Casey Veggies played an intricate role in the resurgence of West Coast hip-hop. As the co-founder of the crew Odd Future, Casey got an opportunity to show the eccentric side of L.A. rap after the city was known for birthing Gangsta Rap during the ‘90s.
Casey has since ventured out on his own with his major label debut, Live & Grow. The Inglewood, California native recently sat down with rolling out to discuss his new album and entrepreneurial projects.
You have several classic-worthy mixtapes. What can fans expect on your new album, Live and Grow?
I just wanted to put out a positive message. I feel like a lot of the youth listens to my music and they look for inspiration, so I just wanted to give off that inspiration on my first album and do what I do best which is put out real hip hop music. It’s no gimmicks or extras to it, it’s just me talking about how I feel and what I go through.
What message did you want to covey via the cover art for your album?
It just represents growth and the evolution. Growing up in front of people is hard man. I’ve been rapping since I was 13, so people have been seeing me do this since I was a freshman in high school. I’m only four years out of high school, at 22 years old, it’s a lot that I went through to get to this point so I just wanted to show people that evolution right in their face.
Being one of the co-creators of Odd Future, did you know that the group would become such a staple in hip-hop?
We didn’t even know what we were doing. We were just having fun, putting out music, and being creative and I think everything just turned into what it is now. I think that’s how it happens for a lot of artists because people just start out doing it for the love, and dreams come true.
Considering that you have a entrepreneurs spirit, what made you decide to come up with your own clothing line?
Peas & Carrots International is a brand that we started two years back, and it’s a lifestyle brand as well. Fashion has been something that we’ve always been into and watching other artists make beats, do records, and have companies inspired me because I want to be multi-faceted. I always wanted to try different things, and think outside of the box. The whole Peas and Carrots brand means that everything we do is all natural and all organic. So getting into fashion became second nature for me because music and fashion go hand and hand. We have a store now in LA, so It’s been going real good with having a clothing line, and my album just dropped, so everything is coming together.
How did your relationship with Puma come about?
They were looking for artists and they were interested in having me be apart of the brand, and I just thought it was a great opportunity because I’ve always loved Puma because it’s just a classic brand. They support me 100 percent and they treat me like family so it’s been super dope.
What do you want people to say about your album say… five to 10 years from now?
I want them to say that it inspired the youth, and it inspired these young kids to be on some positive stuff and on something different. This is just one of those albums that represents the West Coast of LA and represents Inglewood as a culture.
