FRANK CASTLE

INTERVIEW: TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK [@REALIFEVMG]

VALIDATED: GROWING UP IN THE LOWER WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN IN THE CHELSEA ELLIOT PROJECTS, WHAT'S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP-HOP CULTURE?

FRANK CASTLE: MY EARLIEST MEMORY WOULD HAVE TO BE WHEN I WAS LIKE 5 OR 6, MY BROTHER INTRODUCED ME TO THE MOVIE “BEAT STREET”. I REALIZED THIS TYPE OF S*** WAS HAPPENING OUTSIDE, AND I COULD RELATE ESPECIALLY IN THE ENVIRONMENT I GREW UP IN. THIS WAS BEFORE I EVEN STARTED WRITING RHYMES.

VALIDATED: HOW DID YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROWING UP INFLUENCE YOU MUSICALLY?

FRANK CASTLE: IT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH MY MUSIC, CERTAIN EXPERIENCES AND MUSICAL TALENT AROUND ME THAT INSPIRED ME. NOT ONLY THE STRUGGLES OR THE S*** THAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOCK DAILY.

VALIDATED: YOUR LYRICAL WORDPLAY AND STORYTELLING ABILITY, WHICH ARTISTS INFLUENCED YOUR FLOW?

FRANK CASTLE: MY BIGGEST INFLUENCE AS AN ARTIST GOTTA BE BIG PUN. I WAS JUST A KID WHEN I FIRST HEARD "CAPITAL PUNISHMENT". IT’S JUST THE WAY HE RHYMED WITH HIS FLOW AND LYRICAL PROWESS JUST BLEW MY MIND AT THE TIME. I ALSO LISTENED TO A LOT OF NAS AND STUDIED HIM HEAVILY WITH THE STORIES HE TOLD SUCH AS “I GAVE YOU POWER” AND “ONE LOVE”.

VALIDATED: YOU STARTED WRITING YOUR OWN RHYMES AT 12 YEARS OLD AND DISCOVERED YOU HAD A GIFT WHEN YOU STARTED SPITTIN' IN A CYPHER IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THAT CYPHER THAT MADE YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR TALENT FOR RHYMING?

FRANK CASTLE: FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD HONESTLY IT WAS MY VOICE. I HAD A VERY UNIQUE AND MATURE VOICE FOR THAT AGE AND SOMEBODY JUST SAID "YO, YOU SHOULD TRY RAPPING." AND I NEVER STOPPED WRITING.

VALIDATED: AT AGE 14 YOUR SUFFERED A TERRIBLE LOSS WITH THE PASSING OF YOUR FATHER, WHAT EFFECT DID THIS HAVE ON YOUR MUSIC?

FRANK CASTLE: IT HAD A BIG EFFECT IN MY LIFE. I LOST MY HERO, SOMEONE I LOOKED UP TO. I SAW MY POPS AS LIKE A SUPERHERO AND S***. KEPT ME OUTTA TROUBLE TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS BUT AFTER HE PASSED EVERYTHING JUST TOOK A LEFT TURN AND CHANGED ME AS A YOUNG BOY. THERE WAS A LOT OF PAIN IN MY MUSIC AFTER HE PASSED.

VALIDATED: YOUR EP, "DOWNTOWN KIDS EP" AND MIXTAPE "B.U.T.T.E.R.", WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THE RESPONSE TO THESE PROJECTS?

FRANK CASTLE: THEY WAS DOPE, SOME OF MY BEST WORK. I TOOK MY TIME AND REALLY CRAFTED EACH SONG TO THEIR LIKING AND THE LISTENERS EAR.

VALIDATED: WHICH ESTABLISHED HIP-HOP ARTISTS AND PRODUCERS HAVE YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORKED WITH?

FRANK CASTLE: LETS SEE I WORKED WITH STATIK SELEKTAH, TERMANOLOGY, JOELL ORTIZ, KOOL G RAP, DOMINGO AND TONY SUNSHINE. I PLAN ON TAKING OVER AND WORKING WITH MORE.

VALIDATED: FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE WHAT'S YOUR PLACE IN HIP-HOP?

FRANK CASTLE: I JUST WANT TO ENLIGHTEN MY GENERATION AND THE YOUTH BY SHOWING THAT WE CAN DO BETTER AS A CULTURE AND BRING LIGHT TO THE TRUTH UNAPOLOGETICALLY. WHETHER IT’S FOR MY BORICUA PEOPLE OR ANY OTHERS WITHIN THE CULTURE, EDUCATE AND SPREAD AWARENESS THROUGH MUSIC WHILE STILL TELLING MY STORY.

VALIDATED: WHAT SHOULD HIP-HOP FANS BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR AS FAR AS FRANK CASTLE GOES?

FRANK CASTLE: I GOT TWO PROJECTS IN THE WORKS. I CAN’T SAY THE NAMES OR WHEN THEY BEING DROPPED BUT VERY SOON!

VALIDATED: WHAT ARE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA?

FRANK CASTLE: "DAREALFRANKCAST" ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM OR FOLLOW MY FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK CALLED “FRANK CASTLE”.