The West Coast group who are well known for their single 'Teach Me How to Dougie' say M-Bone's passing brought them closer and the release of 'The KickBack' is to honor him.
- Jul 12, 2011
AceShowbiz - Cali Swag District have hypnotized the street right from the beginning of their career. They charmed their way into the heart of Hip-Hop community and music fans with the infectious beat of their first single "Teach Me How to Dougie". Months leading to their debut album release, they were stunned by the tragic murder of their member M-Bone.
In an attempt to remember him, these "Dougie" boys listed fifteen fun and energetic songs in "The KickBack", which is coming out in the United States on July 12. Talking about inspiration behind the CD, they shared exclusively to AceShowbiz that they worked on the album with M-Bone in their mind. They additionally promise to bring something "fresh" and different.
ASB: First of all we would like to offer our condolences for M-Bone's passing. His murder back in May was definitely a huge shock. How did your lives change after his passing? Does it make you stronger and closer as a group?
Cali: Our lives changed drastically after M-Bones death because everything we did together was pretty much routine. Now without Bone we have to change our routine and it just makes everything feel different. This tragedy most definitely brought us closer. We try harder to keep our friendship the best it could be because you never know when you may lose someone.
ASB: Why did you name your new album "The KickBack"? What does it mean?
Cali: We titled our album "The Kickback" because we threw kickbacks throughout our whole recording process to basically get opinions on our songs. Kickbacks are like house parties, except they don't always have to be at someone's home.
ASB: Growing up in California, how did the West Coast sound influence your music?
Cali: Growing up on the west coast influenced us a lot because we were so into it that our style and delivery is pretty much west coast.
ASB: You said the album will touch many different genres of music that make it unique? Do you mean to create own genre? How did you describe your music then?
Cali: We're not trying to create a new genre. The way we describe our music is "Fresh". We say that because it's a new era, it's a new sound, and new beats and topics. It's all around different from the music coming out of the west.
ASB: Aside from including "Teach Me How to Dougie", how do you maintain the level of fun in your album?
Cali: We maintain that level of fun by making music with up tempo beats and a lot of bass to make you want to get up and dance. We still know what turns the party up.
ASB: Knowing that M-Bone was a fun and energetic person, is it one of your ways to remember him in the album?
Cali: Fun and energetic is how we will always remember M-Bone. Whether it be recording for an album, a performance, or an autograph signing we will approach it all with fun and energy. That's the way M-Bone did it.
ASB: Beside fame and success, what do you expect to achieve with this album?
Cali: We honestly want people to just appreciate and like our music. Record sales and all that really aren't our main focus. We just want to please the people.
ASB: You created some sort of fever with the "Dougie" dance. Are you looking forward to create another dance move?
Cali: We are not looking forward to making another dance move. The "Dougie" just picked up organically, we had no idea it would become so popular.
ASB: If you have a chance to headline a tour, which artist will you choose as your opening act?
Cali: If we had the choice to pick our opening acts, we'd pick our artist under Sphinx/319 to open for us.
ASB: As a group, what have you planned to achieve in the next (let's say) five years?
Cali: Things have been happening so fast for us this past year we really haven't had a chance to think about five years from now. But still making good music is what we hope to be doing.
ASB: Please kindly leave a message for your fans on AceShowbiz.
Cali: To our fans, we love each and every one of you. We appreciate you guys having our backs in our time of sorrow. Make sure you get "The Kickback" July 12, 2011. Rip M-Bone.
