Ladies and Gentlemen, I’ve got some very pressing news to discuss with you today; but I’ll start by welcoming you to the first entry of ‘Sound Waves’! We are a blog/column dedicated to giving you the down-low on what happens in Malibu and the rest of L.A. after the street lights come on. Specifically the aural, head-nod inducing, swagger infested details. Now that we’ve been acquainted, let’s move on to the matter at hand. It starts with a few simple, but shocking statements that many aren’t privy to: a) Malibu has an awesome night-life (!) b) It’s not just for rich actors, musicians, and entrepreneurs over 21 (!!) c) We got a first-hand experience of it and are here to preach the Shwayze-licious gospel to you. Ever heard of the Malibu Inn on PCH? Well, one Friday every month, the world famous rap/beach soul duo Shwayze and Cisco host a concert party and invite a friend or two to perform with them. This month’s friends were super-producing duo The Cataracs (producers of singer Dev’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’; ‘Bass Down Low’ and more), and Cisco’s promising young protégé, DJ producer/rapper ‘G-Nash’. We got the pleasure of kicking it with these fine fellows over the course of the evening, but I’ll spill some of those details in a moment. First, allow me to briefly explicate the vibe of the scene.
To passersby, the general first impression of Malibu Inn is surely that it’s just a hole-in-the-wall (mountain may be more fitting here) tavern of sorts. Deceptive little buggers, those eyes of ours are. Once we made it through the line, the radiance of the outside lounge (equipped with TVs and pool tables close by) made it seem as if the Inn was attempting to ingratiate itself with us. Its antics work. We moved inside for some footage and immediately saw the effects that DJ G-Nash’s mix had on the crowd. ‘Swaggin’ is probably the best word to insert here. The swagnificence continued as The Cataracs and Shawzye hit the stage, and the night took us from the stage, to the crowd, and finally to the backstage lounge, chatting with some of the illest producers in the music game (it’s okay, they weren’t sick – they’re just very good at what they do).
G-Nash is a cool guy. As you’ll see from our footage, the ambition in his voice shows he’s got a genuine passion for what he does. The head on his shoulders is rather balanced for a young star, too. Aside from G, as far as balance goes, The Cataracs seem to have the perfect yin and yang relationship, as one can hear from their music. Although they’re both very similar and highly easy-going, one wore black while the other wore light colors; one conversed with an older looking gentleman as the other freestyle rapped with me in the back (a pretty cool video, by the way, that you should stay tuned for online)–you get the drift. Of course, Shwayze and Cisco have a similar relationship. Both being long time residents of Malibu as well as growing up in California, it’s not hard to see where they get their laid back, genial dispositions from. Unfortunately, the guys were pretty occupied all night, so they gave us a rain check on their personal interviews. That said, we still got some great footage that you should cling to your computers for until they’re uploaded this week.
We’re excited that you guys will be here with us this semester as we explore new venues and artists around L.A. and provide you with no less than exclusive content. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for an up close and personal interview with Shwayze, our review of a performance by the Dark Knight of Dubstep (first letter S, last letter X), and oh so much more.
