Interview: Chicago Rapper/Singer-Songwriter/Producer Caesar Gorgeous Discusses His Album "Perception"
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We connected with the multi-talented Chicago based rapper, singer-songwriter and producer Caesar Gorgeous for an exclusive interview to discuss his recently released album “Perception”. We got a chance to pick Caesar’s brain about his creative process during the development of the album’s songs, how he decided the tracklist order, whether we can expect a video to drop soon, and much more.
After reading our Q&A with Caesar, be sure to stream and share the “Perception” album, and connect with him on Twitter. Also, check out our in-depth review of the album HERE.
Congratulations on the release of your album "Perception"; describe for us your creative process regarding the development of the songs.
The creative process of “Perception”… About a year ago I had a conversation with my father and i have an app on my Samsung that allows me to record all my calls. I was going through and listening back and realized me and my Dad had this amazing conversation about life that I could easily understand even more now that time has passed. Then I thought, what if I could translate these ideas into song form and convey our how similar our lives truly. I wanted to use this project as a way for me to understand myself better and progress past these struggles I talk about on “Perception”. Me and J. Khaga took about 5 months to create the project. It was literally us hopping from apartment to apartment, studio to studio working on a 2011 Macbook.
How did you decide on the tracklist order for the album and were there songs you recorded that didn't make the cut?
The tracklist order was determined by the story. We used the conversation as a rough outline of how we wanted the album to convey the conversation and parallels between my father and I. In the end, we combined keeping the story intact while also making the album sonically vibe cohesively. We really wanted to engage the listener the entire experience and not make the album a slog to get through.
Was the whole album produced by J.Khaga? If not, who contributed beats to it?
The album was mostly produced by my in-house producer and engineer, J.Khaga. With some co-production being done by me and "Youth" being produced by Johnny Bear.
Can we expect a visual for one or several of the songs on the album? If so, which one(s)?
You can expect a visual coming up for “I Wasn't Me” very very soon. I don't have an exact date for that release but it will be sooner than later.
When someone listens to "Perception" for the first time, what do you want them to take away from the experience?
When someone listens to “Perception” for the first time, I want them to be pulled into my world and go through the same emotions I felt during the recording process. I want the listener to feel the weight of the subjects I speak about and by the end just say "Damn. That was a ride." I want the listener to vibe, but also understand me and my father's struggles. “Perception” while having play-ability, is still a very personal concept album. I just want the listener to feel what I have and know my soul is behind this.
Connect with Caesar Gorgeous: Twitter