Khalil Saint Cassius Walton is an American rapper, recording artist, producer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Having contributed to over 20 million+ singles worldwide and establishing his own business, “Vinyl Crown,” he has certainly made a name for himself in the music industry.
Saint Cassius was always a curious and creative child. His name “Saint Cassius” derives from one of his grandfather’s favorite Shakespeare plays, Julius Caesar, where Caesar was betrayed by his best friend Brutus upon the instigation of Cassius. Owing to this, his grandfather began to call him Cassius acknowledging him as a conspiracist leader like the play’s character. Later Cassius added “Saint” to his name as a testament to his belief that everyone yearns to be a saint and not a sinner.
His childhood was not short in complexities. His mother passed away when he was eight months old, and after a brief time of living with his father in Atlanta he was adopted by his grandparents. As he got older and his grandmother’s health gradually deteriorated, Saint Cassius’ grandfather found himself overwhelmed and ousted him from the Teaneck, New Jersey home, sending him back to Atlanta to live with his father.
By the time he reached the age of 15, Saint Cassius attended 13 funerals. He’s been held at gunpoint twice, had been involved in a high speed car chase and a catastrophic accident. He has always been faced with difficult moments, but found a way to be optimistic despite all of his adversities. He believes that his most significant challenges are “still ahead” of him and allows his past to shape his music.
Growing up, Saint Cassius had a few inspirations that helped him develop a liking for music. His grandfather was a singer and his father played several instruments, primarily the piano and saxophone, but also had a melodious voice of his own. The two of them set the foundation for Saint Cassius’ desire to express himself with music. In exploring his musical creativity, he found an appetite to impact
people with words. It was this seed that was planted and sprouted as a flourishing plant in the music industry.
In his career Saint Cassius has worked with renowned singers such as Bruno Mars in the song “Just The Way You Are,” which was released in 2010, as well as with J. Cole as the publisher of “No Role Modelz,” Tyga, Fabolous, and Jadakiss are just a few other notable names that Saint Cassius has created music with over the years.
In 2013 Saint Cassius set up his own business, “Vinyl Crown, an independent record company empowering creative artists, especially people of color, to maintain their intellectual property. As a successful entrepreneur, Saint Cassius’S objective has always been to impart his knowledge to others. Once, he was asked what he wanted to be known for, and he stated, “To be remembered as someone who believed in themselves,” and a person who “helped others to find their light along the way.” His focus has always been on promoting a positive self-image with impeccable quality.
Saint Cassius’s Instagram bio, “An analog swing in a digital playground”, further reflects his take on music. He aims to deliver this take on the hip-hop space and propagate it into his idea of real music. In this digitalization era, where everyone has access to electronics, he ensures that his music and its originality are known far and wide to the audience.
Saint Cassius has touched the hearts of many with his music. Perhaps, what contributes to making him unique is his ability to narrate his experiences to lifelong lessons that his audience should learn from him. He possesses multiple talents, yet he remains humble, which is why he relates to others’ struggles. He has endeavored to assist people around him with his nobility of character, his humility, and with his experiences. Ultimately, it was perhaps due to these traits that he has helped many through the Vinyl Crown – a company that values “craftsmanship over clout” as published on its website.