by Cyrus Webb
The state of Mississippi has given birth to some of the brightest stars in the music industry and recording artist Chris "Cazpa" Everett of Yazoo City is looking to be one of the state's next best things. The 30 year old is already building not just a brand for himself but providing an opportunity for other artists as well.
Cazpa has always had a love of music, but in 1999 he was introduced to Jerome Johnson who had a record label called Millennium Player Records and began to believe that he could make something happen with what he was writing. Since then he has not only been able to share his world through music but help others do the same.
Conversations Magazine assistant music editor Stanley Clark introduced me to the artist. In a phone interview for this feature it was clear to me how deep his love for music and the business of music was. "I get a natural high from me," Cazpa says. He told me that he is rapping about everyday life, something that everyone can relate to. "I'm reaching the people where they are," he explains. "Everybody has something they are dealing with or feeling. It can be trials and tribulations or the good times that make you want to celebrate. That's the kind of music I am making. It's not rap music. It's life music."
Cazpa founded his own record label Po Pimpin' Entertainment in 2005 but just really began making real moves with it in 2011. The artists that he is signing and working with are unique in their own ways. "They each have their own style," he told me. "They envision the same thing I do. We all make music for the same reason."
When I brought up the fact that others have come out of Mississippi and had an affect on the music that is being heard in the mainstream, Cazpa says he believes he can be a part of that same movement. "I'm hoping that what my artists and I are doing is going to stand out from the rest that's out there," he says. "We want to succeed not just for ourselves but for our families and the state as well. I don't just want to be another artist. I want to use what I am doing to make a positive effect on my community in Yazoo City and beyond."
Currently Cazpa and the rest of the Po Pimpin' Entertainment family is recording music, performing at shows and spreading the word about themselves person to person as well as through social networking.
What advice does Cazpa have for other artists or anyone looking to following their dreams? "Stay true to yourself. Just try to stay real. When it comes to me, nothing is going to change me. Being on tv or getting radio play is not going to change me from the person I am. I refuse to let that happen. I refuse to portray something that I'm not. If you are true to yourself and your craft others will see that, too. That's what will speak to them."
Friend Cazpa on Facebook by going to http://tinyurl.com/cmcazpa.
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