RH First Look: Calez
I met Calez for the first time while shooting the video for "Natural High". He showed up with the rest of his 2008ighties Crew. I didn't really know how he got there, and had never heard his music. During a break in shooting the party scene, he approached me, introduced himself, and asked me about submitting to RubyHornet. I gave him my email address, and told him to send away. A few days later he emailed me some music. After that he texted me. Then he called me. This routine repeated itself several times in a short span. At this particular time, I was probably at my busiest and most burned out. I sincerely didn't get a chance to listen to it, and then the rounds of emails, texts, etc... made it even easier to ignore. But, Calez stayed persistent, even making a song and video for "Middle Finger", a song centered on his frustrations in getting exposure, and pretty much a direct response to not being featured on RH. The thing about it though, the song and the video were both really dope. I posted the video, helped it get on a few other spots, and reached out to Calez about his music and his persistence.
Calez and the rest of his 2008ighties crew are all talented. They run the gamut of activities, rapping, shooting videos, handling production, and more. And they're only getting better and wiser. With one ear on the past sounds of Hip Hop's golden era, and the other firmly in the present, the crew pays homage to Hip Hop's past while working to shape it's future. We put Calez under the First Look microscope as an artist to watch. Get to know him in the interview below. Also check out his new record, "Rapping Habits" of his forthcoming LP, Kid With Raps.