Until this year one of Bermuda's illest rappers, Keamon (KASE) Woolaston had never been to an actual rap concert.

(For the uninitiated illest means really, really cool in rap terms.)

"Don't put that in," he said with his hands over his face.

But last November not only did the 21-year-old attend a concert given by his rap idol Ghostface Killah, a member of the smash rap group Wu-Tang Clan, he also got to perform.

KASE is a rapper who readily admits he likes acronyms. His new record label due to be released next spring is called Devils Isles Entertainment (DIE).

His nickname 'KASE' stands for 'Knowledge Applied to Street Etiquette'.

This month he performed at a literary festival organised in conjunction with Bermuda College professor Dr. Sajni Tolaram, and Chewstick founder and executive director, Gavin Djata Smith. He also performed at the 400th Anniversary Premier's Concert in November.

During the day, he raps, composes and manages the office at Chewstick's new headquarters at the corner of Elliot and Court Street.

The Royal Gazette recently met up with the rising Bermuda rap star for a chat.

Tell me about performing at the Ghostface Killah concert.

We (Chewstick) were going to Aspen, Colorado for a Racial Equity Conference at the Aspen Institute. Chewstick said we are going but we have a surprise for you. We pulled up to this club and there was a poster in the window that said they were having a Ghostface Killah concert. I looked more closely and I said, 'hey, that's tonight'. It turned out the surprise was me being at the concert. The next thing I knew there was a (rap) battle going off at the end of the show. (Battle-rap is a style of hip-hop where the artist competes with another artist. Words and lyrics are the ammunition.) Gavin (Smith) and the others started chanting my name. So I got up on stage and went up against a random guy. I battled him and ripped him to shreds. I was in complete shock the whole time. It really didn't hit me until two days afterwards.

What do you like about Ghostface Killah?

He is one of the nine members of the group Wu-Tang Clan. I like Wu-Tang clan because they are raw. They speak the truth. They spread positive messages, even though it is not in the most appropriate way. That was the coolest thing.

Do you consider yourself more of a rapper or a poet?

I am more of an MC (Microphone Controller). I have been rapping since I was 14 or 15 years old. I got serious in high school.

Who were you influenced by when you first started?

Listening to rapper Eminem was a big step in the whole 'I'm going to rap' vibe. Wu-Tang Clan was also a huge influence on me. They are like the biggest hip-hop group ever, worldwide.

What do you try to get across in your music?

Rapping for me is a way to express my opinions and views on life to other people. I feel that what I am saying is morally correct. It is also a 'keeping-myself-sane' vibe. I am my own psychiatrist. I have two types of rap that I do. I have the conscious story telling vibe type rap, and I have a vibe that I call 'MC termination'. Gavin likes to say I go woolly on him. That is when I become a THREAT. That stands for 'The hottest rapper ever attacking tracks'.

Tell me the lyrics to some of your songs.

I recently did one called M16. This is where I wrote a 16 bar verse using the letter M at the beginning of each verse. I wrote another song recently called 'Numbers'. I tried to use the words 'one, two and three' as much as possible. When I write, it has to be a little puzzle. I ask myself 'what makes this song special?' There has to be something in it.

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Flow means a lot when it comes to rhyming. Anyone can rhyme, but to rhyme and flow at a certain tempo and to switch it up, that is what really makes a song something.

Where do you get your inspiration?

It could be anything. It could be talking to friends. It could be a dream. It could be something that happened to me, or something that happened to someone else. I could just be looking at a crack in the road.

Did you always like writing when you were in school?

No, I used to dance, awkwardly enough. I used to tap dance.

You danced awkwardly?

Well no. It's just that I'm a rapper and when I tell people I used to dance, they say 'whoa, you used to dance'. They seem surprised. I used to tap dance for 11 years for United Dance Production (UDP). Tap dancing is pretty cool. The way that I rap, tap dancing influenced that. I was always a person to love rhythm. It is percussion.

So it is really not separate at all?

No, it's not separate. Then writing came. I never talked to anyone. I would write things down and I would feel better.

What do you think about all the violence recently? Are you going to write about that?

I did a song about two years ago with my friend called 'Wake Up'. It was about the time that the gunshots were starting to pop off. I said it would get worse and now it has happened. It is crazy.

What needs to be done?

It's written on the Chewstick steps. 'Respect everyone, give everyone their freedom. Love everyone and speak the truth'. If people did those things we wouldn't have any problems.

I know Chewstick has open mic nights every other Saturday. How many people come to those events?

On an average night about 100 people show up to hear performances at Chewstick. It started off as a family day, and then over the last couple of years it is has just grown. We have tourists coming in sometimes.

Are there many avenues for poets and rappers in Bermuda?

Not enough. If you want to express yourself in any way, and you can't find anywhere else then Chewstick is an option.

Tell me about the racial equity conference you went to this year.

I went with Gavin and the Chewstick Foundation. Other Bermuda organisations were there also including YouthNet (a mentor organisation) and Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB), among others. It was a great method and I really believe we should start working on it right away.

How did it change you when you came home?

I noticed racism right away, as soon as my eyes were opened up to it. When we went to the airport in Colorado and we were going to the electronic-check in. This white lady came up and asked us whether we were looking for the direct flight to Nairobi. My first thought was where is the direct flight from Colorado to Nairobi? Then she tried to switch it up by changing it from Nairobi to New York.

How does Chewstick help with racism?

Chewstick breaks down social barriers. Everyone comes here black, white, Portuguese, gay, straight. As long as you respect other people and love truth and keep that in your brain, it is a safe space. It is awesome.

Would you ever move Chewstick to a different neighbourhood? Would it be the same somewhere else?

It doesn't matter where Chewstick is. Chewstick will always be Chewstick. Because we are here on Court Street, right in the middle of it, it lets us know that we stand for what is right. We are not afraid of this. This is us. We have accepted that. Why run away from it? We are letting the community know that we are here doing something positive. That is what it is all about.

For more information about Chewstick, telephone 292-2439 or go to their webpage at http://www.chewstick.com. The next Chewstick Neo-Griot Lounge open-mic jam sessions will be held on December 19 and January 2 at the Spinning Wheel Entertainment Complex at 33 Court Street, Hamilton, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Entrance is free before 10 p.m. and $10 afterward. Seating is limited. Telephone or e-mail them at infochewstick.com about ticket purchasing information. Pay in advance by telephoning the office or at the door. Seating preference to people who pay in advance.