THE MAN- In the era of the Rapper slash actor, slash business mogul, slash pro sports team co-owner and anything in between, being a man of many hats has become not only fashionable…but it is also a certified standard. Welcome to 2012, Where we find a 30 something year old Hip-Hop Culture, sitting (with one leg crossed) in a plush cigar lounge in Harlem NYC, sipping fine wine, and puffing Cuban cigars with a 30 something year old, vino obsessed millionaire who goes by the name of Cab Cabernet. Now, the fact that a millionaire rapper owns a cigar lounge, AND the entire luxury building that houses it, is not surprising at all these days. The head scratcher is that he became a self-made millionaire outside of the music industry. Which makes him one of a spoonful of Rappers who can claim they "do it for fun," and actually mean it. And although Mr. Cabernet was not raised with a silver spoon in his mouth, his has been a life of many rich adventures. In his own words: "I have lived many lives…Krushed Grapes is but one of them".
THE BRAND- So what is Krushed Grapes? Well, aside from being another term for wine, "KG LIFESTYLE" (Krushed Grapes Lifestyle) is the brand name of a sophisticated lifestyle products/services company owned by Mr. Cabernet which includes wine, music, footwear, lingerie, accessories, social network, tours, TV, film, events, and much more. Krushed Grapes is a lifestyle. The lifestyle of enjoying life to the fullest.
THE MUSIC-"KRUSHED GRAPES 2: The Soundtrack To A Lifestyle" is just that. When you press PLAY, you will experience a day in the life of Cab Cabernet. The artist, the entrepreneur, the oenophile, the adventurer, the playboy, the lifestyle connoisseur. Stand outs include the lifestyle anthem "Le' Connoisseur", the self-explanatory "Mr. Cabernet", "Chardonnay" which highlights Cab's admiration of wine & women, and "Puttin' On The Ritz" the best Hip-Hop cover out of the many versions of Irving Berlin's timeless classic recording. Unlike the 1st KG project aptly titled "Krushed Grapes" (2008), which focused strictly on the sexual aspect of the lifestyle, the new album is more of a celebration of the lifestyle in it's totality. The music, media, fashion, travel, business, as well as pleasure. With interludes of Cab's real voice mails as testament to the talk, the album could have also been titled "Confessions Of A Lifestyle Connoisseur". Cab's lyricism is the refined class of a vintage wine, paired with the style & soul of old Harlem, and the rich, full flavor of a hand rolled cigar. This is grown man Hip-Hop music, for those who appreciate the finer things in life. Mr. Cabernet could quite possibly be the most sophisticated Rapper alive. A student of high culture. A distinguished gentleman. A man of many hats… figuratively and literally. He actually owns over 200.
THE ADVENTURE- Back in 1994 while living in his hometown of New England, he and his local Rap group were discovered by a Major record label during his senior year of High School. Within just 2 months he was signed to the label and immediately relocated to NYC and began ghost writing for Gold and Platinum R&B recording artists. In 2001, he co-founded the Bukarance Records imprint which released music for the next 4 years with various distributors worldwide. In winter of 2006, after a 13 year roller coaster career in the music biz, Cab took a break from that lifestyle, and created a new one. The former underground Hip-Hop artist (Hanif-Jamiyl of Maspyke) transformed into the founder of a private all male escort service for the pleasure of women only. Not only did this service pay the bills (and offer many other interesting perks), but more importantly, it led to the birth of the Krushed Grapes Lifestyle and Empire to be. "KRUSHED GRAPES: The Soundtrack To A Lifestyle" is a documentation as well as a celebration of this extraordinary lifestyle. Part James Bond, part Billy D, and 2 cubes of ice, Mr. Cabernet is the epitome of class, and refinement with a debonair flair…and a bop from way back when. In the charismatic words of Cab Cabernet, "Krushed Grapes Is A Lifestyle…Sip It Slow".
