By Jayden Rathsam Hua
- Name, degree & favourite plant
My name’s Caspar. I’m 21. Just finished my Arts degree in Theatre and Performance Studies and Creative Writing. My favourite plants are wattles (die hard Aussie patriot clearly).
- You’re a member of the duo known as Flip the Script – How would you describe your music?
So the crew is made of two rappers—myself (Caspar), Joe B and our DJ (Benjamin aka Benjammin). If I had to describe our music I’d say it’s 90’s type hip-hop mixed with soul and jazz. Our vibe is old school 90’s if we really HAD to define it, but we’re pretty open to all influences ranging from the old school classic rappers, right toward the commercial stuff you hear like ASAP, DRAKE and Kanye.
- Tell us about some of your greatest role models or inspirations on the music scene. Who is your musical Mr Miayagi?
As a group we all have different perspectives on who we idolise and look up to musically and on a personal level. At the moment I’d say there’s a lot of great stuff happening on the Australian scene. People like Dylan Joel and Baro are musically really refreshing and innovative, and have a fresh perspective on how to remove any stigma behind Australian hip-hop as a gutter rap culture. There are so many subgenres of hip-hop in this country and we all just love the new wave of talent, killing it on the scene.
Other groups like Thundamentals and the One Day crew are examples of musicians with powerful messages, which they promote using their platform as well-known artists. These rappers have many political interests and causes such as refugee/asylum seeker fundraising, which they address in their songs. The track ANY OTHER NAME with Horrorshow, Jimblah, Thelma Plum and Urthboy is another example of why I support Australian music and hip-hop in particular. Seeing these guys use their influence to promote indigenous rights, particularly in a time where we are in a racial turmoil towards foreigners and those of our own kin, is truly inspiring stuff. That shit really inspires Flip the Script to make music with meaning.
- How’d you get started with your musical gig? Did you just wake up one day and think that starting a band would be a great idea?
Me and Joe literally were hungover one Sunday morning and we decided to write a track over a beat called Sunday Spittin’. We smashed it out in 45 minutes! We dropped our first mixtape months later and have dropped another two since. The second one was called crewsin’ and the most recent one is called what u know about dilla, which is a tribute mixtape to the legendary beat maker J Dilla. We’ve all been having fun with it.
- Apparently you’re a bit of a thespian too… Tell us about some projects/films you’ve been involved in.
It’s a career path I really want to pursue. Studying full time hasn’t been easy for my acting but I managed to accomplish quite a lot. I’ve been a part of various theatre companies like DollpArts Theatre Company and The Violent Romantics Theatre Company, and I really loved being in NUTS throughout my undergrad. It encouraged me to keep going with it all, and helped me head into the screen side of stuff with a Sydney Film Festival appearance and a recent video I did with comedian, Neel Kolhatkar, who I think is performing at O-Week coincidently. It was a great opportunity working with such a talented group of filmmakers and actors. The video went viral as well, which was really great.
I’ve had a few films screened at film festivals around the world, from Australia all the way to California, which is just such a humbling experience. Right now, I’m writing a screenplay I really want to put on mainstream TV within the next year and I’ve just started working on a new play, which I was cast in with Depot Theatre Company, so it’s just pretty much making the most of these opportunities and building on them.
- Everyone loves good highbrow cultural entertainment, but let’s dive into the other side of the spectrum. What are some of your biggest cinematic guilty pleasures?
Geordie Shore is one of my absolute all time favourite shows. I can’t even explain why. It’s just such an entertaining insight into some people’s lives. Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Made In Chelsea are also little guilty pleasures I watch on a regular basis. If you haven’t already, look up the movie Sharknado featuring every actor you never knew taking on a shark apocalypse. Truly amazing and terrible at the same time.
- What advice do you have for people who want to kickstart a musical profile and break into the industry themselves?
I think for any creative field it’s just important to realise that a good work ethic is the basis for bigger and better things. You only get out what you put in. Flip the Script is in no way a household name and none of us really expect anything other than what we put into our music. Social media nowadays is such a powerful platform for any creative to get their stuff seen.
Also, always be humble and don’t be a shit. Gratitude is a virtue especially when things start to get rolling and good things happen. You can’t take that stuff for granted. As an (aspiring) actor and a musician, I have constantly been trying to learn from this principle. Always believe in yourself. It’s so cliché but seriously everyone knows it’s the key to getting anywhere in life.
- Can you tell us about any new music or projects you’re working on at present? Can we expect new stuff from you soon?
I’m real excited for what we have planned for everyone. We’re low key working on a new EP, which will be our best work to date. But that’s still in its early stages. Joe B has a solo side project he’s releasing as well. The dude raps fiery balls of flames and is definitely the next generation of home grown talent. I’m privileged enough to rap alongside him. But for the most part Ben, Joe and I are keeping it really close to our chests and playing those things by ear. But DEFINITELY expect new music very soon.
With the acting, I have really exciting theatre and film stuff, which will be shown this year. I couldn’t be more pumped for it. It’s going to be a huge year creatively!
Links
Facebook – facebook.com/flipthescriptsydney/
Soundcloud – soundcloud.com/flip-the-script-hiphop
Bandcamp – flipthescript.bandcamp.com/
YouTube – Search for Flip the Script Acting Profound