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Strummin’ Away with Cris Cab
Cris Cab was born in Miami, Florida on January 21, 1993. His music combines soulful singing mixed with reggae and hip/hop to create a very unique sound. He is of 100% Cuban background and spent most of his childhood growing up between Miami and the Bahamas. The cultures of these two places can be felt heavily throughout his music. Cris first picked up a guitar when he was 11 years old and taught himself how to play.
Through constant practice, Cris was able to hone his skills and style. Recently he has released a slew of singles as well as his fantastic debut EP, “Foreword”. He is also currently touring all up the east coast and will be making a stop in New York June 22 at Webster Hall. Through the guidance of Pharell and a unique musical talent, Cris looks to establish himself as one of the new up and coming artists.
1)
Jason
Where and when were you born?
Cris
I was born January 21, 1993 in Miami Florida. I recently graduated from Christopher Columbus High School.
2)
Jason
How did you develop your reggae sound?
Cris
I started playing music when I was really young. I am actually of 100% Cuban decent, so I think that contributes heavily to my sound. When I was 9 years old, I also began living in the Bahamas. The cultures of Miami and the Bahamas definitely has contributed to my sound as well. I was able to fuse together a lot of different styles from those two areas. It’s kind of acoustic/reggae/hip-hop, to put it into simple terms.
3)
Jason
Would you say your a product of the environment’s in which you grew up in?
Cris
Yea, you know, Miami and the Bahamas are actually very similar. They both have a very tropical climate which blends really well with my music.
4)
Jason
Which artists have you been influenced by to create your unique style?
Cris
I listened to a lot of soulful singer’s growing up. I listened to a lot of Bob Marley, Barry White and Marvin Gaye. Those three were definitely big influences. That’s the type of sound I enjoy the most. I began singing when I was 13 and began stretching out my vocal chords. I would infuse those sounds I heard and put them into my music. Therefore, you get a lot of songs with soulful melodies. I think everyone will see a lot of that on my new album.
5)
Jason
How did you begin playing guitar and develop your own style?
Cris
Once I picked up a guitar, I was just never able to put it down. I am self taught, I never had any lessons. I feel that is the way you truly develop your own comfort zone. I was also very young, so I would just stay in my room and play for hours. I just spent hours practicing. I listened to a lot of reggae growing up and eventually I developed that reggae chop. I took those sounds and began developing it into my guitar play. I then fused that with hip-hop and reggae vocals to get what you hear today.
6)
Jason
Do you have any family members that are also musicians?
Cris
Actually no, I’m the only one. My mom was a stay at home mom that took care of all of us. My dad was in real-estate. My dad likes to joke that the pool boy was around too much (laughs), but no I’m definitely their son. I don’t know, it’s just one of those things.
7)
Jason
What was your concept behind the remakes of “All of the Lights” and “Black and Yellow”?
Cris
The logic behind those two remakes was to draw in a large audience that might not have been too familiar with me. This way, I would hit them with something that was familiar, but at the same time they would be introduced to my own style. My production partner, P.J. McGinnis, and I spent a bunch of hours in the studio. We took the songs and broke them down to my comfort level. When “Black and Yellow” came out I really liked it. I had already been a fan of Wiz Khalifa and everything he was doing. I just picked up my guitar and started playing. It came out really smooth. I produce a lot of my own music, so this was just another adventure for me.
8)
Jason
How do you go about creating a song?
Cris
I’ll sit down with my guitar and find the right chord progression. I then begin to develop a melody. Once I have a strong melody down, I’ll go through a bunch of sounds and put it all together.
9)
Jason
How did you and Pharell come to work together?
Cris
He heard that I was making some good music down on the beach. He asked me to come in and he gave me some great tips. A year later, I saw him again with some new material. He said I was really growing as an artist. He kind of took me under his wing and helped me develop even further.
10)
Jason
What is the song “Good Girls” about? How did that song and video come together?
Cris
I wrote it based on personal experiences. I have friends that have gone through similar situations. It’s kind of a song for the dudes (laughs). In the video, it’s some of my friends. We also went to the University of Miami to get some extras. It’s really just a song for everybody to listen to and vibe to.
11)
Jason
What kind of music did you work on previously to recording your EP “Foreword”?
Cris
Before the EP, I would just sit in the studio for hours. I probably have about 30 songs that I recorded and the idea was to just let them go naturally. It was just to give everyone a little taste before my EP dropped.
12)
Jason
Can you tell me a little about your EP?
Cris
Yea, the EP is mostly new material. We redid the song “No Hatred”. It got a completely new look. We made it real authentic. We added live drums and a live keyboardist. Recording with live instruments really gives the music a real nice feel. “Foreword” was officially released on June 7. I had a nice opening concert for it as well. Great experience overall.
13)
Jason
So, what lies ahead for you in the near future?
Cris
Well after the release of my EP, I am touring all up the east coast. This will be my first real tour, so I’m really excited for that. Other than that, you know I’m going to keep working on my music and work towards releasing my debut album.
(Source: spotonli.com)
