Music News

The Summer of Slizzy is upon us.  

As soon as the weather starts to get nice, New York City becomes a playground. People from all walks of life are seemingly outside eating, drinking, smoking and blasting music. And one song that’s sure to be in heavy rotation this summer is Cash Cobain’s “Fisherrr” featuring Bay Swag. You already hear the song coming from cars as they pass by, or being used in countless Instagram Reels and TikToks, usually accompanied by its official dance, The Reemski.

Cash has teased the track on social media, feeding fans little bites here and there, but it wasn’t until he and Bay performed the song on the YouTube series From the Block that the song took off. The Instagram clip and the YouTube video each have one million views and the song currently has 3.6 million plays on Spotify. There’s also whispers of a “Fisherrr” remix being in the works with a certain New York City superstar. I’ll let you work out who that may be for yourself. 

With the song of the summer already locked down, Cash Cobain has the city on smash. I was one of the hundreds of people waiting in line for almost two hours to get into his Irving Plaza show on April 1. The lines wrapped around the block and the anticipation was intoxicating. The air was buzzing with rumors of a Drake appearance, and questions about what the hell was taking so long while little clouds of weed smoke popped up like NYC chimneys in the wintertime.

The NYPD was deep out there, too, but they didn’t bother anybody until the crowd grew impatient and tried to bumrush the entrance. That’s when the venue officially shut Slizzyfest down and Cash took all those remaining outside up the street to Union Square Park for an impromptu performance. Hip-hop started with park jams, so it’s dope to see a younger artist like Cash carry on the tradition. Being able to control a crowd is the definition of a true MC. 

I was talking to my tax guy who’s based in Atlanta as I was putting the finishing touches on this interview when he asked me what I was working on. I mentioned Cash Cobain, and he started laughing. He then sent me a screenshot of him listening to the Cash Cobain and Bay Swag performance on Hot 97’s Funkmaster Flex show. When an accountant living in another part of the country is up on you, it’s safe to say you’re on the way to becoming a star. 

Billboard spoke with April’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month about making sexy music, working with the likes of Drake and Frank Ocean, plus much more.  

How does it feel to have the song of the summer already? I feel like “Fisherrr” is only getting bigger. That From the Block video took it to another level. 

It feels amazing. It feels like a moment. We haven’t had a real movement in New York in a little minute. 

The energy outside of your show at Irving Plaza was electric. It’s hard to put into words, but I haven’t felt that type of excitement outside of a show in NYC in a long time. Did feeling the love from the fans outside make you want to take them up the street to Union Square Park? 

They canceled my show, so I just wanted to give them something. I wanted to be seen. I was upset and decided to go outside, and everyone started gathering around me, so I started walking. I didn’t even realize Union Square Park was that close. As I’m walking, I was like, “Nah, I need to stand up or something, I need to be seen, I need some music.” You know Manhattan got them long ass blocks, so I see like a park. It was perfect. We had a good time, and nobody got hurt.

Let’s talk about the dance that’s been going viral: The Reemski. La La Anthony and her son did a video and so has former NBA guard Lance Stephenson. That’s when I knew “Fisherrr” was different. Were you going to do that dance during your set? 

Yeah, once a song gets a dance, it’s outta here. I be trying to do the dance, but I don’t know, I have to be in the mood. 

Can you describe Sexy Drill? Did you come up with that name? 

Everything gotta be sexy. I like sexy s–t. Chow Lee and Lonny Love really put Sexy Drill on the map. 

You and Bay Swag were on Hot 97 with Funkmaster Flex recently, which got some mixed reactions. Was that a big deal for you growing up in NYC? 

Flex? Hell yeah. The radio, period. It wasn’t a freestyle, though, it was more like a performance. We be saying little slick s–t in our raps, it may sound like we’re playing around, but when you say some slick s–t, you might catch someone’s attention. 

Flex seemed into it. That s–t was funny because he was making funny faces after certain lines. 

He was like, “I understand it, I don’t need to see it twice. Y’all some nasty motherf—kers.” 

You and Bay are like horny Jada & Styles with the back and forth. Your lyrics are always raunchy. Why are you so horny? 

[Laughs.] That’s just who I am for real. I wanna f—k all day. 

I should use that as the headline: “Cash Cobain Wants to F—k All Day.“

That’ll go viral. 

I’m not sure if people realize how versatile you are. You’ve worked with PinkPanthress. How did that link up happen? 

The managers did what they do. The managers were managing and managed to get us in the studio. We linked in LA in person, man, we were just cookin’ up, vibin’, talkin’ and stuff. That was my first time meeting her. 

You guys have similar styles, so it makes sense. 

Yeah, and I didn’t know she made her own beats. So, when I locked in with her, she was like, “Let me hop on the keys right quick” and I was like, “Huh, what? You make beats?” And she was like, “Yeah, I make all my stuff.” 

 
You guys plan on working together in the future? 

Of course. I want her on my album. 

Speaking of albums…i s “Fisherrr” the lead single? 

Nah, that’s for my Play Cash Cobain EP that should be coming out soon. “Dunk Contest” is going to be on there too, along with some other songs like “Candle” and “Act Like.” 

Ok, so is Drake going to be on the EP or the album? 

[Laughs.] He made the album cover for the EP, though!

There were rumors that he was supposed to pop out at your show in New York. 

I don’t know about no rumors. He was already in town. He had a show [in] Long Island, and he posted the picture I’m using as the cover, so people put two and two together. 

So, what’s next for you? 

I have the Play Cash Cobain EP coming up and we’re just going to keep dropping music. We got some placements on the way. 

Anything you can talk about? 

Travis Scott. Me and Don Toliver were in the studio, we got some crazy sh—t coming. Me and Boat [Lil Yachty] are about to come out with some sh-t. And I should be doing something with Frank Ocean soon, too. He really f—ks with my music. 

How do you envision your wave taking over the city once the weather breaks? Because I’ve predicted that a Slizzy Summer is in our future. 

Aight, boom, we been outside. I don’t care if it’s summer, winter, we been outside odee. So, for Slizzy Summer I wanna do like a Slizzy pool party vibe, like Freaknik. We gonna call that s–t Slizznik. I wanna do a summertime show outside. I wanna make things like slizzy this, slizzy that. I just wanna have fun, I don’t want nobody to get hurt. 

So, you definitely plan on doing another show in New York soon to make up for this last one? 

Yeah, ASAP. 

The ladies love your music. You’re putting fat boys back in style like Biggie did. Was he someone you grew up listening to? 

Biggie was the first rapper I was introduced to. I listen to a lot of Biggie, Aaliyah, and Michael Jackson. I really love 50 Cent too. I grew up listening to everything: Hip-Hop, R&B, like old R&B. I’ve been listening to “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul. You know? Meeting at the same spot at the same time every day. My grandparents and parents had all those CDs like Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson’s greatest hits. 

How about on the production side of things? How did you come up with this sound? 

Trap and Drill really inspired me, but I wanted to add my own flavor. I didn’t want to bite guys like Southside and Metro. I didn’t want to capitalize off a Metro-type beat. I wanted to come up with my own flavor. 

How do you decide on certain samples to use? 

Things catch me. I can be in the elevator and hear a song, or be watching a movie, and if I like the song or hear a part that I can use, I would Shazam it. I find things when I’m listening to music on YouTube. It could be familiar songs or unfamiliar songs. 

Who taught you how to make beats? 

I’m self-taught, just f—kin’ around on FruityLoops. I always wanted to make beats, though. It was the perfect match, I just had to figure it out. I was confident because my mom used to buy me drum pads, Yamahas, and s—t like that. 

And what made you rap about the things that you rap about? I was surprised to see the NYPD outside of your show so deep because you don’t make that type of music. 

Because I know n—as that rap about street s–t and are dead p—y. [Laughs.] They dead soft. I’m going to be true to myself. I’m not trying to incriminate myself. I have made rap songs like that, but this is what I wanna do. I wanna play autotune, I wanna sing, I wanna melodize, I want it to be sexy. 

You want to be a heartthrob and not a thug. 

I wanna be slizzy. 

Can you define “slizzy” for the people? 

Freedom. Judgement free. Doing what you want to do and not caring what anyone else thinks. It’s just a way of life. That’s how I got to where I’m at right now. Not caring about what anybody thinks. 

OK, last question. Are you a Pelle Pelle model? 

Yeah, shouts to my big brother Chris, he be lookin’ out for me. We’re working on a few things actually.