious in a 1 on 1 battle with Shane Eagle. He has made significant headway since then, citing notable collaborations with industry heavyweights Emtee and the late ProKid.
With his roots in the township of Soweto, Cass acknowledges the challenging transition to the city, and cites this as one of the critical junctures in his life. “I know for sure my life would have been different if we hadn’t moved out of the township, it opened my eyes to a world of different possibilities”. In the same breath, he notes that his hope is that this dream should be just as viable without having to step a foot outside of Soweto: “At the same time, I hold no criticism for the people I grew up with because we are all a product of our environment. I hope that this environment changes in a way that it makes room for the success of my people, and not only just for a select few.”
This is something he feels strongly about, and this translates to his everyday life-he shares that he spends a lot of time with younger artists who reach out to him, ranging from plugging them with resources to ensure the business side of their music is taken care of to conceptualizing a talent search in underrepresented South African communities.
See more on the process behind his mixtape, dream collaborations and genre-bending in the full interview below, lightly edited for the purpose of clarity and context.
Jade: Congratulations on your upcoming project! Talk to me about the process behind Rookie of the Year.
Cass: Oh man, I’ve had so much fun putting this project together, and its been a long time coming. The one thing I want everyone to know is that this is a straight-up rap album. I think the state of hip-hop in South Africa is a bit murky at the moment, but with this project, people will know what they are getting.
Jade: So would you say that you’re a purist in that regard?
Cass; I wouldn’t confine myself to one genre, but I can say that this project definitely falls within that category. As for future projects, who knows?
Jade: I could 100% hear you on an R&B record!
Cass: You have a good ear. [laughs] you might be on to something there. As much as I’ve been working on Rookie of the Year, I have also had my hand in a lot of other records..So we’ll see!
Jade: Who would be your dream collaboration?
Cass: People always look at me some kind of way when I say this. But Lira for sure! She’s a legend in my eyes and I really feel like we could lay down something fire.
Jade: That’s an interesting choice. Who do you cite as your main influences when it comes to your sound?
Cass: Wow that’s a hard question..mostly because I feel like my sound is influenced by so many but I’m gonna break down the heavyweights for you.. Nas God Son album changed my life. Lyrically, Pac cannot be overlooked-and then I had this really strong connection to Slum Village..Locally, ProKid was an icon living to me (may he rest in peace), and that’s why I was so amped to get him on the Soudy record.
Jade: Was it always going to be music for you?
Cass: Always! I was interested in rap from a very young age and it was always about the lyrics for me, I wrote a few songs for girls I liked in primary[school], although they were terrible!
Jade: Don’t tell me you had a book of rhymes.
Cass: You already know! Hardcover. I was always writing, even when I should have been focusing on more important things, like school or whatever. And I have to say, although my family didn’t always understand what I was doing, they supported me all the way and I’m so grateful for that.
Jade: Do you think leaving Soweto was essential to shaping Quickfass Cass the artist?
Cass: Absolutely. Don’t get me wrong, that is the place that birthed me and we have seen a lot of legendary artists coming out of the township of Soweto. However, I think the defining factor for me was access. If i hadn’t left, it would be very difficult for me to envision the path I am on right now. At one point, I was engulfed in the darkness and music really was my way out.
Jade: So I’m guessing you still feel pretty connected to where you come from
Cass: From Soweto to the world for real! Its deeply embedded in who I am, and I love my everything about it. I hold no criticism for the guys I grew up with, who might be in a very difficult situation right now because we are all a product of our environment. I hope that this environment changes in a way that it makes room for the success of all my people, and not only just for a select few.
Jade: What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out as an artist?
Cass: I have a lot of young guys reaching out to me, saying they made a beat or recorded a song and really just wanna know where to from there. The first thing I say to them is always to register their music, which needs to happen before you can even think about getting it on radio, that is definitely one of the things I wish I knew when I started.
Jade: What are some of the other things?
Cass: I think when people say music is a business people don’t really understand the depth of that, I definitely didn’t. One of the most challenging things I learned is that talent, no matter how much of it you have, is simply not enough. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that aid the success of an artist in this industry. Every day I’m learning more about that.
Jade: What I really wanna know is when we can press play on this project.
Cass: Soon! Seriously. Right now, I’m putting the final touches on this but we’re looking at putting this out in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out!
