News Americas, LONDON, England, Fri. Mar. 28, 2014: A 20-year-old Jamaican-born, UK rapper has been kicked out of Britain and sent packing back to the land he left behind at age 6.
Cashtastic, whose real name is Cashief Nichols, was detained by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) two weeks ago and is on his way back to Jamaica as a deportee, courtesy of the UK government.
Today he tweeted: “Thank you again for the continued support, we must stay strong and positive, keep the movement going. we can’t accept this kind of injustice.”
The reason for his deportation is unclear but Nichols said on Twitter: “This isn’t the end. We will keep fighting.
Nichols was born in Jamaica but grew up in Peckham in South London with his mother. He attended school from the age of six and has been living in the UK ever since.
Cashtastic recorded his first track at the tender age of 10 years old under his brother’s guidance at his home studio. In 2009 he put out a joint mixtape / LP entitled ‘The Formula’ which sparked a huge buzz. London based Big Lee Records quickly snapped him up, releasing Cash’s single ‘I’m So Fly’. Two more mixtapes followed – the ‘C&C’ mixtape with Chunks, followed by ‘Advanced Music’ with Yung Meth.
2011 proved to be a huge year as Cashtastic signed a management deal with RCM Global Ltd, featured on 1xtra with Charlie Sloth, performed a freestyle for Link Up TV and appeared at Wireless festival.
At the end of the year he released a solo mixtape ‘A Lil Bit of Cash’, reaching 23 on the iTunes Hip Hop charts. A collaboration with Wiley ‘Only Human’ for Wiley’s album ‘Evolve or be Extinct’ reached no 2 on MTV base, whilst a collaboration with Krept and Konan was playlisted on Radio 1.
2012 saw the release of his video ‘Darkness’ in May, followed by an Olympic inspired track ‘Running’ feat. J Warner, in September. Cashtastic was signed to Universal Records last summer and his debut mix-tape Alarm clock was released in February 2014.
A spokesman from the Home Office told the BBC they are unable to comment on individual cases but in a statement states: “When an individual is found to no longer have the right to remain in the UK, we expect them to leave the country voluntarily, but if they fail to do so we will seek to enforce their removal.”
