Kashus Culpepper entered the music industry with a few life experiences under his belt — but he admits the success he’s achieved since winning listeners around the world in 2023 still “doesn’t feel right.”
Speaking with PEOPLE ahead of his first headlining show at The Basement East in Nashville, Culpepper takes us on a journey into the genesis of his hauntingly beautiful country-Americana-inspired sound, with a voice reminiscent of the past and a perspective worn from singing gospel in his youth, serving in the military deadline as an adult and living honestly all the time.
“I love music with a passion, man,” he shares, but admits, “I’ve never been the guy in church to say, ‘Look at me, I can sing. Look at me.’ Anyone could sing and I never thought I could go anywhere with it because no one said, ‘Oh, Kash can sing so well in church.’ ”
Cashew Culpepper.
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Although he didn’t get flowers at the time and music became an activity he mostly enjoyed as a “listener” while working as a firefighter and EMS in Alabama, Culpepper’s foundation as the artist he is today began when he picked up a guitar and again started singing while in the US Navy.
“A friend found me a guitar and I just started learning,” he recalls of his humble beginnings. “I started learning songs and we organized these parties [the base where we were stationed]. We couldn’t leave, man. There was nothing we could do. I mean, we couldn’t leave the base, we couldn’t work. So we just sat in our rooms, played games and drank. And then I thought, while I’m doing this, I might as well pick something I want to do.”
Culpepper notes that at the time, performing as a solo artist was so new to him that he began accepting payments for shows with alcohol. With “more than 200 songs I knew in my head, a little over the top and a heck of a lot of sangria” in his closet, he came back from the schedule and got back into music.
During that formative period, he remembers how he “went around [Gulf] Coast” and “playing cover band gigs and open mics,” but wondered if music was a viable career.
However, after being persuaded to share his talents on social media, Culpepper quickly saw fan interest fueled by his unique vocal style, particularly a cover of “Messed Up Kid,” originally made famous by Tyler Childers, that he shared.
Shortly thereafter, in November 2023, Culpepper shared a clip of his original single “After Me?” on social media, garnering millions of views across multiple platforms and solidifying his position as an artist to watch – despite not having a single officially released track at the time.
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Cashew Culpepper.
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However, his next monumental moment came soon after, in the form of a co-sign by the one and only Samuel L. Jackson.
“I woke up and at the time I was just getting followers after followers and things like that after me,” he says. “And this thing with priorities came up… said Samuel L. Jackson. I didn’t even put my contacts on at this point, bro. And I was like, ‘What?’ And I cut it and I was like, ‘This is fucking Samuel L. Jackson, it’s the real thing.’ I thought, ‘This bitch is following me, yo’. I called everyone. I think the first thing I called Jay was, I said, ‘Hey, Samuel L. Jackson, he knows who I am.’ ”
According to Culpepper, he “texted him and said, ‘Thanks for following.'”
“[Jackson] it was like, ‘Man, I love that stuff, man. I love your work, you’re killing it here,’ he continues. “And I said, ‘I appreciate you, man.’ He says: ‘But now I need that complete ‘Follow me?’ song.’ And I tried to send him an acoustic. He said, ‘No, man, I don’t want to cheat you out of your money, man. Just let me know when it’s coming out and I’ll help you.’ I said, ‘Oh my God.’ ”
He adds: “I almost had a panic attack. I thought, ‘Is this a dream?’ ”
The wheels started turning after that, and Culpepper was acquired by Big Loud Records, a decision announced in June. Just days after the highly anticipated official release of his first single, “After Me?”, Culpepper joined the lineup at Buckeye Country Superfest in Ohio where he had his next big celebrity encounter: Zach Bryan.
The singer says he went into the show that day not expecting Bryan to tap him — despite the “Something in the Orange” hitmaker following him on social media for a while — but that changed when Bryan’s manager brought him backstage.
“He’s bringing me back. Let’s go backstage, I say, what about Charley [Crockett]because I just went on tour with him. So I patted him. I talked to him a bit, saw my boyfriend from 1949 [Winchester]and Zach was in the corner … he patted him down at the end, [saying] “I’m glad.” He said, ‘You drink Bud Heavy?’ I said, ‘Yes, yes.’ He said, ‘Yeah, man, let’s go to the green room in the back and relax a bit.’ ”
Culpepper recalls that the ensuing conversation “wasn’t really just about music,” noting, “We talked about our time in the military and how I feel so connected to it… how we already felt so connected, even not really knowing each other.”
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Cashew Culpepper.
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“You build friendships in the military because you’re going through the same fight. It’s something about going through a fight with someone. You just come out the other side… just a stronger friendship,” he adds, noting that the conversation then turned to “we’re talking about music in Nashville , things like that.”
But when Zach “had to get ready” for the performance, Culpepper recalls, “[Bryan] was like, ‘You’re coming on stage tonight, aren’t you?’ I said, ‘For what? What are we doing?’ He said, ‘For ‘revival’. I said, ‘I mean, I guess I could do that.’ ”
Culpepper, meanwhile, says he’s touched base with Bryan — especially after the release The great American bar scene — to brag about, but the rising singer has been hard at work preparing for the next steps in his career.
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Culpepper followed up with “After Me?” with two more touching singles: “Who Hurt You?” and “Out of My Mind,” and he looks ahead to a 2025 filled with “more songs.”
“There’s a lot more stuff coming out in 2025,” he quips, adding that sharing music “means a lot to me.”
While the singer’s remaining works remain unreleased, fans at his live shows have been treated to early performances of upcoming original tracks before they hit streaming.
Culpepper concludes by joking, “I write so much. So I’d say 2025 is definitely the year people are going to say, ‘Damn it, Kash, cheating again? Cool it.’ ”
“After Me?”, “Who Hurt You?” and “Out of My Mind” are now available on all major streaming services.
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Source: HIS Education