2x Artist of the Month Critique Friday Winner, Peedy Case is Showing Why He’s Next [Interview]

Up-and-coming artist Peedy Case won two Artist of the Month Critique Fridays. So we reached out for an interview so we can learn what he’s all about.

So for those who don’t know about you, and are hearing your name for the first time, who is Peedy Case, and what is the passion that drives you to music?

So my government name is Westin Pedersen but my friends call me Peedy and Case is my grandmother’s maiden name so I thought it stuck pretty well. It took me a while to start making music that I was proud of and excited to share with the world. Honestly, I just love making music and the whole process of turning an idea into something that can stick with people and be a part of their day-to-day routine. I know my music can’t save anyone and that is never my intention anyways. I would say that I want to make music for believers and nonbelievers alike that they can just bob their heads to and hopefully take a line or two from the song that will affect them in a positive way.

You won song of the month 2x in a row. What were those moments like for you, and was there anything specific that OB or the comments said that you’ve taken to heart?

Those moments were amazing for me because as an artist you tend to get in your own head and overthink things like “is the music really good or do I just think it’s good?” It really showed me that the work I put into writing and “mastering” the craft is starting to be appreciated now. Having a guy like OB with all of the experience that he has within the music industry and the thousands of songs that he has listened to over the years – appreciate “TOP NOTCH” and “RED 23” was very special to me.

You appear to be a relative newcomer to music, is that the case, or have you been doing this for a while? Also, (mean this respectfully), where’d you come from?

Yes, I have been doing this for a while but was never proud of the music I was making so I was never ready to share it with the world because I know in my heart of hearts that it was not there yet. Technically, I am a newcomer though in the sense of releasing music as I have only three songs in my catalog right now. I come from West Palm Beach, FL which is in southeast Florida about an hour north of Miami.

Can you talk about the two singles that won, “Top Notch” and “Red 23”? What do the songs mean and how’d they come together?

“TOP NOTCH” is a summer vibe with bars in the verses whereas “RED 23” is more of a punchline exhibition with a concept to it. So the hook of “TOP NOTCH” is wrapped up in the idea that my life cannot get any better if I build my life around Christ. The 2nd verse focuses on how my views have changed of racism within America ever since I started attending a church in the inner city and being around more people in that environment.

The first verse of “RED 23” is reminiscent of old Lil Wayne where it is just punchline after punchline with no real direction to it. The hook is me making the comparison of my skill level to Michael Jordan’s. The 2nd verse is where the concept starts to take shape. So the term “RED 23” is a gambling term and it means the number 23 on a roulette table. This was not a wise decision as I say at the end of the verse but the funding for my rap career started with me making the dumb decision to take some money to the casino and double or triple up. I ended up tripling up and that helped to pay for beats, mixing, and advertising at the beginning of it all. It worked out in the end but I would advise against it…

Tell us a bit about the new single “Witchita North” and was/is that being sent to Critique Fridays? With that in mind, how do you keep leveling up your music since the first two came out so well?

“WICHITA NORTH” is a very special song to me and one of my favorites that I have ever written. It is about my grandparents who live in Wichita Falls, Texas. I used to go out there with my brother and sister and we would spend our summers out there from about ages 11 – 16 (very prime years for me to get in trouble). The point of the song is that now my grandparents are at the end of their life and how I wish when I was younger I would have soaked up that time with them instead of using that time to always be in search of the next “high.”

I did submit that to Critique Fridays and did not win song of the night but I love hanging out with that community of fans and artists. There are some very dope people in there and I have built some great relationships over my time being involved in that group. I would say that if I want to keep leveling up my music then I have to get on my knees first and seek God for guidance above everything else. The Creator is the source of my creativity so I’m going to get locked in with him. The next thing is that I have to put the work in and be writing as often as I can to polish the craft. I have a lot of dope stuff coming out in the next couple of months so I am excited to share it with everyone.

Is there a specific moment in your life so far that made you say, “I’m meant for this. I’m going to chase this music dream”?

Yes, that would be when I show music to close friends/family or even strangers and they actually doubt that is me. That shows me that they think it is good. Also, when I get the nod from OB and other artists in Critique Fridays saying the record is crazy and they love it. It just pushes me forward. I believe in myself but sometimes doubt will creep in and it is nice to have those affirmations especially when you feel like you are alone on an island.

What’s the best part about being a young and upcoming artist?

Well, I’m 30 so I wouldn’t say that I am that young. One of the best parts for me at least is that I love when people who have never heard of me (which is a long list) get the chance to and are blown away by the quality of it.

What’s the worst part about being a young and upcoming artist?

The worst part is that I do not like social media and am an introvert. It is all about content now which is a good and bad thing. The good thing is that it has never been easier to be found by people because the Internet has changed everything. I would say the bad in that is almost everything has turned into “highlights” and I just want to live my life making music sometimes without all the extras. I know I have to make the sacrifice though because I feel like I have a gift that is worth sharing with the world. I definitely do not want to be the guy who buried his talents.

What is your 5-year plan for music and artistry?

I have a brand that I have been working on that I will start pushing heavily next year. So how Reach has “116,” I have something that I believe people of all sorts will buy into and want to be a part of. I would also like to be up there with the household names of not only CHH but Hip Hop in general. In 5 years I would love to be making a living off of music full-time.

Anything else you’d like to add or say?

To anyone reading this keep God first, as cliche as it sounds, it is the most important thing. I also want to thank Rapzilla, Chad, OB, and Critique Fridays for the opportunities. I appreciate all of you and look forward to coming alongside all of the great artists to push the genre to new heights.

Justin Sarachik
Justin Sarachik
Justin is the Editor-in-Chief of Rapzilla.com. He has been a journalist for over a decade and has written or edited for Relevant, Christian Post, BREATHEcast, CCM, Broken Records Magazine, & more. He's written over 10,000 articles, done over 1,000 interviews, and is in post-production for documentaries on Danny "D-Boy" Rodriguez & Mario "Machete" Perez. He's the project manager of the upcoming video game Run the Court and of the media brand Crimefaces. Justin likes to work with indie artists to develop their brands & marketing strategies. Catch him interviewing artists on Survival of the Artist Podcast & creating videos on his social media channels.
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