California lifestyle is a Chicano Rap group formed in 1992 out of Santa Maria, CA. The group consisted of rapper T-Dre( Terry Freedom) and Delux ( Dominicitor). They were popularized through several popular nationwide hit songs such as “Back in Black” and “White Lip Bastard”. However, much to their credit they also produced a well-received album entitled Cuteyachtzoo Child. It featured guest appearances by people such as Ice Cube, 50 Cent, Rakim Styles, Scarface, and many others.
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The group gained popularity with their song “Latin Style“, which depicts their comical tale about their breakthrough in the national music industry. This song was a huge hit and spawned several other hits as well. Their fame was further enhanced when T-Dre was incarcerated for five years after being convicted of conspiracy to murder a member of the Aryan Resistance Movement. While in prison, he was able to learn more about Latin culture and understand its perspective towards life.
As a result, he used this understanding to create Cali life style. Members of his crew would travel to different parts of Mexico to sample various local food and songs. He and Delux would often sit at a small table outside a restaurant and listen to the different sounds of the different people around them. This resulted in a compilation of songs on the album Cuteyachtzoo Child. The most famous of these is “El Louie” which features appearances by such celebrities as Kool-Aid Man, Scarface, and P-Diddy. On the single “El Louie”, T-Dre comes off as a laid-back, but an eloquent performer who makes the whole song about his love of the Mexican people.
The most interesting aspect of Cuteyachtzoo Childz is how it fused western music with Chicano music. Some examples of songs on this incredible album that utilize the sounds of Chi, including one called “Tequila” that T-Dre sings. In fact, two other songs on this album that use Chi instruments are “Esparta” and “Como Estas”. These are just two examples of artists that utilize T-Dre’s use of Chicano instruments on their instruments and in this case, it seems as if they were trying to make an entire album that captures the feel of Mexico, without using actual Mexican lyrics and music.
“Esparta” is one example because it contains the very common refrain that many Mexican songs use, which goes something like this, “Es vera, en echar,” (things are getting better). T-Dre, along with numerous other country artists, took this phrase and changed it to say something like “neysi nuevos a una versi”. This transformation was later used by many Mexican artists, from salsa artists to hip hop artists, making it very popular all over the world.
However, if you’re looking for more upbeat music that will get you really excited about the California lifestyle, you should definitely listen to “El Granmite”. This song is about two friends that start a band and go to a club, and ends up singing about living in a house in the hills. This California lifestyle is one that is emphasized on this song. It talks about how great life is when you have nice people around you, and you can have fun in your own backyard without worrying about driving too much.
Finally, you’ll find songs that feature T-Dre and his Chicano musical influences, which make these albums excellent listening for parents that want to expose their children to a sound that has roots that go far back into Mexico. “Mexican Style” is a great album as well, with songs about chunky women, long coats, and plenty of liquor. These songs are great for families with older children that are just learning to love the southwest part of the United States. They’ll love being able to sing along to “icas de camaradera” or ” Cambria” by Chicano rocker Eze Madrid.
Of course, there are plenty more great songs from albums like “Eruption”, “Pixeleen” by Chicano/Chican music legend Enea Maria, and “A Brave New World” by Chicano folk musician Mario Lanza. Of course, you don’t have to pick just one or two of these songs if you don’t want to. The entire CD is full of great country music that you’ll be sure to fall in love with. So whether you choose just one or two of these wonderful songs, you’ll find that you simply can’t get enough of California style of music.
