We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kase a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kase, appreciate you joining us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.

Im an artist and I have an online retail store where i sell my merch titled “Apply Pressure L.L.C” Every thanksgiving, we give back to the homeless in newark nj. Our first year in business we gave away hoodies and goodie bags with toothbrushes,toothpaste, socks, water,gloves and a few other things. The second year we teamed up with two other companies in northern nj. We were able to give the homeless full meals, chicken rice veggies and more. With goodie bags with essenstials in them. I think its important to give back and to never forget about the ones that people forget about. They are human too.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Kase. I am a musical artist, songwriter, entrepreneur. Currently I have 2 companies Apply Pressure L.L.C which is a company of lifestyle and motivation. But we always focus on individuality and authenticity. Its an online clothing store where we house merchandise, hoodies, shirts, crop tops, cropped hoodies , mugs , hats and more. Apply Pressure L.L.C’s mission is to advocate for the people who strive diligently to be their best everyday hence “apply pressure”. Go hard in anything you do and you will succeed. I try my best to make sure that i embody that daily as well. The second company is Kase Enterprises L.L.C and that is for all things music.

Ironically I never wanted to do music , i thought basketball was my passion. I worked so hard and continue to come up short. In college before the season i injured my back , could barely walk. Second year I tore 4 ligaments in my left ankle. I was low on motivation, and fell into an emotional abyss. I went home from campus on the weekends and a friend, a local artist from my hometown named Sakeller J told me to come to the studio and write something before you get here. He said he knew i was always into music so why not try It. So I did and I enjoyed It but i still didnt care for It. One weekend I stayed on campus. I was alone in my room & I heard a voice say “leave school and do music” multiple times. And instantly thought that if I applied myself I can be the greatest ever. So i dropped out and everyone was against It. But I trusted my gut and within a year and a half i toured in different states and performed in from of hundreds.

I feel like the thing that sets me apart is authenticity. My songs and my actions are who i am. God first, and hard work. I just tell my story from my perspective and express It through art but at the end of the day I am just following Gods will.

Im most proud of how discipline and prayer works. It has brought things to my life and i have been grateful every step of the way.

I just want everybody to be the best version of themselves and to continue down their path. And I try my best to embody that and lead by example. Just go for It. You have one life to live , take calculated risks and believe in yourself. Stay consistent and dont stop. Apply Pressure.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I always thought working hard was the key to everything. And although its true theres a way to do It. You have to rest. A few times Ive was exhausted but I learned about resting effectively. Just because you go to sleep does not mean you are rested. And also making time for you is important. These things weren’t taught to me but the journey has shown me different ways to be effective.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

At Apply Pressure L.L.C we have a manufacturer that helps us create designs and has our products made physically. We have had bad experiences with certain clothing dispensaries but ive learned to be persistent and dont be afraid of trying new things or paying a bit more to have an easier time with business dealings. It will be worth future headaches by spending the extra cash to have easier processes.

Contact Info:

• Website: Kaseap.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kase2.1/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Kasemusic21/?_rdr
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/kase21_
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/KaseMusic