feature: calez ceito – an avid carrier of lyrics that will bite you like a fuckin’ bull terrier

Calez Ceito has been rapping in South Side Chicago ever since he could remember. You see, New York is without a doubt the Mecca, but please don’t you dare sleep on The Chi. The first time I visited, one thing that was etched in my memory was people rapping everywhere – in grocery lines, the bus stop, at J&J’s and definitely at Rock n’ Roll McDonald’s after a night of sinnin’. To rise as a rapper in Chicago is the tale of perseverance in a meritocratic pool of sharks, with guns. Translation: it ain’t easy.
I felt like an honorary member of the Broke Ass Nigga Gang (BANG), referenced in Brokest Song of All Time, as we laughed about being on busted old iPhones when I caught up with Calez recently. In this gritty track from 2013’s Too Broke Tape, he proclaims, “I’m so poor but I’m on tour.” He takes a glass half full approach to his current position in life. Even though he gets recognized with a strong hometown following (opening up for Macklemore last year), he is far from the success he’s working towards. And the importance of the work it requires to get there grounds him in the present.

By Le Black Star, AFROPUNK Contributor *

Pressure, a smooth joint reminiscent of the jazz-hop era, was the first track my cousin played when he told me about Calez a couple of years ago. The tone you hear in his voice is that of a young man with the ethic of a peasant and the grace of a king. When I asked him how he stays motivated as he endures the difficult path of a rapper in a highly competitive industry, he responded without hesitation, “My family.” The past that propels him was a bigger challenge than anything the music industry can dish. Back in 2000, Calez, the eldest of six kids, promised his single mother that he was going to make her rich. This was after many hungry nights in the cold streets forced the family into a homeless shelter.

His family extends beyond his blood relatives though. His team of vicious young MC’s and producers from the Windy City, dubbed 2008ighties, are like gasoline encouraging an eager flame. Together, they seek the American Dream.

Calez is broke in terms of material wealth but is considerably wealthy in talent. His upcoming mixtape, Ceito, will be another opportunity to push his music to new heights and deliver on his promise to his mother. As he declares in Passenger’s Thoughts, “My only wish is that I live out what I say I will.”

Follow @CalezCeito on Twitter for updates on the new album and check out Ceito Republic for his new web series, American Dream Concept, where you can learn more about the reality of life as an independent rap artist.

* Le Black Star’s Blog leblackstar.com | Twitter @le_blackstar