Cali_swag_district

Laid-back Inglewood, California rap group Cali Swag District broke out when each member was a teenager. MCs Yung and JayAre and MC/DJ C-Smoove -- who were joined by dancer M-Bone -- signed to the Capitol label via Checkmate Music Group and commercially released “Teach Me How to Dougie,” a hypnotic, minimalist production aimed at clubs, in 2010. The single hit Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart that spring and crawled into the Top Ten. The group’s debut album, The Kickback, would arrive in 2011. The album was dedicated to M-Bone, who had tragically lost his life during a drive-by shooting just months before its release. ~ Andy Kellman