Caesar Gorgeous is a rapper, singer, songwriter and talented producer making noise out of the Chicago area. Working side by side with gifted producer and music engineer J. Khaga, Caesar creates new wave hip-hop to galvanize the contemporary music scene. Trained as a sound designer and audio engineer at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Caesar also spotlights audio detail through his progressive production choices.
Caesar’s latest release “Breathe” (feat. Shellz) is a smooth hip-hop track with alternative elements. Caesar’s voice is pleading but not cloying when he delivers the melancholic chorus, “I feel so suffocated”. In the data-dump era, where artists churn out as much music as they can, Caesar is careful and meticulous, malleable and introspective. “Breathe” totters between ambient hip-hop and R&B, sometimes hard, sometimes smooth. Eventually, he blurs the lines between them. What draws you even closer to Caesar Gorgeous is the heartfelt essence of his raps. He can dive into the nooks and crannies of his life story or take an eagle-eye perspective, but he does both with a hypnotic, penetrating conviction. His songs are deeply meditative, and, in turn, revealing. I highly recommend you check out “Breathe” and the rest of Caesar Gorgeous’ impressive repertoire.
Check out “Breathe”! Keep scrolling for more with Caesar Gorgeous!
Hi Caesar! Welcome to BuzzMusic! How did you get started in music?
I got started in music at a young age. My mom was a manager for artists when I was growing up, and she'd always bring me around artists and studio sessions. I grew up asking producers to teach me Fl studio and how to produce so I always had an interest.
How did you create your stage name?
My stage name comes from me being gorgeous. Come on now look at me, I'm gorgeous! [laughter] My name actually comes from a previous performance name and my label. I went under Emcaesar or Em-Caesar for a couple of years. The label, I co-created with my homie Scruff, is named She So Gorgeous. She So Gorgeoushas been me and my friends for years. One day, my roommate Jake was like "why don't you just be CaesarGorgeous?" After thinking about the brand, how people would butcher my old name, and how 'CaesarGorgeous' just sounds hard, I ran with Caesar Gorgeous. Now when people see the rose logo, you'll know that's Caesar and She So Gorgeous.
What’s the meaning behind the lyrics in “Breathe”? What do you hope the listener takes away from this track?
"Breathe" comes from feeling suffocated by your current circumstances and surroundings. For my verse, I felt like after my album 'Perception' was released, I got a lot of texts and calls of people asking for shit. People showing fake love. When I had ideas, people didn't believe or didn't buy into my plan. I made sure my circle went back to a small number of people I actually trust. I'm giving and I want to connect my city, but I can tell when people see me as a stepping stone and not a person. Shellz verse had a very personal and progressive feel to it also. Shellz and I were just on the same wave that night in the studio.
I want the listener to feel like it's ok to progress past your current situation and the people around you. You gotta grow and be your best you. Sometimes things make you feel suffocated, but you have to keep moving upward.
Who are you top three musical influences? Do they help inspire your unique sound?
My top three musical influences are Pharrell, Kanye, and Jay-Z. Pharrell and Kanye are major inspirations. Both artists constantly challenge and push sounds while creating a new standard when it comes to music. Kanye and Pharrell helped me feel ok about pushing my voice to different territories even though I'm not the best singer in a traditional sense. Jay-Z is my biggest influence writing-wise. Jay-Z is a master of saying a lot with minimal effort or words. I try to take that approach with my lines.
What next for you Caesar Gorgeous? Any upcoming shows?
Next for me is an EP coming soon, I won't give a release date yet. Just know more collaborations coming and a much bigger presence on this project. Also, a music video coming. Last, I'm on the Chicago stop of the Emoji Art Show in August.
Stay connected with Caesar Gorgeous!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/caesar.grges