From the shadows of London’s underground has emerged a dark silhouette straight into the limelight. CASisDEAD (formerly Castro Saint) has been on a tear in recent years and he ticks all the boxes that an MC in 2018 should do: quality music, visuals, live shows and a cult-like following.
If you put the mystery of MF DOOM, the rawness of the Gravediggaz and the street tales of Raekwon in a blender you would get something like his track “All Hallows.” Produced by frequent Danny Brown collaborator Skywlkr, this song is one of many that is accompanied by a cinematic video. The references in his lyrics are distinctly British yet relatable to everyone, giving the listener a unique take on an all too common theme.
CASisDEAD’s most popular track is “Drugs Don’t Work.” The MssingNo produced track samples the popular “The Drugs Don’t Work” by English rock band The Verve and flips it into a rare heartfelt grime song guaranteed to cause goosebumps by the time the last verse hits you.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of CASisDEAD’s music is his versatility when it comes to choosing his production. He can seemingly go from hardcore hip-hop with “All Hallows” to textbook grime as heard with “Whats My Name” featuring Giggs, to 80’s pop soundscapes as heard on his Noisey released track “Later.” Artists that have a wide selection of instrumental styles can easily fall into the trap of moulding their sound to suit the style of the track, the thing about Cas is that he keeps his style and makes the beat suit him.
With the only official release under his belt being The Number 23 released in 2013, the majority of Cas’ buzz comes from his videos. As mentioned before, a lot of his visuals feel like you’re watching an 80’s exploitation film. His YouTube channel is a rabbit hole straight into the creative mind of a madman and if you ask him he will tell you that he is a director first, musician second. While his music and videos tide people over at home his translation from your speakers to the stage has earned him several festival spots over the years and it doesn’t seem like slowing down in 2018. Booked to open for Ghostface Killah and Raekwon in London, Parklife festival in Manchester alongside N*E*R*D, A$AP Rocky, Skepta and Lovebox 2018 who’s line up also boasts Childish Gambino, SZA, Diplo, Action Bronson and Big Boi of Outkast.
As for the cult-like following – just check his social media and YouTube and you can see the hundreds of thousands (and growing) that make up a whole community of supporters, friends and fans that are joining the masked man of mystery on this dark journey.
