Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Cezur III

Rising rapper Cezur III has always seen music as a vehicle to change the world around him. It’s why his words have resonated with listeners across the globe, and why he’s one to watch in 2021.

Pop Culturalist recently caught up with Cezur to chat about his mission as an artist, his new single, “I’ll Be Honest“, and his upcoming debut EP, BK Baby.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Cezur: My older brother, Daryll, is a musician—he’s a rapper. He always urged me to pursue music because my English teacher said I had a talent for writing. I really started in literature. I grew up in a really bad neighborhood in Brooklyn, and my English teacher always pushed me to use my talent to do something more. I was really motivated by her and my brother.

Daryll urged me to do something with my talent. He told me, “You’ll do all the writing. I’ll do all the mixing.” One weekend, we got a whole bunch of crappy computer microphones and recorded over some Drake and Lil Wayne beats and made a mixtape. That’s when I fell in love with music.

It wasn’t until 2012 that I started taking it seriously, because my house burned down, so I needed an outlet to express myself and everything that I lost. In many ways, music has saved me several times.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Cezur: That’s a really hard question. I would say Tupac Shakur. He stands for more than just music. He literally went to the gangs in the neighborhood and made them agree to stop the violence during school hours. I really love his philanthropy and his message through his music. For me, it’s always been about more than music; it’s always about what you can do with the music. It’s a vehicle to do bigger and better things. It’s important to give back and feel good.

PC: You’ve got a new single out now. Tell us about “I’ll Be Honest” and the inspiration behind it.
Cezur: “I’ll Be Honest” peels back the veil that often obscures music. I’m writing and rapping about topics that aren’t necessarily flashy. Everyone thinks they want to hear something aspirational or fun, but I think deep inside, we are just longing for a connection to the music. I want to make sure there’s something to hold on to, to ask yourself after the song is over, and “I’ll Be Honest” speaks to that.

PC: You’re getting ready to drop your debut EP. Tell us about BK Baby and the inspiration behind it.
Cezur: I actually starting writing BK Baby in Los Angeles. I’ve always had an admiration for Brooklyn and my hometown—I feel like everyone always has so much hometown pride for where they’re from. When I went to Los Angeles, I was living in this mansion that was owned by Alex da Kid, and I was writing for a lot of other artists and was in a bunch of studios out there. When I got back to New York, I realized that what I was making was BK Baby.

A lot of the songs didn’t come to fruition until February of last year when I returned. When I went to Toronto, we made the title record, “BK Baby”. It really speaks to my aspirations for music and for achieving all my dreams. New York is a melting pot, and I think that comes across sonically. It’s the sound of New York through the years. Growing up here has inspired me in so many ways.

PC: If you had to pick one song off of BK Baby that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Cezur: It has to be either “Wishes” or “Highlights”. “Wishes” is an ode to what I was speaking about before. That’s a song that’s featuring my brother, and we have seen the struggle up close with each other, so lyrically, I speak on a lot of that. It’s very to the point. Every line has intrinsic value. “Wishes”, socially and lyrically, is the full package. I think the most important records are those that speak on things we all relate to. So, it would be either “Wishes” or “Highlights”.

PC: With this being your debut EP, did anything surprise you about the process? What was the biggest takeaway?
Cezur: I didn’t think it would be so hard to finish a project. You take these things for granted. I’m a perfectionist, as many artists are, but it’s the little things. It’s easy to open up a project and be inspired. I had the habit of starting things that I never finished, or they would get stale after a while. With BK Baby, it was important that I honed in on my discipline and my methods. It was my first time going to LA. It was the first time I actually worked with producers in a room. I’d been on YouTube searching for beats for years. I didn’t even get the process of making a song from scratch—picking out the drums, and textures.

How am I feeling today? What do I want to talk about? I’d never done that. It was always this premature version of what I wanted to do. BK Baby really showed me the way. Even now, I hear things and I’m like, “I could have done that better. I could have added this.” It’s a growing process, and I’m okay with that. I’m very satisfied with how far we’ve come. I’m proud of the methodology of it all.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Cezur: I grew up on jazz and soul music. I would say Chick Corea, rest in peace—he recently passed away. Chick Corea is a jazz man. I’ve always loved Chick Corea. It’s like theater music. There’s no space for lyrics; it’s entirely in the silence and the feeling.

PC: First album you bought?
Cezur: My parents bought me a tape player for Christmas one year, and it had Will Smith on it. But the first album that I personally bought was Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak.

PC: First concert you attended?
Cezur: It was Rolling Loud. My friend was actually on the bill, so we flew out to Miami. It was cool because we had VIP passes, too. I had a really awesome experience. But I wasn’t really into going to concerts before; I was always just performing. It’s easier to tell you the first time I performed because I’ve never watched people before. I didn’t like the idea of being in crowds, to be honest. It gave me a little anxiety, but I like performing. I like watching people perform now that I’m not as self-conscious, but it wasn’t until recently that I went to see someone else perform, oddly enough.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Cezur: Kendrick Lamar’s m.A.A.d city. That album came out the year that my house burned down. It was a big motivator for me to use my music as a gateway, because I really related to the album through and through. I was always a Kendrick Lamar fan, but at the time I was very depressed, and that album spoke to me. That album has probably had the biggest impact and influence on me.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Cezur: Madison Square Garden.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Cezur: I need headphones. I need to be able to plug in whenever I get inspired. I need that instant gratification. I like that. I also am inspired by life, so if I can’t record it right there, I’ll write it down, but preferably, I like to be able to record.

To keep up with Cezur, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify. Pick up and stream “I’ll Be Honest” today and pre-save BK Baby.

Photo Credit: Ludovica Forcina