Casely Does It Right

We are experts at spotting the raw underground talent that mainstream media glosses behind. He may not be a household name yet, but R&B singer Casely is not going to go unnoticed for long.

The 22-year-old half Panamanian artist offers nuestra gente the musical ingenuity and rhythmic fusion we are addicted to. His album titled, 1985, includes beats produced by the Diaz Brothers and collaborations with Latin rap sensation Pitbull.

We had the opportunity to sit down for an exclusive interview with the Miami-born charmer. He is guaranteed to fill dance floors and street corners nationwide, so grab the first bite of the industry hype…right after the jump!

How did you make the transition from an unknown artist to getting signed to Epic Records?

I started writing and recording when I was about 13 or 14 years old…and from there I signed with a couple of independent production companies. That allowed me to work in different studios, grab the experience, and get my name out there. All of those experiences helped craft my work as an artist and eventually led to this opportunity. I signed with the Diaz Brothers last March. It has definitely been a long process.

How was it working with Pitbull?

Pitbull is really cool to work with. He always brings a lot of energy and he is real hype. I feed off of his energy a lot. He is in the family. Shout out to Pit!

You are also a trained piano player. Would you consider yourself the male Alicia Keys?

I wouldn’t say that, but [playing the piano] is an element that is in my show. She is a lot more piano based than I am. I like to incorporate different elements to my performance, especially dancing. So everything is a lot more versatile than just the piano.

Being half Panamanian, do your Latin roots influence your music at all?

Yes, my background influences my work, but not to the point where I have a real Latin sound. I grow up hearing Latin music a lot, but being half Trinidadian I also grew up listening to a lot of West Indian music. Hearing all these different styles of music gave my ears a wider range and allowed me to step outside of the box.

How did you come up with the concept for your first single, “Emotional”?

We were in the studio cutting beats, and eventually this one was laid out. Immediately I felt something special with the track. I ended up writing the lyrics to the song and recording it. The single was tested on a couple of local radio stations down in Miami and the single took off. It was like crazy!

The single is about you crushing on a girl you meet at a club. You must have had some real life inspiration for this one right?

There are a lot of parts of Emotional that come from my own experiences. In high school I had a lot of relationships where I ended up with a broken heart.

I am sure that is going to change soon. What celebrity female would you like to be matched up with?

Christina Milian for sure! But Dre has locked that down. Rihanna is fly too, but I know she is dating Chris Brown, but we will work it out. If not, Vanessa Hudgens is also pretty fly.

Besides your romantic life blowing up, what else are you looking forward to?

We are wrapping up the album titled 1985 next week. So, definitely releasing the album and locking it down. I am ready to go.

Stay tuned for more Casely real soon!

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