# Casisdead
**CASISDEAD** is the stage name of a masked British rapper and producer from [Tottenham](https://www.edgepedia.org/tottenham), London, active in grime and UK rap and the owner of the record label IM REALLYDEAD.[1](https://www.last.fm/music/CASisDEAD) He began rapping in 2005 under the name Castro Saint, left music for several years, and reappeared in 2012 as CASISDEAD, wearing a mask during all public appearances and videos since then.[1](https://www.last.fm/music/CASisDEAD) His debut album, *Famous Last Words*, was released on 27 October 2023 through [XL Recordings](https://www.edgepedia.org/xl-recordings).[2](https://www.casisdead.com/?lang=en_GB)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Tottenham, London; UK rap and grime MC and producer[1](https://www.last.fm/music/CASisDEAD) |
| Earlier name | Began in 2005 as Castro Saint (also Castro or Cas); returned as CASISDEAD in 2012 after about five years away[1](https://www.last.fm/music/CASisDEAD) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/casisdead-mn0003333723) • [4](https://blog.size.co.uk/2017/05/19/size-sessions-president-t-casisdead/) |
| Persona | Has worn a mask at every public appearance and video since 2012; his real identity remains undisclosed[1](https://www.last.fm/music/CASisDEAD) • [5](https://whynow.co.uk/read/casisdead-koko-review) |
| Label | Owner of IM REALLYDEAD, through which he releases his own music[1](https://www.last.fm/music/CASisDEAD) |
| Early work | Mixtape *The Number 23* (2013), including the track "All Hallows'"[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/casisdead-mn0003333723) • [6](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/casisdead/785585142) |
| Debut album | *Famous Last Words*, 27 October 2023, XL Recordings, catalog number XL1319[2](https://www.casisdead.com/?lang=en_GB) |
| Best-known single | "Pat Earrings" (2018, XL Recordings)[7](https://www.beatport.com/artist/casisdead/597135/releases?page=1&preorders=false) • [8](https://mookidmusic.com/2024/03/08/casisdead-emerging-from-the-shadows/) |
## Identity and persona
Since 2012, CASISDEAD has concealed his face in every public appearance and music video, first with a red hockey mask and later with a pale, stretchy prosthetic mask and black shades.[5](https://whynow.co.uk/read/casisdead-koko-review) • [9](https://i-d.co/article/casisdead/) The anonymity has fueled ongoing speculation about his identity, which remains unknown to the public; the Koko review notes that only his nearest and dearest know who he is.[1](https://www.last.fm/music/CASisDEAD) • [5](https://whynow.co.uk/read/casisdead-koko-review) In a 2014 interview with i-D he declined to give his real name, answered "I was never born, I was created" when asked his age, and said the mask removes the need for him to show off or perform a lifestyle he is not interested in.[9](https://i-d.co/article/casisdead/)
Comparisons with the masked American rapper MF DOOM are frequent, and the two share all-caps aliases, hidden identities, and lyrics that drop hints readers try to decode.[10](https://mixmag.net/feature/who-is-casisdead-uk-rap-david-kane-what-do-you-call-it-velocity-press) CASISDEAD himself said he had not heard of DOOM until listeners made the comparison.[9](https://i-d.co/article/casisdead/)
## Castro Saint and the return as CASISDEAD
He began MCing in 2005 in the Tottenham grime scene under the name Castro Saint, alternately credited as Castro or Cas.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/casisdead-mn0003333723) • [4](https://blog.size.co.uk/2017/05/19/size-sessions-president-t-casisdead/) From this period came a series of underground singles; the best known, "Chemist", appeared on JME's *Boy Better Know Vol. 3*, and already paired the drug-dealing subject matter of his later work with '80s-flavored synth pads.[10](https://mixmag.net/feature/who-is-casisdead-uk-rap-david-kane-what-do-you-call-it-velocity-press)
After an unexplained absence of about five years, he re-emerged in 2012 as CASISDEAD with his face concealed.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/casisdead-mn0003333723) • [5](https://whynow.co.uk/read/casisdead-koko-review) The following years were prolific: the mixtape *The Number 23*, containing "Drugs" and "All Hallows'", was released in 2013.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/casisdead-mn0003333723) • [6](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/casisdead/785585142) A 2017 i-D profile described his music as "cold, harsh reality" in his own words and noted collaborators including The Purist and his in-house producer Cyrus.[9](https://i-d.co/article/casisdead/)
## Famous Last Words and later work
*Famous Last Words*, released 27 October 2023 on XL Recordings, is his debut album, presented as an expansion of the dystopian futurism of his earlier tracks.[2](https://www.casisdead.com/?lang=en_GB) Beatport credits it to CASISDEAD alongside Kamio, Desire, Constance Power, Later, and [Neil Tennant](https://www.edgepedia.org/neil-tennant) of the [Pet Shop Boys](https://www.edgepedia.org/pet-shop-boys).[7](https://www.beatport.com/artist/casisdead/597135/releases?page=1&preorders=false) Production involved the [Stranger Things](https://www.edgepedia.org/stranger-things) composer Kyle Dixon.[5](https://whynow.co.uk/read/casisdead-koko-review) The album's songs sketch a futuristic dystopia of speeding cars, drug excess, and a looming technological disaster, with CAS as the narrator; the track "Marilyn" features the singer-songwriter Connie Constance.[5](https://whynow.co.uk/read/casisdead-koko-review) The album launch was celebrated with a show at Koko in London in November 2023.[5](https://whynow.co.uk/read/casisdead-koko-review)
In early 2024 he won the Brit Award for Best Hip-Hop/Grime Act, described as his biggest crossover moment after a decade of underground hype.[8](https://mookidmusic.com/2024/03/08/casisdead-emerging-from-the-shadows/) Later releases moved across electronic genres: the Goldie and Rufige Kru collaboration "Still The Same", featuring CASISDEAD and Submotive, arrived on Goldie Inc Ltd. in March 2025 as drum and bass,[11](https://www.beatport.com/artist/casisdead/597135/tracks) and "Live By You", a single with the electronic artist Actress, was released on [Ninja Tune](https://www.edgepedia.org/ninja-tune) in 2026, followed by the joint *Radical Frame* EP.[11](https://www.beatport.com/artist/casisdead/597135/tracks) • [12](https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/artists/casisdead)
## Style
Writers place his sound at the intersection of grime, UK rap, and electronic music. The Koko review describes retro synths, booming '80s drums, and sharp, witty storytelling; the Mixmag extract cites his taste for sleazy '80s electro, R&B, and new wave, including flipping the Go-Go's founder [Jane Wiedlin](https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-wiedlin)'s "Whatever It Takes" into the track "Matte Grey Wrap".[5](https://whynow.co.uk/read/casisdead-koko-review) • [10](https://mixmag.net/feature/who-is-casisdead-uk-rap-david-kane-what-do-you-call-it-velocity-press) In his own 2014 words, "I don't have a genre. If I like a beat, I'll spit on it."[9](https://i-d.co/article/casisdead/) He has described himself as more of a director than an MC, crediting himself as the creative behind each of his music videos.[4](https://blog.size.co.uk/2017/05/19/size-sessions-president-t-casisdead/)
His subject matter is grim and often violent drug-dealing narratives delivered deadpan, which critics have linked to a cult following built partly on his cryptic persona; one academic text cites his track "Demi God" in a study of drug references in UK rap lyrics.[9](https://i-d.co/article/casisdead/) • [13](https://knowledge.lancashire.ac.uk/45123/1/genealogy-07-00002-v2.pdf)
## Live performances
For most of his career he played small venues for a devoted audience; the Mixmag extract describes a 2024 Amsterdam show at the club Bitterzoet with his DJ, and reviews note his hype crowd and "Dead Team" entourage.[10](https://mixmag.net/feature/who-is-casisdead-uk-rap-david-kane-what-do-you-call-it-velocity-press) After the album release he moved to larger rooms, including Alexandra Palace Park in London in 2026, alongside festival slots such as GALA and RALLY in London.[14](https://www.bandsintown.com/a/9540837-casisdead?came_from=257) • [15](https://ra.co/dj/casisdead)
## References
1. [CASISDEAD, Last.fm artist wiki](https://www.last.fm/music/CASisDEAD)
2. [Famous Last Words, CASISDEAD official store](https://www.casisdead.com/?lang=en_GB)
3. [CASISDEAD Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/casisdead-mn0003333723)
4. [President T & CASisDead, size? blog](https://blog.size.co.uk/2017/05/19/size-sessions-president-t-casisdead/)
5. [Casisdead at Koko review, whynow](https://whynow.co.uk/read/casisdead-koko-review)
6. [CASISDEAD, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/casisdead/785585142)
7. [CASisDEAD Releases, Beatport](https://www.beatport.com/artist/casisdead/597135/releases?page=1&preorders=false)
8. [CASisDEAD emerging from the shadows, Moo Kid](https://mookidmusic.com/2024/03/08/casisdead-emerging-from-the-shadows/)
9. [casisdead, the mysterious masked rapper emerging from the shadows of British music, i-D](https://i-d.co/article/casisdead/)
10. [Who is CASISDEAD?, Mixmag](https://mixmag.net/feature/who-is-casisdead-uk-rap-david-kane-what-do-you-call-it-velocity-press)
11. [CASisDEAD Tracks, Beatport](https://www.beatport.com/artist/casisdead/597135/tracks)
12. [Actress teams up with CASISDEAD on new song "Live By You", The Line of Best Fit](https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/artists/casisdead)
13. [Genealogy and UK rap lyrics study, University of Central Lancashire repository](https://knowledge.lancashire.ac.uk/45123/1/genealogy-07-00002-v2.pdf)
14. [Casisdead Concerts & Live Tour Dates, Bandsintown](https://www.bandsintown.com/a/9540837-casisdead?came_from=257)
15. [CASISDEAD Artist Profile, Resident Advisor](https://ra.co/dj/casisdead)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › United Kingdom rap (grime, drill, road rap, boom bap)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license