We talk to Bay Area producer Cole James Cash after his latest project pricked up our ears. A concept album about BBW ( BIG BEAUTIFUL WOMEN) porn stars released on Robbie from Unkut’s Conservative Rap Coalition Records. Cole’s story is a bit of a rags to…WELL maybe not riches tale, but he has certainly turned his life around in a positive way after being homeless and addicted to prescription drugs at the beginning of this year.
Can you tell us a little about your background? Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the Bay Area. For the most part there aren’t too many interesting details about my early life other than I played a lot of nintendo and I used to fantasise about becoming Ryu from Ninja Gaiden, as well as wishing I had Gambits mutant power so I could use kinetic energy to make my homework explode. In all honesty my childhood was real shytty, so i indulged in fantasy to overcome circumstance.
When did music start to play an important part of your life?
Music changed for me when I was about 8, when my father abandoned us, he left his turntable and his vast record collection – the idea of the needle touching the vinyl stuck with me forever. Some of the first records I remember playing were Tears for Fears, Elza Soares, Astrud Gilberto, Gal Costa, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Miles Davis, David Foster, Swing Out Sister and Culture Club.
Do you remember the moment you decided to pursue music seriously?
I decided to pursue music seriously at 13 when I began djing house music, this was when I knew I wanted to be involved in music in some capacity. I was really into Masters at Work and a lot of Strictly Rhythm stuff, Armand Van Helden and the like. I really was into the dance music of the ’90s. In the late ’90s I moved more into the Drum & Bass scene. I left for the military in 2001, pre-9/11. By the time I came back a few years later, dance music had changed. Bob Sinclair wasn’t doing anything very soulful and the entire Drum & Bass landscape shifted into something I wasn’t familiar with anymore. I decided to shift my focus to hip-hop and try to bring my knowledge of different genres to a culture I grew up in and that I love.
You were homeless before you made this album. Would you mind telling us how this came about and how you got yourself out of that situation?
I was homeless because I became addicted full blown to prescription pills in 2010. This carried on a horrible struggle where I lost everything in an eventual decline lasting over 3 years until my birthday in 2014 where I decided it was over and ended up in a detox facility. I lost my family, everyone’s respect, everything. I spent a couple of nights homeless, eventually going to an outpatient rehab and entering a halfway house so I could sober up. My mother got me a laptop so I could have one last shot and thats how I began my journey back to music.
What made you put together an album about BBW Porn stars?
BBW was an album I thought about a year and a half ago. I thought it was a good way to make an impact by doing something nobody else would or could do but me. In music “No Idea’s Original” I’m not the first to make a porn album, but I am the first and likely only one to make an album ONLY about big girls in porn.
‘I wanted to do something that felt romantic and loving. Most of the themes are smooth and meant to evoke feelings of passion and companionship.’
Something I definitely struggled with when I was in rehab – the reality of my life was that it fukking sucked and it felt lonely. I hardly saw my son and I felt distant and alone. I guess the album was a way to feel good and give me something to focus on.
How did you go about finding rappers to work on this. Did you give them a brief?
Any rapper who’s worked with me knows I am very particular, sometimes I allow freedom but a lot of times I need a theme matched up. One of the biggest problems with me is that if it’s for a project of my own, I only send out maybe 1 or 2 beats and that’s it, I absolutely have a vision for each song. Robbie hooked me up with LEX, who put out an email blast to about 25 rappers, about 8 responded and I went from there. I did research on each girl from either twitter or in some instances, outright gossip I would hear about or read about. I then would apply notes to each email and say “mention this” etc. However with Crew54, those nikkas were already fans of Sophia Rose so I didn’t have to say shyt in that instance.
How did the link up with Robbie at Unkut come about?
Me and Robbie linked up when I sent him my very first project The Price of Glory, this was during a time when NO rappers would work with me, at all. The rappers I came into the game with, I couldn’t get a hold of anymore and it was a real struggle. So I made an album re-scoring the movie of the same name about boxing. He liked it and not only that, me and Robbie are both sarcastic habitual line-steppers bordering between self deprecation and shade throwing. His blog changed the way I produced, in every literal sense it’s the greatest blog I have ever read. I then joined up with his Conservative Rap Coalition (and by joined, I basically did nothing but say I was a member) and began pushing his agenda of keeping rap masculine and right-wing.
What would you say has been a highlight in your music career so far?
The highlight of my short career was this…realising people care about my music and what I make, knowing you have genuine fans who buy your stuff and care to see you put more material out.
‘Most of all, the biggest highlight? Sobering up and having my son sit on my lap and let him touch the MPC pads at age 4 not realising his father went through a living hell to have that moment with him.’
He’s hitting little sounds and clicks laughing and having fun, having him enjoy the same moments I enjoyed with my record player, the difference, I was there to witness it, my father was not.
What else is on the horizon for Cole James Cash?
I have launched a Kickstarter with the goal of 3500 in order to help fund my next album which is already halfway done.The album is called Street Champion and is based on the game Street Fighter. With themes that are remixed, as well as original compositions. So far my confirmed features are, AG Da Coroner (he’s on a track playing Sagat), Blaq Poet, Persia (who plays wrestler R. Mika) Him-Lo (who will play Bison), Singapore Kane, Hot Rod, LEX (who will play Adon) and a few others.
The Kickstarter is so we can have a limited edition vinyl, CDs and so we can afford to have Chris Rivers and Skyzoo. Its due out in March.
Can you explain the story behind your mask?
The mask idea comes from when I was really getting back into wrestling and obviously my influence of trying to hide my identity. Mexican wrestlers often have a mythical attachment to their masks which i loved and admired. If i was gonna rip off DOOM i needed to do it in a way that speaks “influence” not “biting” I’m a bit more out there and public than DOOM, if he is the villain, I’m definitely the Anti-Hero. I am also very very camera shy and I have a big fear of performing in front of crowds, so having a mask helps me tune that out.
Listen to BBW, a Pornographic Opera below, which you can pick up on Bandcamp and be sure to head over to Kickstarter and show some love!
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