Cazwell :: Getting better (and sexier) all the time

Chillin’

BeBe: How are you doin'?

Cazwell: I'm good. Can you tell that I'm eating? Does that sound really rude? I'm so hungry! I'm eating yogurt.

BeBe: Trying to get your eat on! I can understand that, baby. No problem. (Me being a frequent diner at the Castro's Orphan Andy's).

Cazwell: But I'm eating healthy though!

BeBe: That's true. You could have told me you were having some fried chicken, or something like that, but, no, you had to have yogurt.

Cazwell: That was last night.

BeBe: How are you doin'?

Cazwell: I'm good. I'm chillin' in my new apartment.

BeBe: You moved from where to where?

Cazwell: I moved from the East Village to Hell's Kitchen. But, I already hate it. I mean I love my apartment. This was the first apartment that I saw and after I did all the shit, you know all the fake paperwork together that was way too much work, so once I got accepted, I didn't want to go through all that stuff again.

Back to SF

BeBe: I'm real excited about you coming to San Francisco this week. You will be at JC Events Presents at the Cafe this Saturday, May 28th. It's been a while since I've seen you. I know you have been out here recently. You were here last year with Amanda Lepore at Joshua J's Big Top party, but I haven't seen you since... okay are you ready for this? Don't hold this against me. I haven't seen you perform since 2007 at Trannyshack. That's when you were back in your sweats and basketball jerseys and your bling, bling.

Cazwell: That's fine. I love San Francisco. I am not just saying that. I tell people this all the time. San Francisco is one of, if not the most favorite place I like to play in. In San Francisco, when they leave the house they go out to have a good time. They have that state of mind that I'm going to have a good time tonight, and then they do. They are not waiting to be impressed. It is full tilt boogie with those bitches! I love San Francisco boys. I love the community there. That's a type of place I could see myself living at some point in my life.

BeBe: Well bring it on! We'd love to have you as a resident of our fair city.

Cazwell: Really? Thanks.

BeBe: Well, you are looking really good these days. I know that!

Cazwell: Well, I have my ups and downs. I'm definitely not one of those people that were born with a body that is easy to maintain. I love to eat whatever I want.

BeBe: Like yogurt.

Cazwell: Like yogurt or fried chicken. But I have to work really hard at it actually. I kind of put a lot of pressure on myself right before a video. Like before the last video, I got a trainer and took a couple of months to get into shape. Actually before I did the "Ice Cream Truck" video there's this diet called the Clean Program. It's basically just a way to keep a great weight because it's a shake in the morning and a shake at night, but you can eat. It's just that you are never hungry. It has to do with cleaning out all your shit. I had finished my third week of that right before I did "Ice Cream Truck". I didn't even go to the gym like for three weeks. I just stuck with this plan of like eating and drinking a lot of water. I always do something before a video. I'm trying to get stuff together for my next video which I haven't decided what it is yet. I do try to go to the gym everyday that I'm not traveling. And I'm usually traveling like two days a week. So, I try and workout like 5 days a week.

Story continues on following page:

Watch Cazwell's video "Get Your Money Back":

Watch Cazwell's video for "Ice Cream Truck":

Straight vs. gays on sex

BeBe: Well, when I did see you back in the day, it was really refreshing to see someone who's lyrics hit home sexually for us gay folk. I hadn't honestly heard such music like that before. People have a hard time with gay people being sexual, another artist recently reminded me.

Cazwell: Yeah, definitely.

BeBe: We have sex, too, you know. But, I think people are becoming little more receptive to the idea. I don't know if it is because the Lady Gagas of the world have bridged the sexual gap between the straights and the gays, or what? Do you think things have progressed to our advantage allowing us to be more sexual in our music?

Cazwell: Um, not too much (laughs). I think straight people in the last 5 years are more aware that gay people exist. They have been exposed through humor that may have come from a gay man (comic) or through the gay community from everything like "RuPaul's Drag Race" and "Ellen" (Degeneres). But I think as far as man on man gay sex, I think it is kind of a hard thing to conquer. And the reason it is such a hard thing to conquer is because straight men tend to run everything. They like tend to run the money. So what they want to see kind of rules. If all straight men wanted to see two guys have sex, then there wouldn't be a problem. Because it makes them uncomfortable, it is not where the money is. And if is not where the money is, you are not going to see it as often. I'm not really trying to make straight people accept it (gay sex), or anything. Ultimately, I'm just trying to have a good time. I know I can make music and be gay and out and still support myself financially. I only make music and I just moved into a new apartment. My lights are on (laughs), my phones working. For me, that's a level of success.

BeBe: I hear you. Sex or no sex talk, lights and phone are important.

Cazwell: Let me just say that when a straight guy talks about sex... I mean when 50 Cent rocks about some bitch with a fat ass that he fucked after a show, or when guys talk about sex and pussy, it's kind of a sense of entitlement. They feel entitled to express their sexuality like they are in charge. And for the most part they are. There are more of them (straights). They contribute more to the economy because there are more of them. It's like when you try and throw a gay party at a club, they give the gay people the shittiest nights and give the straight people Friday and Saturday nights. To the gay people they say, "we'll give you Tuesday, or Monday." So basically when I do a song like "All Over Your Face" or "Ice Cream Truck" I am not coming from a place that I am so horny that I got to talk about it and let everybody know. I am coming from a point of I am just as entitled to talk about sex as anybody else is. I am a human being. I live in the United States of America. And I can do it.

BeBe: So true. I get it.

Cazwell: To me "All Over Your Face", that song is probably one of the straightest songs I have because I kind of emote that straight entitlement attitude. I kind of think it is all about the attitude. If I have the attitude that, yeah, I busted all over this guys face, or yeah, this guy sucked my dick or I suck dick, or that type of thing, it's all in the attitude. Like I do it, so what? I don't think it's a problem. If I have the attitude that it's not a problem, then more people are going to pick up on that. That's the way I feel. That's just the circle I travel. There's no difference between the straight dudes that I know when they they talk about girls, and the gay guys when they talk about guys.

BeBe: You have said that you don't consider yourself a "rapper" per se, but if we have to put you in a genre, let's put you there. So, with your style of rapping and your exposure to so many different crowds with openings for Lady Gaga and working with Cyndi Lauper on the True Colors Tour and other big named folks who have a wide variety of followers, you have been in the forefront of exposing many people to our sexuality through song. Do you see that the time is coming near where you won't always have to headline at a gay club or that you will be able to have your party when and wherever you want to have your party?


Cazwell: Yeah. I feel like when my songs come out that are not so gay censored or so gay visually that I get that (acceptance). I mean I (then) play to more straight crowds. Like when "I Saw Beyonce At A Burger King" came out, more straight press came out, or more straight blogs. I mean for "Ice Cream Truck", I didn't even think about it when I was doing it. From working in gay clubs, go-go boys working in their underwear is like the oldest trick in the book. I was just trying to make a video fast and cheap. That was shot in my apartment, you know. In "Ice Cream Truck", these are guys me and Marco (Ovando, the director for the video) know personally (including one reported to be Cazwell's boyfriend). We were just trying to come up with a summer video real quick on a shoestring budget. But to answer your question, the more music that comes out that is not so gay specific that straight people will want to listen to, and that deejays, gay and straight, will want to play will make it happen (playing in more nondescript places). I do think everything is happening at the right time. I think my music is evolving as people's minds are evolving. I mean I don't think there is more gay content in songs than there were before, I just think people are becoming more aware.

Upcoming collaborations?

BeBe: Yeah, like the younger crowds, the generation that follows yours, seems to be much more receptive to a variety of imagery in songs, gay, straight or whatever. They really don't care.

Cazwell: I would agree with that.

BeBe: To them good music is good music. It's about the music. If it is good music it is cool with them. They don't go to a club to be seen, like my generation. It's not whom they are with or where they are at that's important to them. They are all about having a good time. And if the music makes them have a good time, they are all about it.

Cazwell: I totally agree with that and I see that. I've played in San Francisco a few times and the first time I played the Crib (18+ club) out there, it was like sold out. I couldn't, like, move. There were like guys and girls all over. I think as I become more of a household name, and people become more aware of my music, I will be able to crossover. Like Boy George has crossed over. You know what I think it is, as you become more iconic, whether straight or gay, people want to use you for money (laughs). You know, they want to use you to sell their products or whatever. RuPaul is on a gay channel, but she is an icon. People know who she is, therefore, she might get straight gigs because it's "RuPaul". That kind of thing.

BeBe: Well you are going to be doing some big collaborations on your next album (his fourth), right? You'll be working with Peaches ("Fuck The Pain Away") and Luciana ("I Like That") I hear.

Cazwell: Who told you that?

BeBe: I got my peeps out there. I can't divulge my sources!

Cazwell: Let's just say for my next album I am working with some great people that I am really excited about.

BeBe: We'll just leave it at that.

Cazwell: Yeah, yeah, yeah!

BeBe: Well, when you get the big headlining gig, who would you like to have open for you or co-head with you on tour? What would be your ultimate world tour headlined by Cazwell?

Cazwell: Well, I don't want to say opening act because I don't want to offend anybody. I would like to put together a family of artists with kids on the scene. I kind of like that idea, you know, like Roxy Cottontail. But as far as people I'd really like to perform with, I really like Juliette Lewis (actress, "Natural Born Killers" and singer, Hot Kiss). I like everything about her. She's one of my favorites. I've never met her, but she's like my best friend in my head (laughs). You know, I want Missy Elliott to come back. You know, I think I could help her (laughs, again).

BeBe: Funny you mention Missy. A friend of mine and I were just talking about how we miss Missy. Where has she been?

Cazwell: She is working on music. I follow her on Twitter. (Cazwell tweets Missy).

BeBe: Speaking of the young generation, I know you recently did a "It Gets Better" video. The topic of bullying has been getting a lot of press over the past year or so, but it is not something that is new. Gay youth have been harassed for the ages. But what do you think we, the gay community, is not doing to help our young gay brothers and sisters get through these tough adolescent times?

Cazwell: First of all, we need straight support. I don't know how much of it is what we are not doing. Straight people are the ones who make decisions about what goes on in schools, you know, if there is a gay support group in the schools. Straight people are the ones teaching their kids about homosexuals and whether it is good or bad. Being gay in high school is synonymous with being a "pussy" and being weak. That's why people think they can bully them.

On "It Gets Better"

BeBe: (Unspoken thought) Then they meet a drag queen that will kick their ass!

Cazwell: (Continues) I have mixed feelings about the It Gets Better Campaign (The Trevor Project). I mean, I think it's a great campaign. I am glad we are talking about it. But something that really disturbs me that I don't find people talking about is that a lot of these celebrities talk about bullying, and no one deserves to be bullied, but no one says the word "homophobia". Like I was really glad that Wendy Williams ("The Wendy Williams Show") made the It Gets Better Campaign video, but she didn't even say the word homophobia. Bullying is sort of the word that has sugar-coated the whole situation. But in reality, these kids were being pushed around by homophobic douche bags, and they weren't being bullied as much as they were being made to feel fucking shitty about themselves because they were gay. And they committed suicide because they were gay and they didn't see any way out.

BeBe: Preach, brotha, preach!

Cazwell: We don't need to stop bullying. I mean people get bullied all the time. Straight people get bullied by straight people. That was not the issue. The issue was and is that people hate gay people. And if young people are taught to be cool with gay people, and give them a chance.......I've seen people and have been called a fag in school, and teachers didn't do anything. It wasn't being bullied because of like "look what he's wearin" or something like that. It was because I was a fag! No one seems to be talking about the problem not being just your traditional bullying, but homophobia.

BeBe: Well, recently, I don't know if you heard, there was an incident at San Francisco Giants baseball game that centered around homophobia, and the Giants team, baseball's World Champs, has decided to do a "It Gets Better" video. I will be curious to see if they talk about homophobia vs. bullying. I have a feeling that since we are in San Francisco, they (the team) will address the homophobia issue directly, but we'll see. Because you are absolutely right. Even some gay people who have made the video have not come out and said the word 'homophobia.'

Cazwell: If we really want to see change, we need to see straight people that other straight people admire telling those straight people to lay off the gays! Don't fuck with someone just because they are gay. For instance, the True Colors Tour was amazing. My hat goes off to Cyndi Lauper. I have nothing but respect for her. But if you really want to change people's minds about homophobia, the people who were on the tour were already respected and listened to by gay people. The core audience were women and like gay guys. Let's just say if Eminem was on the True Colors Tour, then that would be like change. I knew from like the grapevine that Cyndi Lauper had approached a lot of straight bands and performers about being on the tour, but they didn't want to because it would fuck with their reputation. So basically what we need is a straight artist that straight people follow that have the balls to say that I have a gay brother, or I have a gay uncle, and I don't have a problem with gay people and you shouldn't either. If we really seek change, we need straight people.

BeBe: When you are here in San Francisco you are going to be a month away from your birthday (on June 27, Cazwell will be 31). What does one get an ultra cool rapper dude like you for his birthday?

Cazwell: I want a diamond cut gold chain.

BeBe: You better look at that man you sleep with in order to get that, honey! 'Cause that ain't coming from this one (laughing).

Cazwell: I have my own money. I don't need anybody (laughs).

BeBe: I am talking something that's in a drag queen's budget that I could bestow upon you for having this wonderful conversation with me.

Cazwell: Like maybe a pack of Hanes t-shirts (laughs).

BeBe: More like a free drink ticket!

Because we know Miss BeBe makes a great alcohol spokesmodel, right? It is no wonder that Cazwell has had music video's banned in certain markets because he really speaks what's on his mind. And you know what, more of us should do that. Entitlement... I like that! Thanks, Cazwell, for reminding me and all of us of our entitlement. We are entitled to our freedom of expression and sexual behavior, gay or not, like all Americans.

Cazwell comes to San Francisco on Saturday, May 28, at JC Events Presents Cazwell at The Cafe. Visit cafesf.com or jorgechamorroevents.com for more details. Upcoming Cazwell dates include: Dallas, TX: June 4, Albuquerque, NM: June 9. For more information about Cazwell and other upcoming dates, visit his myspace page.

Watch Cazwell's video "All Over Your Face":

Watch Cazwell's video for "I Seen Beyonce":