Entertainment

Cashflow mixes it up

By KANDRE' MCDONALD, Freelance Writer

The Cash Flow Family, from left Mexican, X, Neil and Father P chill at their recording studio at CooreVille Gardens. - carlington wilmot

OVER THE PAST three years, a lot of talented youngsters have been emerging in Jamaica. They have been getting the support of party goers who are now more receptive to young talent.

They have taken up the task of thrilling the crowd with witty lyrics and crazy dance moves. However, the members of the Cashflow Crew are taking a less-travelled path for young acts. What started as a hobby blossomed into a profession.

The group, which consists of two brothers, Neil and X, a friend who goes by the name Mexican and their father, Father P who plays the role of manager, began mixing music in 2000. According to Neil, the older of the brothers, it all began with them experimenting with various music-affiliated softwares.

Experimenting

"We started out in 2000. At this time, we were merely experimenting with beats on our computer. At first we were producing and recording youths, mainly from the inner city. We had some of the more popular software from then, and all we did was just add a microphone and thing," Neil explained.

But having a home-based studio in the Cooreville Gardens, St. Andrew area, was no guarantee that the young men would get their products out on the road. They went on to explain that to get their stuff out they explored the disc jockey field and released a mix disc called Unleashed - Volume 1.

To date they have created roads in the music industry. They have worked alongside Gadafi, Murray from In Da Streets, and Roy Francis. They have recently released their Unleashed - Volume 4 mix disc with a vibrant party at the Jonkanoo Lounge, Hilton Hotel. But for them, that is just the beginning. According to Neil, they are now signed to a company overseas and have stepped their work up a notch.

"We have recently been signed to Maximum Break Recording and Publishing Company in the United States. They provide the pro-tool system seeing the talent in us. Even at this moment we are working on a project for Nas' new album. Most of our works are overseas now."

"They have put us at a professional stage right now. We are sporting some of the best pro-tools. We now sport an MPC 2000 professional drum machine, something similar to what is used by Sly and Robbie and even the Neptunes in the U.S.," they boasted.

Fulfilling dreams

The brothers explained that they are doing what they love as well as fulfilling the dreams of their father who is an avid lover of music. For now they say that they are also doing video editing, working on a track for Fanton Mojah's new album dubbed Love Grows, on the Tear Drop Rhythm. They say they are working with Warrior King and Capleton with whom they have a close relationship. They are also working with some young talents.

"We are working with our two personal artistes, Sojah and Iwan. Iwan is working on an album and is currently going on good in Japan," they said.

For now, the young men say they are compiling the Tear Drops and Guilty rhythms, which will be released in Japan, where they claim they have a fair market. They also explained that work is in progress in getting a mixed album together that is totally produced by them.

"Paper work is in progress to get this album together and have it released through Maximum Break Recording and Publishing Company."

At present, they conduct their own television show where they play live on-air for Allied Cable Company in the Kingston 20 area.