Don Cash
Encyclopedia
Rap artist
/record producer
Don Cash was born April 6, 1978, in Brampton, Ontario
, Canada, a suburb northwest of Toronto
.
In 2001, after several years working as a teenage pop journalist in Toronto, Cash decided to focus on writing and producing songs at home on his computer, releasing at least ten known full-length CD-R
albums in downtown Toronto
and New York City
. Though distribution was unofficial and limited, news of the works by the young artist spread. By 2004, Cash had been featured in The Fader
magazine and had gained many high-profile friends and admirers in the avant-garde
pop music
scene including James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem
and DFA Records
.
Precise descriptions of Don Cash's music have long confounded critics and observers. Most of his songs draw on varying elements commonly associated with, but not limited to, hip-hop, rock
and electro. In 2004, The Fader's, Knox Robinson, christened Cash's sound "afroclash," a play on the "electroclash
" trend sweeping the New York underground. Cash himself claimed in several 2007 interviews, that his music was simply rock & roll, though he allowed that it could be dubbed "new wave rap" if one were desperate to find a correct classification for his musical style.
In 2006, Cash released the album On The Bus on his Stereoeagle label. The debut work, which contained the club hits "Star Dust" and "Don't Crash", caught the attention of Berlin
label boss and dj/producer Headman, who signed Cash to his indie
electro imprint, Relish
Cash released the album II in 2007, via Relish and had success with "Disco Wreck" and "Hey There", while being remixed by Zongamin
and Street Life DJs. The album was a hit with critics and audiences alike, garnering raves in The Sunday Times
, i-D magazine and NME
.
Don Cash spent 2008 touring in Europe, while writing and recording some 40 or 50 new songs. Freshy Fresh, Cash's third full length effort, was released in May 2010 on URBNET Records in partnership with Stereoeagle.
In November 2010, Don Cash quickly followed up Freshy Fresh by releasing Unbreakable on stereoeagle/URBNET. Containing 15 new songs written and produced by the artist, Unbreakable is Cash's first all rap LP in almost ten years.
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
/record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Don Cash was born April 6, 1978, in Brampton, Ontario
Brampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
, Canada, a suburb northwest of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
In 2001, after several years working as a teenage pop journalist in Toronto, Cash decided to focus on writing and producing songs at home on his computer, releasing at least ten known full-length CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
albums in downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Though distribution was unofficial and limited, news of the works by the young artist spread. By 2004, Cash had been featured in The Fader
The Fader
The FADER, or FADER, is an United States-based music/culture/fashion magazine that covers hip-hop, reggae, independent rock, pop and dance music from around the world.-Overview:...
magazine and had gained many high-profile friends and admirers in the avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
scene including James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
and DFA Records
DFA Records
DFA Records is an independent record label and production team, launched in September 2001 by Mo' Wax co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, musician James Murphy, and manager Jonathan Galkin. The label has an exclusive distribution deal with major record label EMI....
.
Precise descriptions of Don Cash's music have long confounded critics and observers. Most of his songs draw on varying elements commonly associated with, but not limited to, hip-hop, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and electro. In 2004, The Fader's, Knox Robinson, christened Cash's sound "afroclash," a play on the "electroclash
Electroclash
Electroclash is a style of music that fuses New Wave and electronic dance music. It emerged in New York and Detroit in the later 1990s, pioneered by acts including I-F and those associated with Gerald Donald, and is associated with acts including Peaches, Adult, and Fischerspooner...
" trend sweeping the New York underground. Cash himself claimed in several 2007 interviews, that his music was simply rock & roll, though he allowed that it could be dubbed "new wave rap" if one were desperate to find a correct classification for his musical style.
In 2006, Cash released the album On The Bus on his Stereoeagle label. The debut work, which contained the club hits "Star Dust" and "Don't Crash", caught the attention of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
label boss and dj/producer Headman, who signed Cash to his indie
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
electro imprint, Relish
Cash released the album II in 2007, via Relish and had success with "Disco Wreck" and "Hey There", while being remixed by Zongamin
Zongamin
Susumu Makai , better known as Zongamin, is a UK-based Japanese-born musician and producer.-Biography:Makai grew up in rural Japan and moved with his family to East Anglia at the age of eleven. He attended Summerhill School where he learned to play bass guitar and went on to play in several bands...
and Street Life DJs. The album was a hit with critics and audiences alike, garnering raves in The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, i-D magazine and NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
.
Don Cash spent 2008 touring in Europe, while writing and recording some 40 or 50 new songs. Freshy Fresh, Cash's third full length effort, was released in May 2010 on URBNET Records in partnership with Stereoeagle.
In November 2010, Don Cash quickly followed up Freshy Fresh by releasing Unbreakable on stereoeagle/URBNET. Containing 15 new songs written and produced by the artist, Unbreakable is Cash's first all rap LP in almost ten years.