CASH L3WIS: born Winston Kenneth Nathanial Johnson on July 1, 1991 in Los Angeles CA is an American rapper. Growing up was hard for CASH L3WIS, because he faced many hardships that normal teens don’t face now days. He lost his father at a very young age which forced him to be the man of the house as a child. This unfortunate incident only made CASH stronger, because it gave him the dedication to succeed. He was tired of everything in his life turning out negative so he turned to music to express his emotions. He began writing music at a very young age, and it went from a hobby, to a passion, to something he loves & will never let diminish.
He opens up to Gemulah's Parkinson Damilola about himself, his music and his humble years.
G.E 9JA : It is nice to have you right here on Gemulah9ja please tell people who CashL3wis is?
CashL3wis: CASH L3WIS is just a regular guy from a small town who tends to express himself through a form of rhythmic poetry.
G.E 9JA : How and When did music start for you and when did you record your first single?
CashL3wis: Wow, I guess I've been into music for about 8 years now. I recorded my first song in 2005 but probably not my first single until about a year later. This was back when myspace was big.
Watch Cash' Video "Listen to me ft. Avonlea Montague"
G.E 9JA : How was growing up for you in America as you had to become the man at so young an age?
CashL3wis: I was blessed to live most of my life in a safe area but though the crime rate was low, my town had its own set of underlying demons that could easily ruin your life.
G.E 9JA : How did you come about your Stage name?
CashL3wis: It was a joint effort between an old friend and I.
G.E 9JA : What does your stage name signify?
CashL3wis: An old friend once told me that every person on Earth has a God given gift. something that he or she is put here to share with the world. He believed mine was music, so one day when we were kicking around names he came up with L.E.W.I.S. which is an acronym for "Lord Extends Winston In Sound" (Winston being my real name). I then added CASH to the beginning because it is a symbol of success and eventually flipped the E around to a 3 for stylistic purposes.
G.E 9JA : Were you part of any boy boy band growing up in the industry?
CashL3wis: Haha, funny you ask. Back in high school I was part of a 5 man rap group called the Looney Boyz. Business relationships were strained due to creative differences and business disagreements so I left the group.
G.E 9JA : What genre of music do you do? and why this choice?
CashL3wis: I honestly set out to just express how I'm feeling at any given time. Most of my music would be considered hip-hop but who knows I might release a heavy metal album one day. The sky's the limit.
G.E 9JA : Your source of inspiration and motivation?
CashL3wis: Music in general, Life experiences, there's a variety of different factors that come into play with my musical inspiration.
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G.E 9JA : Your role model? and why them?
CashL3wis: I wouldn't really say I have a role model seeing as how the literal definition states its "A person looked to by others as an example to be imitated". I'm not one to try and imitate anyone. A lot of people love to paint artists and athletes with the same brush. Never letting them be unique. They always say "oh, have you heard so and so? she sounds like Adelle!" or "hey, have you seen billy bob play basketball? He's like Kobe Bryant". When in reality few people set out to be a carbon copy of someone else. I just think people need to focus on what makes each one of us different rather than what makes us similar.
G.E 9JA : What is the name of your favorite Nigerian or African musician?
CashL3wis: Dang! I can't say I've really been introduced to any mainstream Nigerian or African music but I would love to check some out if you have any suggestions!
G.E 9JA : Your most embarassing moment as CashL3wis, then also as an individual?
CashL3wis :Most embarrassing moment as CASH L3WIS has to be when my friend (another rapper) and I were the opening act for one of our favorite artists and we MESSED UP during our set! Yep, we got boo'd and that shit was definitely the doldrums.
The most embarrassing moment as myself was WAY WORSE! haha. So here's the story. I was with a friend from work at the time and he knew I was into this girl that worked with us so he invited his girlfriend and the girl I was crushin on (we'll call her Woman X) to the movies with us. So I'm all stoked like "I'm gunna sit next to her and maybe if things go well I'll ask her on a solo date or something....yada yada yada." You know, psychin myself up! So when we show up she gets out of her car and there's some other dude with her looking like a damn knight in shining armor and to make matters worse he ALSO works with us, but that isn't even the good part. So besides the fact that the guy she's with is sitting immediately to my right and woman X is right next to him, they're all touchy feely the ENTIRE movie and I'm forced to witness mid-movie makeout sessions 24 inches from my face. The movies over, I'm not particularly happy...ok I'm pretty pissed and we're all walking to our cars, when out of nowhere some black sedan speeding in the parking lot almost hits and kills us all. Now keep in mind it's pouring rain. After that guy almost hits me I completely lose my mind. I run to my truck, start it up and hit the gas so hard that my tires were just spinning in place for a good 15-20 seconds. Finally when they catch I'm catapulted from 0mph to like 40mph almost instantaneously and I'm headed straight for the people that almost hit us. I drift around the planter box that seperates the aisles of cars and slam on the brakes right behind the (now parked) black sedan. I jump out and start going off on the guy to the point where him, his girlfriend, and his friends threaten to call the cops on me. Right when I'm about to rush him I'm wrapped up from behind and dragged away by no one other than...wait for it....the knight in shining armor! By now there's a crowd of people watching hoping to see bloodshed and since they all were on the phone with the police I decide I better leave. So I climb back in my truck, still pissed, and once again hit the gas as hard as I can, drift around another planter box and slam right into the back of a parked BMW....yeah, don't even say anything. After that, I did the wrong thing and just drove away like an asshole, hoping I wouldn't get caught (I never did). But I'll probably get sued now that I told you. haha. Anyways, here's the re-cap. 1. Some guy shows up to a double date with my date. 2. That same guy has to try and stop me from looking like a lunatic. 3. I make my own self look like an asshole in front of my colleagues AND Woman X. 4. To make matters worse I wrap up my insane rage fit with slamming into the back of a parked car. In other words the most embarrassing moment of my life.
G.E 9JA : Your most rewarding moment as an CashL3wis, then also as an individual?
CashL3wis: Having any fans period is always so rewarding in itself but my most rewarding moment as CASH L3WIS has to be the time that I got a message on facebook one late night from a girl I hadn't seen since high school. She was one of the most popular girls in school and I maybe said one word to her my entire 4 years of high school. She was a cheerleader and all that jazz and I was just the kid who got sent outside all the time, So the fact she even knew I existed was pretty mind blowing in itself but what she said next completely floored me. She said that she was sorry she didn't get to know me better in high school and just wanted to tell me something. She stated that she always would listen to my music back then and then proceeded to tell me a secret she never told anyone before. She told me she struggled with severe depression and recently was in the process of comitting suicide when something happened. she said that she had purposely taken 10 times the doseage of her sleeping medication, turned on her ipod, and was about to fall asleep forever when one of my older songs "Pendulum" randomly started playing on her ipod playlist. She said for some reason it made her open her eyes and drag herself to the bathroom where she made herself vomit up the sleeping pills. She told me that my music saved her life and that she was forever thankful. I was speechless.
G.E 9JA : What are your hobbies?
CashL3wis: I used to love working out but I've been so busy with music lately that I've slacked off! I need to get back in the gym. I also like watching movies, having a good time with good people and reading.
G.E 9JA : Best Food, Colour, Fashion Trend, Relaxation Spot?
CashL3wis: Hot Wings, Red, I just wear black hoodies all the time, and my relaxation spot has to be anywhere in California.
G.E 9JA : Aside music, what else do you think you would have been doing now?
CashL3wis: Working at a grocery store for the rest of my life or the military.
G.E 9JA : Tell us a little about your life with women, and how you have been able to handle female fans?
CashL3wis: I just stay focused on my career and I treat all my fans with equal respect.
G.E 9JA : Can you also tell your fans, what they should be expecting in the year 2013?
CashL3wis: They can expect me being me. Just a lot of brand new music and videos. Im happy with what we've been doing.
G.E 9JA : If you had an entertainment wild card to do a single with any musician globally, who would you pick?
CashL3wis: Well the artist I would choose is one of those artists that you don't really approach like that. You just kind of wait, and if they see something in your music that they like they might approach you. you know? I don't want to go name dropping and give the wrong impression. People love to get the wrong idea.
G.E 9JA : So what would you want to tell your fans, worldwide?
CashL3wis: Thank you for the continuous support! Never stay the same, we all should be continuously evolving.
G.E 9JA : Thanks a lot man, so lets leave the fans to enjoy another video from you .... "GET ME"
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