Remembering Cadet

Nineties born Blaine Cameron Johnson was publicly known as Cadet as he was first known as an association with Gipset crew in 2006 with his cousin Krept and other half of the duo, Konan. As he often appeared in music videos as the group released freestyles across social media platforms.

Two years later in April 2008, Cadet released his first mixtape 'Are You Ready', of which featured six tracks and came in at twenty-two minutes, with track 'No Matter' being most popular.

Moving on to 2010 as the star had started to pave his own lane, starting his own solo career, starting with a feature on Stormzy's single 'Dungeon Dragon' in 2011. This track has currently got just over four-hundred thousand views, mixing the original track from Nicki Minaj featuring Eminem. The comments are now filled with love as fans show their respects to the late star rapper. The two then collaborated again on track 'GrimeWork' in 2012 on Street Starz TV via YouTube, the video now has only eighty thousand views. One comment that stuck out to us had read "Norwood Junction underpass. These boys done the endz proud".

July 2015 saw the release of freestyle 'Slut' via the OSM Vision YouTube channel, now sitting at sixteen million as the comments flood with respectful messages to show their love to Cadet. Just a month later, Link Up TV had shown Cadet putting together a Behind Barz episode with the freestyle being uploaded in August 2015. The freestyle itself gave us an insight on the upbringing of the rapper, telling stories of his relationship with his father. Following this freestyle, Complex had called the video "storytelling at its finest" and "better than some rappers' whole mixtape'.

As 2016 came around, Cadet released his debut extended play titled 'The Commitment, featuring artists Konan, Tis Rome, and Donae'o. With his most popular track being 'The Stereotype' as the track followed with a video via YouTube on Link Up TV as he raps about all of the stereotypes that have been thrown at him though time, talking about how he unfortunately fits the black stereotype around London but doesn't want to and wants to make it out. Talking us through the bad decisions that he had made and his regrets in not talking to his family enough when they made have needed him most. Just like all of the historic tracks he had released, the comment section is full of people coming back to his talent after his passing.

During 2016, Cadet had made a track in an attempt to reach out and communicate with his cousin Krept as they had a distance growing between the pair after a misunderstanding, the pair went back and forth for a total of two videos between them. The videos had ended with the duo making up in a voice call telling each other that they love each other, showing the fans that everything was then sorted. Both videos gained a combined fourteen million views. The bond between these two can never be replicated.

As 2017 came around, Cadet released the sequel EP 'The Commitment 2', featuring Konan once again, along with Shakka and Ghetts. The three biggest tracks according to Apple Music were 'Invest', 'Little Bro', and 'Instagram Girls' ft Konan. 'Instagram Girls' currently sits on a million YouTube views, with the track showing Konan with his vocals and Cadet's catchy flows and effortless skills. The comments are filled with messages before his passing and they really stick with us, for example, "Cadet is too underrated man needs to blow", and "cadet you went in.. this is your year".

He then released single 'Closure' in April 2018. This track is based around a relationship he once had with a girl that he felt he couldn't trust as she told him she fell pregnant, however she then suddenly told Cadet she had lost the baby. The end of the track shows a conversation between Cadet and the girls family member as she explains to Blaine that she slept around a lot and wasn't sure if the baby was his or someone else's, faking a miscarriage after she had been for an abortion. This track really stands out and is mentioned a lot when speaking on the rappers career. The track has just surpassed ten million views on YouTube, a comment was left from Richard Dugard which read "This is what'll make you stand out no-one can do this shit on this level" and we really believe that Cadet was one of the best storytellers in the music scene.

During the filming of short series 'Shiro's Story', Cadet and fellow rapper Deno were on a break from filming and they recorded a freestyle in the style of a conversation as they went back and forth giving each other advice. The mix of the vocals from Deno and the quick rap replies from Cadet work very well together and the fans loved the freestyle. The recording then went viral across social media, leading to a track being made with the two called 'Advice' being released on August 29th 2018. The track had hit over four million views in just under a month and now sits on a total of forty-nine million views. It also peaked at number twenty-seven on the UK official single charts, being his first charting position.

On the 9th of February Blaine was involved in a head-on collision on the way to a music gig in Staffordshire. He unfortunately died at the scene with severe head injuries. The driver in the car that crashed into Blaine's was charged with dangerous driving as he was above the limit and driving on the other side of the road being twice the speed limit. He had pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to four years and five months.

After the world had found out about his passing, a tribute in Hyde Park took place as his fans and close family joined in a group to pay their respects to the rapper as they released hundreds of balloons into the sky. Close friends in the music scene then went on to make several tribute tracks, for example, Deno had made track 'First Days', showing everyone what Cadet was able to do for him. Krept also made tribute titled 'Last letter to Cadet' as he featured the final letter he was able to make for his cousin. The track is beautiful and a lot of fans still go back to the video to remember and pay respects to the rapper.

Fans and loved ones still go over to Blaine's Instagram to wish him a happy birthday on March 2nd. The love that Cadet is given on a daily basis is so lovely to see and we will forever be talking about his word-hard personality and hard hitting freestyles.

Rest In Peace Blaine Cadet Johnson - Rated Legend