Cazwell :: having fun, just don't call him a gay rapper

Out New York performer Cazwell's music falls into a category that's not exactly easy or comfortable to classify. When the now-38-year-old attempted to gain a foothold in Boston's hip-hop scene, he was met with some resistance for his openly gay identity. And though he's gained the adoration of his queer fan base, even LGBT-centric media like MTV's LOGO have sometimes hesitated to showcase songs like "All Over Your Face" for their explicit, not-safe-for-work lyrics.

Despite these obstacles, Cazwell has managed to carve a niche for his high-energy jams, most recently gaining a viral following for his high-energy, sex-charged recent video "Ice Cream Truck," which has drawn nearly 2 million views in just under two months.

Set to play shows in Chicago and Los Angeles this weekend, taking a break from his busy schedule of regular gigs DJing on New York's club scene and recording new releases with his co-conspirator Amanda Lepore, Cazwell fills EDGE's swear-jar with quarters while discussing his videos, Bjork and why he's chosen to ignore what he calls "the rules of hip-hop."

On ’Ice Cream Truck’

EDGE: How are you doing, Cazwell? First, I just wanted to ask, what does an average day look like for you?

Cazwell: I don't really know how many days are average in New York, but usually I sleep really late, get up and go to the gym and check my emails. I DJ like five nights a week and get in bed somewhere between 4:00 and 5:30 in the morning, then I'll sleep all I want. I usually try not to get up unless I have to. Lately, I've had to get up a lot earlier for interviews or to work out some business shit. This is a busy week, I'm in the studio with Amanda [Lepore] doing our last song for her album.

EDGE: Are you excited for your Chicago gig?

C: I love trying to get out when I'm traveling, going to meet fans. I love when we play in clubs because I've worked in clubs and get the deal. I know the lifestyle. It's fun to find the kinds of people in Chicago who are like the New York club people. But I'm not playing Berlin this time - which I've played four times, every other time I've played there. Hydrate will be a new experience for me and I'm really excited for it. I always have great shows in Chicago.

EDGE: Did it surprise you how "Ice Cream Truck" went viral? Has that exposure changed how you approach your career at all?

C: I typically think everything I do is going to be huge, then it doesn't turn out that way, even if it sometimes it does. But when I do anything, my goal is that as long as I impress myself, I can defend it. This idea wasn't the typical way I do a video - typically it's a long process, but I knew I had to get this song done quickly since it's such a summer song. We shot it and two days later it was edited. After two days, it was up on YouTube. We just did it and didn't waste too much time thinking about it. I remember the video's director Marco Ovando said he really hoped we'd hit 100,000, and now, the last time i saw it, we have almost 2 million views. That's huge.

Not a gay rapper

EDGE: Tell me a bit more about what inspired the video turning out the way it did.

C: I thought "Ice Cream Truck" was definitely a summer song with a bit of a Spanish flavor. And when I think of summertime, I think of hot Latino boys on the streets of New York chilling with their shirts off, popping boners through their basketball shorts and whatever. I wanted to dedicate this video to the hot Latino boys of New York. This, specifically, is my shout out to them.

EDGE: Has the hot Latino boys' community responded in kind to your dedication?

C: Yeah! I mean, I think they have. I've also gotten a lot of response from guys who admire Latino guys and gay people who, I think in general feel represented. There's always complaints with my videos about how this isn't how gay people really are and it's not how some people want to be represented but who cares? "All Over Your Face" got the same response. But I feel like the gay guys who listen to it feel a sense of empowerment. It's all right to talk about wanting to suck dick or have sex with a guy. The video makes it cool, without a pinch of shame there. I think it makes gay people feel cool about being gay, which they fucking should. It's the fucking bomb.

EDGE: How do you feel about being one of the few guys making music with a hip-hop sound having that sort of gay-positive slant? I know you're not particularly fond of the "gay rapper" label.

C: My music is not hip-hop. I mean, I guess you can say that I rap because I don't sing, so some would say it's gay hip-hop just because I'm gay, but I just think I'm doing what I can do without sounding like a fool because I can't sing that well. It's an opportunity to express myself so I work with that. If I considered myself hip-hop, I think I would have to, to a certain extent, live the rules of hip-hop and one of those rules is that you can't be a fag - you certainly can't be out and proud as gay. You can barely get away with being colorful with your expression. I'm inspired by hip-hop and a lot of other music, but I feel hip-hop is too constricting. No one in hip-hop is out and I don't think it's a place for gay people. I'm totally OK with that.

At the beginning of my career in Boston, I spent a lot of time trying to be accepted by hip-hop and that scene in Boston. I remember a lot of those guys were really talented and I wanted to be down with them but I came to the realization that no matter how good I am or how great my stage performance or videos are, straight people don't want to hang with gay people [in that scene] -- maybe as a stylist behind the scene, but that's it. They're two separate scenes and I'm fine with it. I'm not healing the wounds between gays and straights. I'm just trying to have fun. I do think music can bring more people together, though, so I am hopeful for that.

Working with Amanda Lepore

EDGE: You've been collaborating with Amanda Lepore practically since you first arrived in New York. Why do you think you work so well together?

C: Amanda? I hate her! A few reasons I think are, one, she's a Scorpio and I'm a Cancer. We're both water signs so we get each other and we never fight. I don't think anyone argues with her anyway. Amanda is an extremely interesting person with interesting things to say who's led an interesting life. She has taught me a lot. It's corny, but I was more of an angry person before I met her. I would certainly cop an attitude a lot quicker, but she definitely looks on the brighter side of things. The attitude is now that she has a pussy she doesn't have anything to complain about. It's all she wanted out of life. She didn't come to New York with the motivation of being a star, but she's always just lived her life as she wanted to live it. I really admire that and I can't say enough good things about her. I'm protective of her like she's my sister.

EDGE: How did you first meet Amanda? What was your first impression of her?

C: We're in the same club scene, so we were bound to meet eventually, but we met for the first time because she'd seen one of my shows, called and asked me to perform for her birthday. After the show, she was sitting, wearing a beautiful dress with her hair looking totally glamorous and she was sipping a glass of champagne. I had never seen anything like it, no one deserved to hold that glass more than her and she was the epitome of glamor. I went home and wrote her the song "Champagne." I told her about it, something that sounded really swanky, and she had been doing house music at the time. I told her I wanted to play with her and she said sure. We got together with a real band and from then on we became partners in music and live shows. She really means the world to me.

EDGE: What projects are coming up for you; you mentioned the EP with Amanda?

C: That EP comes out at the end of the month - The Cazwell-Amanda Lepore EP - and the "Marilyn" video is out, it's all setting it up for her album. I'm really proud of the other video - "Get Into It," directed by Leo Herrera. They're very swanky-type, glamorous videos in a Hollywood glamor style.

EDGE: How will you know when you've "made it"? What is your ultimate goal or gig?

C: I think that will happen when I impress my parents. But I would love to do a Vegas-style, star-studded show with Amanda and I going back and forth throughout. For the gig in New York, I want to say the Madison Square Garden but maybe the Kodak Theatre instead? It'd be nice to be that type of huge that is respected but not huge, insane fame. As big as Robyn. I love her and Bjork. When Bjork lived in New York, she was just kind of normal and no one chased her down the street. I'd also like Amanda and I to be on the cover of People Magazine or Rolling Stone like the new Sonny and Cher, but the 21st century.

Cazwell plays Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted, Thursday, September 23. Other upcoming appearances are in Washington DC, September 24, 2010 @ Town; Detroit, MI, September 25, 2010 @ Ice Nightclub; Los Angeles, September 26, 2010 @ the AIDS California Walk; Greek Theatre; Dallas, TX, September 30, 2010, @ Station 4; Portland, OR, October 3 @ Barracuda; Las Vegas, NV, October 8, 2010 @ Hard Rock Caf�. Visit www.cazwell.com for more information on Cazwell and other gigs he's playing in New York and elsewhere.