The first thing Luke Caswell said to me on the phone was that he was, “lying down…being pretty gay, actually.”

Obviously I was intrigued…

The thing about Cazwell, who dropped the Luke and ever so slightly modified his surname years ago, is that he holds nothing back. People would be shocked if he restrained himself or apologized for his candid approach to just about everything.

Pretty gay, huh? Instantly I was hooked.

“Yeah, I don’t have a lot of time to do projects when I’m in New York. I’m gluing some glitter to some outfits,” he pauses to laugh.

Cazwell is definitely pretty gay. He came out at the age of 18 while living in his small hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts. However that is hardly his defining quality. Although I’m sure you’ve seen him act “pretty gay” in his videos for I Seen Beyonce… and Ice Cream Truck, there is much more to the lower Manhattan staple than abs, absurdity and antic.

The reality of who Cazwell is and how he fits into music today is not beyond him. And he will be the first to correct you if you call him a “Gay rapper.”

“I’m just an artist, you know. I just happen to use music and video to have fun and get my point across. I’m not a singer or a rapper.” And while I highly doubt the truth in his next statement, Cazwell adds, “I just think I’m not really good at anything else.”

While that last comment is more than questionable, he follows with a sense of honestly and self awareness that is rare in music today. “I’m pretty good at expressing myself with words and the power of rhyme. I love music but I know that is not unique. I just fell into a situation in which I can DJ and find good beats.”

Egocentric, Luke Caswell is not.

Speaking of ego, Cazwell was quick to mention Kanye West when our conversation turned to gays in hip-hop. “I think Kanye has no problem with gay people…but I don’t think there’s any place for gay people in hip hop. There’s no invitation.” Although Cazwell wanted to be a part of hip-hop when he lived in Boston and was starting his career, he refuses to “live in a dream world,” telling me, “I wanna be myself, I’m different all the time and I’m not gonna play a role.”

Playing the DJ circuit and taking on more and more high profile gigs, Cazwell has long passed the days of recording demos and trying to cross hip-hop’s picket fence. He has made a legitimate name for himself, not only in New York but across the country. He was on the 2009 season finally of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, participated in the LOGO sponsored True Colors Tour, has performed with Lady Gaga and is the male counterpart to transsexual icon, Amanda Lepore.

“When I first started I was more competitive but I’m getting more and more (laid back), especially when I’m with Amanda Lepore. She didn’t seek to be famous, it just kind of happened.”

And when asked about Lady Gaga, he was quick to respond in traditional Cazwell fare, “Beyonce isn’t standing up against Prop. 8 or in favor of gay marriage. There is no other pop superstar sticking up for gays. Just suck it up and love her.”

Ideally Cazwell would love to see someone like 50 Cent (“I had to stop following him (on Twitter)”) stand up for LGBTQ rights. “If you get the people that these bullies listen to then you can really make a difference. What’s really gonna bring awareness is when the people who are perceived as ‘homophobic’ stand up and say something.”

His passion doesn’t end with his music career; health is definitely on his priority list.

“Your number one thing should be your health. I’m all about having fun, but everything should be in moderation,” Cazwell explained to me, as he was clear to punctuate that his health always comes first. “People like to abuse themselves and they don’t even know why. It doesn’t make sense.”

Cazwell also mentioned that he has a very close friend living with HIV and that it weighs heavy on him.

“(My friend) parties a lot. We have arguments. I think HIV can be a big reason for depression, people feel like they are damaged goods, like they’re not gonna be loved, and maybe they get into drugs. I just feel like whether or not you have HIV, your health should always come first.”

Making art and taking care of yourself wouldn’t be your first impression of Cazwell. The simple things can be the hardest and he makes sure to point that out.

“My lyrics are so simple but people don’t realize that it takes twice as much effort and energy. Such simplicity pushes everything else out of my head…it’s meditative.”

Want more? Make sure to check out his online store where you can get songs, videos and more info on Cazwell.