vinniecassius

Revenge is a peculiar concept. On one hand, we’re taught to forgive, though never forget, as well as to be as empathetic towards others as possible. On another, our natural human instincts tell us that we should be acting out, almost acting as the devil on our shoulder. For Utah native Vinniecassius, he decided to take those notions and create, Revenge Until Death, his aggressively creative new project.

Sitting at 10-tracks, the project is the perfect length for the message it was trying to convey. That message, to me, seemingly was that although revenge is sometimes complicated, and we know it’s not the right move, turning off our inner self is a lot more difficult than advertised. Throughout the whole project, Vinnie casually rips through every track with emotion and conviction, giving sweet justification to the pristine production that the project was blessed with, something his peers often struggle with.

Standouts from the project include, “500 Degrees”, “Holy Water” and the head-knocking anthem, “Posted”. Take a listen to the stream below and get familiar with Vinniecassius. - Elevator

Utah is a strange place. Coming from Las Vegas, hearing that a whole ass state doesn’t serve liquor on sundays, just sounds like blasphemy to me. I’m sure it sounded like complete anarchy to North Carolina native vinniecassius when he moved to the state also, but he persevered and thank god he did, cause he checks into our pages for the first time with his dope new single, “500 Degrees.”

Set to the tone of some ridiculously hard hitting production, provided by SNXFF, “500 Degrees” is a potent single that sees Cassius test his unique cadences over ambitious beats. The off-kilt drum kicks & everlasting hi-key — sounds like an alarm? — play perfectly to Cassius’ menacing lyrics and griping flow. At only 2 minutes and 45 seconds the song is short, but wildly effectivive.

Check out, “500 Degrees” below and get familiar with vinniecassius. - RESPECT MAG

Hip-hop is back on the menu for June and it’s free! Sets from new-school leaders Zac Ivie and Vinnie Cassius along with neophyte Rahz are sure to satiate even the most finicky hip-hop enthusiast, as the trio represent an infusion of new talent and energy into the local rap scene from the past few years. Held June 28 at the Urban Lounge (doors at 8 p.m., show at 9), SLUG Localized is a 21-and-older concert series that is fueled by the following generous sponsors: High West Distillery, Uinta Brewing Co., Spilt Ink SLC and KRCL 90.9 FM. Please drink responsibly, tip your bartenders and have fun!

Distinctive fashion has always been a component of hip-hop culture. In the past, the pinnacle of fashion may have been something like a Coogie sweater, Adidas with the fat laces and a Kangol, while today, it’s more like an Off-White shirt, Yeezy Boosts and maybe a Supreme hat—yet it’s all the same principle: to stay stylish while staying true to who you are. Some people build impressive wardrobes out of years of cultivating, travel and research on shoestring budgets and others couldn’t put an outfit together if Neiman Marcus was their closet.

“Being an artist, it’s not hard, but it’s emotional [and] draining,” says Ogden-based rapper Vinnie Cassius, “especially not skipping the local scene and being an artist in it.”

Vinnie Cassius, Photo: LmSorenson.net

The clothes you wear, and how you wear them, are important aspects of your image in general, but it takes on a new meaning when you or your likeness wind up on ads, in social media clips and on a stage. It definitely takes passion and patience, and possibly a certain level of ego to keep it up for an extended period of time. When speaking of fashionable Utah emcees, Cassius (aka Pretty Misfit or Tsunami Slim) must be mentioned. According to him, his style is laid-back, simple, clean and vintage. He and other Utah artists like AZA and the Swell Merchants have formed ties with and done modeling work for a fledgling local brand named Drux (druxusa.com), located at 420 W. and 900 South.

“That’s the homies … the crew, the gang. We got like two producers, a videographer, a photographer, a couple engineers and, like, five rappers. We are more of like a family,” says Cassius. “It’s a clothing brand, but we treat it as a huge collective, really.”

Garbs won’t take you far as a musician if you don’t make a connection with listeners, though. Vinnie’s aural aesthetic is eclectic, complex and contemporary. His beats tend to fall in line with trap conventions, often using a slower tempo, booming bass and rapid-fire symbols. A comparison could be wifisfuneral meets Kendrick Lamar.

“I just finished my first album, like 12 songs. It’s called OMNIWOLF,” says Cassius. “’Bout to drop that whenever the visuals [are] done. And I got a couple of [other] projects lined up, so I just been writing, been working, just saving stuff up and waiting for that time.” He doesn’t hold back, listing weighty topics like God, religion, mental illness, friendship and sexual orientation.

“I can’t even explain being a father,” says Cassius. “All that corny shit people tell you about when you are having a kid is stupid true. And I can’t even express how differently I feel. His energy is so radiant. You can just see the God in babies.”

Vinnie Cassius, Photo: LmSorenson.net
Vinnie Cassius, Photo: LmSorenson.net
Adding a new member to your family is enough to cramp anyone’s style—especially if that member wears diapers, eats up your food and disposable income. For the first year or two, you are in a world of change. Not only does the child grow hair, teeth and mannerisms, but parents also often grow a new outlook on life in the process and incorporates a whole new set of clothing and accessories into their everyday life.

Cassius plans on releasing a project on his son’s first birthday, titled ’Preme—the child’s nickname.

“I want him to know that you can honestly do anything that you put your mind to,” says Cassius. “That’s so corny, but it’s true. All the things they told us in preschool and first grade about self-belief is true … Being a father didn’t change what I talk about. Basically, it changed how I talk about it. [Being a father helped me] step up my bars. I take everything super serious. Before I was giving at 80 percent, now anything I do is 100 percent. He gave me more confidence in myself.”

Icons fade from the limelight frequently, yet the talent and energy put into media can last for generations. Pulling together compelling visuals along with deep content is a good way to cement yourself as a reputable artist and endear yourself to potential fans.

“Talent supersedes all the bullshit,” says Cassius. “If you’re talented and you work hard enough, you’re gonna get what you’re looking for.”

Vinnie vows to keep his set fresh with creative breaks that may or may not include poetry, freestyles and crowd-participation activities. This is one show you won’t want to arrive fashionably late to.

Search for material by Vinnie Cassius on YouTube (@vinniecassius) and listening to his music on Spotify or SoundCloud (soundcloud.com/vinniecassius). Please, join us at the Urban Lounge on June 28 for some of the best new acts in Utah hip-hop. - SLUG MAG

“When speaking of fashionable Utah emcees, Cassius (aka Pretty Misfit or Tsunami Slim) must be mentioned…” - drux usa

Don’t sleep on Utah. I know, normally, that would sound crazy considering the demographic that we perceive them to have, but don’t sleep on Utah. In addition to a couple of producers beginning to make noise from the region, transplant rapper Vinniecassius has too been carving his own lane—and he continues this with his new single, “Ransom”.
Produced by 4K, it’s almost an immediate revelation that this might be the best production Vinnie has rapped on to date, or that at least I’ve heard. Ditching the normal tricks that have been showing up in production, making it sound stale and standard issued, 4K instead opts for a melodically unpredictable beat with incredibly infectious drum patterns to lace Vinnie.
Not to be outdone, Vinnie spends the song proving over and over again why he’s worthy of this caliber of production, sounding polished and more confident than ever. With the high-energy being displayed by both producer and artist, I’d be very interested to see where the video for this one would go, creatively.
Listen to, “Ransom” below and eagerly get hip to Vinniecassius. - ELEVATOR