Archive for March, 2011

#ThrowbackThursday – Nobody Does It Better

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

It’s Throwback Thursday, here at Cashmere, so we’re about to take it back. Back to Oakley Frogskins, Jordans before their reissues, and snapback hats. Possibly even Jordache or Bugle Boy, definitely Girbaud.  What I want to highlight is how swag from the past influences all the fresh dope ish we have today. When the bubble of dopeness bursts, there’s a vacuum, and something must occupy its former space. This carries through in every aspect: politicians in office, smartphones replacing (dumb?) phones, and especially in pop music–Madonna/Lady Gaga, The New Kids on The Block/N*Sync, etc.

But there are some things without substitutes. Nate Dogg (Rest in Peace) singing a hook for instance. Case in point? The aptly-named “Nobody Does It Better”.

Nate Dogg ft Warren G – \”Nobody Does It Better\”

The same crooning you hear on this track has transcended decades, the same badass LBC gangsta bravado still captures our ears and minds. Nate Dogg’s discography reads like a who’s-who of urban singles, and his presence was found on records well outside of California… something he achieved before rappers would tweet at singers with “yo check your gmail bro”.

As a Texan, I discovered Nate Dogg’s music woefully late. I was raised on Big Moe (RIP) and Big Pokey—these were my hometown heroes when it came to hooks. In no way would I discount the quality of their music, but there was always a dimension of regionalism in their craft. Nate Dogg, though, was ubiquitous in the world of rap song choruses. This was before rappers could get called out for singing on hooks (cough Ja Rule, cough Fiddy, cough EVERYONE). How did Nate Dogg get away with it?

Well… nobody does it better.

Mixtape Mondays…Two Days Later: DJ Quik & Big K.R.I.T.

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

With Monday’s blog dedicated to recapping the memorial for Nate Dogg, and Snoop, E-40 and Wiz dropping albums yesterday, Cashmere is bringing you a delayed edition of Mixtape Mondays. This week we have a couple of releases brought to you from  Cali native DJ QUIK and dirty south rapper Big K.R.I.T.

In anticipation of his eighth studio album release, The Book of David, West Coast legend, DJ Quik  put together this career retrospective with some help from the Los Angeles Leakers, The Audio Biography of David Mixtape. It includes 17 tracks from Quik’s storied discography, with three of the songs set to appear on next month’s The Book of David. For those that aren’t familiar with the Leakers audio-biographies, this is basically an audio book with Quik telling stories of certain songs through his career. Download the mixtape here.

The Book of David will be available everywhere on 4/20!

Another mixtape released this week was from Big K.R.I.T. Some may call it a mixtape but with the original production (K.R.I.T. raps and produces) it’s more of an album.  Hailing from Mississippi and reminding many fans and critics alike of a combination of a young Andre 3000 and Pimp C, this artist should have a place in the game for awhile.  Recently signed to Def Jam, and named one of the XXL 2011 Freshmen, Big K.R.I.T. will soon gear up for his debut major label release.  K.R.I.T. rocked our stage at the #VIBEHOUSESXSW several times with a wall to wall crowd reciting his lines.  Download now and enjoy.

Titan Tuesday: Snoop, E-40 and Wiz Drop New Albums

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

Today’s Tuesday, so that means there are new albums in stores and today three of the homies drop their new albums.

First off, the BIGG HOMIE Snoop drops his 11th studio album with Doggumentary.  With production from Kanye West, Lex Luger, Scott Storch, The Cataracs and more.  Features include Kanye, Jeezy, E-40, Wiz Khalifa, Devin the Dude and more.  You can grab off of iTunes or hit your local retailer.

Doggumentary Tracklist

1. Toyz N Da Hood (feat. Bootsy Collins)
2. The Way Life Used to Be
3. My Own Way (feat. Mr. Porter)
4. Wonder What It Do (feat. Uncle Chucc)
5. My Fucn House (feat. Young Jeezy & E-40)
6. Peer Pressure (feat. Traci Nelson)
7. I Don’t Need No Bitch (feat. Devin the Dude & Kobe Honeycutt)
8. Platinum (feat. R. Kelly)
9. Boom (feat. T-Pain)
10. We Rest In Cali (feat. Goldie Loc & Bootsy Collins)
11. El Lay (feat. Marty James)
12. Gangbang Rookie (feat. Pilot)
13. This Weed Iz Mine (feat. Wiz Khalifa)
14. Wet
15. Take U Home (feat. Too $hort, Daz & Kokane)
16. Sumthin Like This Night (feat. Gorillaz)
17. Superman (feat. Willie Nelson)
18. Eyez Closed (feat. Kanye West & John Legend)
19. Raised In da Hood
20. It’s d Only Thang
21. Cold Game (feat. Latoiya Williams)

Speaking of E-40 and Wiz Khalifa, they both dropped albums today. E-40, no stranger to the game drops, another double album for the masses with Revenue Retrievin’: Graveyard Shift and Overtime Shift.

Rolling Papers is Wiz Khalifa’s official major label debut album and is anticipated by fans as well as critics. You have plenty of good music to go support today. Go get your copies!

The West Coast Pays Their Respect to Nate Dogg

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Over the weekend the Memorial for Nate Dogg was held in Long Beach and many of the West Coast heavyweights came out to bid him farewell and support each other in this time of grief.  Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, Game, Warren G, DJ Pooh, Battlecat and of course Snoop Dogg were on hand with many more.

Snoop Dogg has been pushing for continued donations to the Nate Dogg Trust Fund to raise money for his family.  There will never be another Nate Dogg and his influence and imprint on music will never be forgotten. If you wish to make a donation, you can get all the information.

MTV caught coverage of the event here!

Cashmere Tech Wrap-Up

Friday, March 25th, 2011

AMAZON.COM LAUCHES APPSTORE

Amazon.com opened its version of an app store for smartphones today, focusing exclusively on apps for Android-based devices.

The Appstore (as it is called) launches with 3,800 apps available, and is offering a free download of an exclusive level of the highly popular Angry Birds game to draw attention. It’s available both online at amazon.com/appstore, and can also be downloaded to users’ Android phones — essentially replacing the default Android app shopping experience.

There’s a few interesting twists here.

Click to read full article

PSONAR TO OFFER ‘PAY AS YOU GO’ MUSIC SERVICE

Early on, the single introduced music to kids.

It was a cheap way to decide which albums to buy. Many argue that the single helped establish a record buying habit in youth that would carry on for the rest of their lives.

Today, kids use YouTube and file sharing as a cheap why to decide which singles to buy, and well, “not” buy. A new music service called Psonar is hoping to achieve a similar feat, to offer fans a cheap way to listen to music in general. For a Cent per play, the service will let users stream any song they want. They can ‘pay as they go’ or buy 5$ worth, i.e. 500 streams. It also lets friends “gift” playlists to each other.

Psonar has an interesting business model; it aims to position itself between the gray area of buying songs or paying a monthly fee to a subscription service. In some ways, the service does target kids that are looking for a cheap and legal method to consume music. A Cent per play doesn’t seem like too much to ask.

Click link to read full article

BANDORIUM – THE NEW WEBSITE TO FIND LOCAL AND LIVE MUSIC

Bandorium is a Music Social Network where Fans can listen to local bands and find venues that have live music. Whether you’re a Band looking to promote your next gig, a Fan looking for a place to go, or a Venue looking to put the word out that you support live and local artists, Bandorium is the place to go.

How would you like to be able to find local artists in your area and listen to their music? Bandorium.com makes it easy to find venues that offer live music. Everything from local coffeehouses, restaurants, bars and taverns, to full-fledged concert halls, it’s all there at Bandorium.com.

Click to read full article

Click to view company site

COLOR’S AMBITIOUS PHOTO APP SEEKS TO REINVENT MOBILE SOCIAL NETWORKING

Say hello to Color, a new mobile photo-sharing application with a star-studded list of entrepreneurs and an eye-popping $41 million in funding. Its goal is nothing less than to become the ultimate local discovery tool.

The app, which made its debut just a few hours ago on iPhone (and very soon on Android), is best described as public photo and video-sharing app for groups. Yet it doesn’t have the typical friending or following that you’ll find on Facebook, Twitter, Path or Instagram. Instead, Color chooses which pictures you see based on your location and how often you’re sharing photos with someone else. Every photo and video is public, not only to the people you consider your friends, but to any stranger within your proximity.

When you launch Color, the app delivers a stream of content from anybody within 100 feet of your location, as well as anybody within your “elastic network.” In Color, you don’t choose your network; instead, the app determines your social network by figuring out who you’re hanging out with on a regular basis. Every time two friends use the app near each other, Color’s algorithms detect it and use it to essentially rank your friendship. You can also curate your elastic network through actions such as asking the app to “Show More” of a particular friend or liking/commenting on a friend’s picture.

Click to read full article

Click to view company site

SEAMBI: DYNAMIC PRODUCT PLACEMENT

SeamBI is an advertising technology innovator that enables brands to seamlessly integrate their product or message into existing television, film and Internet content. Its proprietary technology guarantees advertisers DVR-proof, targeted audience exposure, without compromising the integrity of the content.

SeamBI’s patented technology is an easy-to-use system that allows advertisers to integrate their product or brand directly into original programming content, when viewer engagement is at a maximum. Advertisers now have the ability to work in concert with on-air campaigns, complimenting and reinforcing their marketing message with digital brand integration during the programming itself. The SeamBI solution provides unprecedented product placement opportunities for brands which may not have been able to participate in traditional product placement due to time and cost restrictions.

Click to read full info on company site

Behind the Scenes of The G-Connection with Snoop Dogg & Warren G

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Watch all the behind the scenes fun that went down on the set of the “G-Connection” starring Snoop Dogggg and the homie Warren G.

Snoop, Warren, the lovely Brittany Dailey, and “the Golden Voice” Ted Williams play around on the set of MetroPCS’ hilarious spoof of iconic dating shows.

Don’t forget, Snoop’s forthcoming album, Doggumentary, hits stores March 29.

Cashmere Event Recap: LA Marathon

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Soggy weather conditions this past Sunday didn’t deter an estimated 25,000 LA Marathon runners from hitting the pavement to complete the 26-mile, 385-yard course. Participants braved the heavy rain and gusting winds in ponchos, some even slicing up trash bags as makeshift rain jackets, as onlookers huddled under umbrellas to watch the race from Dodger Stadium to the Santa Monica Pier.

In the end, Markos Geneti of Ethiopia won the men’s division in a record-breaking time of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 35 seconds. Ethiopia also claimed the women’s division, with Buzunesh Deba beating out the competition in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 35 seconds.

Speaking of record-breaking, American sumo wrestler, Kelly Gneiting, set a Guinness World Record for his participation in the race. The 410-pound champion became the “heaviest person to complete a marathon,” finishing out the marathon in 9 hours, 48 minutes and 42 seconds.

Charitable contributions were counted at around $2.15 million, with more donations continuing to come in, benefiting the race’s 68 affiliated charitable organizations. One of those charitable fund raising initiatives was put on by the Boss Lady, Shante Broadus. She completed the race while raising more than $10K in support for her Lupus Foundation.

Find more LA Marathon coverage and results at ABC7 and RunnersWeb, and race photo gallery at LATimes.

Billboard, RapRadar talk DJ Quik’s The Book of David

Monday, March 21st, 2011

With the buzz increasing for DJ Quik’s forthcoming album, The Book of David, some of the music industry’s top media sites are taking notice.

Bare witness to the hard-hitting, in-depth feature on the West Coast legend at Billboard.com. Cashmere’s own, Rona Mercado, was quoted discussing the highly anticipated album from Quik  and how “[Cashmere's] position is to show that Quik is a dope music artist and producer and to demonstrate how he’s evolved through the years.” Read the full story over at Billboard.com

Also Quik, took a moment to speak with RapRadar.com to discuss his new album as well. Check out the video below for more of Quik.

Make sure you keep up with everything in DJ Quik’s world over on Facebook and follow him on Twitter!

West Coast to Pay Tribute to Nate Dogg at SXSW Respect the West Showcase

Saturday, March 19th, 2011

As part of 2011 SXSW VIBE House powered by Cashmere, tonight’s Respect the West showcase is now being dedicated to West Coast, G-Funk legend, Nate Dogg.

Presented by Stampede Management, the Respect the West showcase will feature performances from O.G. vets as well as up and coming Cali artists, including: DPG (Kurupt and Daz Dillenger), Warren G, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, Dom Keenedy, Pac Div, Sick Jacken, plus more.

Log on and watch as some of the West Coast’s finest pay tribite to one of their fallen soldiers, broadcast live only at Ustream.tv/vibe starting at 8pm CST/6pm PT.

Attendees can RSVP for The VIBE House,  view live streaming performances and daily recap videos on www.vibe.com/sxsw. Stay tuned to www.vibe.com/sxsw for announcements on additional artist performances and special events taking place at The VIBE House.

DJ Quik Got it Poppin at the Official The Book of David Listening Session!

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

This morning DJ Quik previewed his new album, The Book of David, for the media and fans alike. The official listening session took place at the Nice Kicks flagship in Austin, Texas as part of SXSW weekend. The RSVP list started to fill up quickly as soon as news broke of the event, so we’d like to give thanks to everyone who reached out early!

Here’s DJ Quik with the big homie Fuzzy playing some cuts from The Book of David. Some of our Cashmere teammates were treated to a listening with DJ Quik at the Stampede offices a couple of weeks ago. They came back in agreement that this album is an incredible work of art. From the extra-tight production to the dopest features, this album is definitely going to be a West Coast classic. Look out for the track “Time Stands Still” featuring Dwele, we actually asked DJ Quik to play that cut twice! If you want to stay in the loop about DJ Quik’s album release and all the work that went into it, catch him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter!

Check out the spot:

The joint is fresher than an air freshener wrapped in baby wipes, plus Matt and Allison are about as friendly as friendly gets. If you’re ever in the Austin area and are looking to get your shoe game right, you need to swing through. Special shout out to Peter for connecting with us and getting the ball rolling.

NiceKicks.com
2815 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 320-8100

Twitter.com/nicekicks/Twitter.com/nicekicksshop

Landy came through on super-late notice and “popped trunk” ["editor's note: this distinctly southern style of slang is endorsed by only one anonymous Cashmere employee"] to show cases and cases of their signature Cognac. Luxurious. Who drinks Cognac at 11:00 am? We do. And you would if you were in the middle of the maelstrom that is SXSW.

Speaking of which, if you missed out on catching DJ Quik today at Nice Kicks, you’re  in luck. DJ Quik is headlining Friday’s the Vibe House show powered by Cashmere Agency.

RSVP at vibe.com/sxsw and check out what else we have in store, because in the words of a wise, old Eastern philosopher, “It’s going down.” I mean look at that line-up!