Cakes da Killa

Cakes da Killa
Bradshaw performing in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Rashard Bradshaw
Born	Teaneck, New Jersey, United States
Genres	Hip hop, electronic, rap, dance
Occupation(s)	Rapper
Years active	2011-present
Labels	Mishka Records
Website	soundcloud.com/cakesdakilla

Rashard Bradshaw, better known as Cakes da Killa is an American rapper based in Englewood, New Jersey. Bradshaw's debut album, Hedonism, was released in October 2016.

Rashard Bradshaw started rapping in high school for fun before considering it as a career. He first began writing tracks to instrumentals he found on the internet and posting them to Facebook. In 2011, his homemade demos came to the attention of a producer named Stixx, who invited Cakes to appear on the mixtape Downtown Mayhem Vol. 1 alongside Rip The Ruler. Bradshaw then went on to release his debut mixtape Easy Bake Oven, Vol. 1 through Stixx' Downtown Mayhem label.

"I came out in the third grade. This is just me being me. People make it sound like it's controversial and revolutionary, and that's weird to me, because in hip-hop you have people glorifying negativity like killing people and not taking care of your kids -- and that should be scandalous! That should be what we talk about. An openly gay rapper shouldn’t be breaking news."

As an emerging artist in the LGBT hip hop genre—along with fellow artists such as Le1f, Mykki Blanco and House of Ladosha—Bradshaw gained popularity through media interest in LGBT figures and themes in hip hop, having been written about in a Pitchfork article about said "movement".

Bradshaw cites Remy Ma, Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, and Cam'ron as influences.

Released for free on Mishka NYC's website, Bradshaw's second mixtape The Eulogy was released to overwhelming popularity when it was reviewed positively by Pitchfork. Miles Raymer of Pitchfork compared his raunchy style to Lil' Kim and praised the production of the mixtape. According to an interview in Paper Magazine, the mixtape's title originally referred to Bradshaw's plan to end his musical career after its release, but he's since changed his mind.

In May 2013, Bradshaw completed his bachelor's degree in fashion studies at Montclair State University.

In September 2013, Bradshaw released a remix EP for his hit single "I Run This Club", which samples M.I.A.'s song by the same name from her 2010 mixtape Vicki Leekx.