Finalist nominee and rising rapper Caper, aka Colin Darcy, performed his hit single ‘How Would You LikeTo Be Me’ at the launch of the 2013 Deadly Awards in Sydney yesterday.

Caper was among some of the best in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander hip hop and rappers named as finalists in the Deadlys Hip Hop Artist of the Year category, such as Yung Warriors, The Last Kinection, Bryte MC and Jimblah.

“It’s definitely an honour to be acknowledged by your community for your achievements, so I’m very excited,” says Caper.

“I don’t make music for awards -I’ll be there for the night of celebrations and to have a bit of fun.”

Caper performed to an enthusiastic crowd at the launch.

“I had a lot of fun and I think it went really well. I always like to see people’s faces when I perform, and there were a few smiles, so it was good.”

His song ‘How Would You LikeTo Be Me’ is a song about the racism he experienced throughout his life and drew much attention when it was released for its powerful lyrics.

“The underlying message is ‘How Would You LikeTo Be Me?’ to the people that are racist. How would you like to be in my shoes being treated like this?” he says.

“I have experienced racism a lot ever since I was a kid, through sports, at school, in the work place, and just out in society.

“I kept my cool – obviously I want to say my thoughts and views of these people who are obviously ignorant. It’s just disheartening.”

For Caper, rap has provided him with a way to spread his message of equality and, that in the end, we are all human.

“The best way to deal with racism is music for me as an artist, because it is a great platform to talk about these issues. A lot of people react in different ways but violence really doesn’t change a thing.”

Whyalla born Caper had a difficult childhood, losing both his brother and mother to heart disease but, despite all the adversity he has faced, he has kept strong.

“Music offers an outlet, Hip Hop especially because it came from a struggle. I started writing poetry as an outlet and that developed into me making music my profession,” he says.

He was influenced by rap superstars N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, and Eminem saying that he could relate to their personal and in depth struggles in their personal lives.

He has recently released a new EP called ‘Deep Thought’ and put out a new single ‘Bright Lights’ featuring Darren Mullen.

“It’s about wanting big things and chasing dreams. It’s about finding success after the hard work that you have put in. It tells the story of the struggle I have been through as an artist to get to where I am now,” he says.

This independent rapper has forged a career all by himself through hard work and perseverance and has a message for kids who are in tough times.

“Hang in there, remain strong. A lot of people turn to alcohol and drugs as a way to escape but it’s not the way to do it. Get good support from family and friends and just be strong,” says Caper.

His future holds big things and Caper has no plans of slowing down in spreading his messages.

“In the future I hope to be overseas with my music because it has universal appeal. I want to make an impact as the best rapper this country has ever seen,” he says.

“Thank you everyone for supporting me.”

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