Cashmere Spalding explains why she's emerged as a trusted visual artist among rappers like 2 Chainz, Chief Keef and Young Thug.

"My life has always been centered around pain, so I try not to use gloomy colors. I want people to be happy. I want them to smile when they walk into my house and see me."

BIO

He reminisces about the days before his work appeared on album covers and hung in the homes of R&B and hip-hop megastars like Chris Brown and G Herbo. Now in his twenties, Spalding (known to his friends as Cass) is responsible for much of the iconic logo and viral artwork for Chicago rapper Chief Keef and his label, Glow Gang. His LA home doubles as a studio, where he creates fluid, striking artwork inspired by Japanese pop art, comic books, and his own tough childhood beginnings.

Growing up in a household with two older brothers, three older sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews, sketching became Spalding's solitary time. He helped develop his skill and style by spending hours drawing and tracing his brother's Marvel comics. According to Spalding, his childhood in the Bronx influenced much of the work he sees today, growing him up quickly and inspiring much of his work. After his family sold their house, he and his sisters moved to Connecticut, where in high school he had access to his first computer. That access gave him the opportunity to teach himself basic Photoshop elements, elements that are present in his current artwork.

"In high school, a girl came up to me and suggested I go to trade school in Orlando, so I was like, 'Fuck it, I'll give it a go,' and I enrolled in trade school for graphic design and animation," Spalding says of the moment that forever changed his artistic journey. "I just grabbed a suitcase and flew out."

During his final year of school, Kass found work at a local printing company, designing nearly all of the print materials, logos, and album covers for nightclubs in Central Florida, and adding his signature logo to all of their promotions. He soon caught the attention of 2 Chainz and Young Thug, who hired him for their early mixtape covers. "Just through self-marketing, people started recognizing my logo. I had my logo on a lot of CDs. Artists were calling me 24/7, and I was answering the phone even at 4 in the morning. I never missed a call. People thought I had a whole team behind me, but it was just me."

Spalding's philosophy is best reflected in using visual art to embody joy, and with a catalogue of his luminous artwork and a lavish list of impressive collaborations, his talent is undeniable.

INSPIRATION

I've always been inspired by Japan. Anime and street culture have had a big influence on me. I grew up in the Bronx, so there were drug dealers and trappers all around. I would sit on my porch and watch everything that was going on around me, while sketching and drawing. There would be shootouts, police cars and sirens, fire trucks going by. All of this combined to influence my creative work.

What also inspired me to get into clothing design was my mother's interest in fashion. In Jamaica, my mother employed a stylist, and I would go with her to choose clothes and fabrics. She would pick out jewelry and the best clothes. But just before I turned nine, my mother passed away. I was still with her then. So I learned about fashion from her. It wasn't from rappers or celebrities, but from watching my mother. That's why I love chains, I love buying jewelry, and I love creating. She still inspires me and encourages me to grow and succeed.

BROTHERHOOD WITH CHIEF KEEF

It's amazing how my mom has had such a lasting influence on me, and Chief Keef and I have such a strong brotherly bond that it helps us with many of the projects we create.

Actually, I met Chief Keef on MySpace. That's where it all started. He would DM me asking me all sorts of questions, like, "How do you do this?" (laughs). Literally, every morning I wake up at 7am and he'll message me. If I haven't heard from anyone, people will ask me, "Has Sosa contacted you?" And I'm like, "Of course I've been in touch with him." Maybe he just doesn't want to hang out with anyone right now (laughs). He's a really creative person. He's really creative with his art, too. He does everything, from video editing to animation. I'm like, "How did you learn that?" And he's like, "No, I do it myself." I'm like, "So do you buy templates?" And he's like, "No." He does it all by himself. I'm like, "Okay, how did you learn that so quickly?" And he's a total computer whiz. That's why he's so good at recording and making beats. It's because he can control everything.

VISUAL ARTS & HIP-HOP

Visual art and hip-hop are inextricably linked. They're inseparable, and art truly defines artists. Without art, there's no way to express one's identity or communicate what one's music means. In this world, visual artists who work behind the scenes sometimes don't get much attention. From cover art to merchandise design, the people who work behind the scenes can sometimes get overlooked. I'm so happy that people love my art, that people wear it, or tattoo it. There are hundreds of people who have our tattoos. It's so incredible, because I don't even have the Glow Gang logo tattooed on me yet, but other people have it. When I see it, I think, "Wow, this is so... so incredible." Every time I see it, I never thought anyone would love a logo this much, except for the Wu-Tang Clan logo. It's built a presence of its own. When you see rappers and football players with it tattooed on their bodies, they're not one of us, but they chose to have our logo. It means something. It's so real. Sometimes it's so unbelievable.

BLACK BUSINESS OWNER

As a young Black creative, I sometimes feel a double standard in the industry towards Black-owned businesses.

Often, people say, "Black businesses are too expensive," yet when you buy the same item from a well-known brand, you typically pay more. For example, if I open the trunk of my car and try to sell a T-shirt, I might be told, "Oh, $30? I only have $20." If that same person walks into Balenciaga, they won't try to negotiate the price. You can't negotiate the price at Balenciaga or Chanel... Why do we say, "Oh, it's too expensive" when it comes to products offered by our friends and peers? That's why I think it's important to interact more within the community or within the culture. That's what everyone is doing.

And, as is often the case, big brands take our culture and profit from it, but they don't have Black culture. They see it, they just take it, and they run with it, and they make millions of dollars off of that culture without knowing anything about it. For example, they might design something using something like a bandana, put jeans on top of it, and make millions of dollars. They might not know anything about gang culture, but they'll buy these jeans because they endorse them. Every celebrity will buy these jeans and tell everyone they bought them. Why wouldn't you buy a $30 T-shirt from a friend?

FAVORITE COLLAB

My favorite collaboration so far is with Carrots. The collaboration we're doing started with a random sketch I posted on my Instagram story. Anwar (Carrots founder) saw it and DMed me, saying, "Let's use this for a collaboration; it would be a shame to let such amazing art go to waste." It turned into a capsule of shirts and hoodies. My favorite Glow Gang artwork is the characters from his cousins, Blood Money and Capo. They're deceased, but I painted them 144x96 inches. He keeps them hanging above his bed. Another favorite artwork I personally created is a painting of Donald Trump. It's modeled after the cover art for Kanye West's album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." The original cover art was created by George Condo, one of my favorite artists.

IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION

Learning art in school is very important. I remember taking home economics in middle school. We learned how to do simple cooking and how to thread a sewing machine. These classes taught me so much. Even if I hadn't sewn in years, when I pick up a sewing machine I still know how to thread it. Where would I be if I hadn't learned these things in school?

But now, that education is sometimes missing from the curriculum. Instead, they teach things you never use. School doesn't teach you how to manage your money or how to really find a job. I wish there were classes in high school that taught you how to set up an LLC, start a business, invest money, and get your credit in order. You leave school not knowing how to make it on your own. They just give you a diploma and say, "Okay, now you've found your way."

ADVICE FOR THE YOUTH

Have fun. Whatever you're doing, have fun. Don't stress yourself. Don't expect anything. Everyone has their own way of working. It's like being in a maze. Everyone has their own way of working their way out of the maze. It might take you a year, or two days, or ten years, but you'll get out of the maze eventually. Don't give up, just keep going. It's worth the effort.