Ice Cream Truck (song)

"Ice Cream Truck" is a song by American rapper Cazwell. The song has been described as a light, easy and '80s-sounding hip-hop song that uses a xylophone to emulate a jingle played on an ice cream truck. The single was released in August 2010, and is a track on the deluxe edition of Cazwell's second album Watch My Mouth.

"Ice Cream Truck"
Cazwell, wearing a Count von Count T-shirt, is seen eating ice cream behind an ice cream truck and a building.
Single by Cazwell
from the album Watch My Mouth (Deluxe Edition) and Spork (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
ReleasedAugust 17, 2010
GenreHip hop
Length2:17
LabelPeace Bisquit
Songwriter(s)Cazwell, Chris Bracco[1]
Producer(s)Cazwell, Chris Bracco[1]
Cazwell singles chronology
"Tonight"
(2009)
"Ice Cream Truck"
(2010)
"Get My Money Back"
(2011)
Music video
"Ice Cream Truck" on YouTube

"Ice Cream Truck" was written and produced by Cazwell and Chris Bracco, originally for the 2010 film Spork, which was written and directed by J.B. Ghuman Jr. but did not plan to have a commercial release until Cazwell's manager suggested doing a video for the song. The video, which was directed by Marco Ovando, premiered on YouTube on July 30, 2010, and received over 1 million views within a week.

Background and release edit

Cazwell approached his friend J.B. Ghuman Jr. to submit tracks for a film Ghuman was directing and writing, 2010's Spork. The songs did not meet with Ghuman's approval. The director wanted a song that had an "80s hip-hop feel" with "minimal cute noises" and was "Something summery – like going to the ice cream truck."[2][3] Cazwell and his engineer agreed of doing a song called "Ice Cream Truck" on the last day working with Ghuman for the film. The track was written in 45 minutes,[4] and the song was recorded in the next hour and 45 minutes.[2] He claimed of writing the song in a "Chinese-food hangover."[5]

Cazwell had not planned "Ice Cream Truck" to have a commercial release. However, in June 2010,[6] with no music video released by him in a few months, his manager suggested that he do a video for the song.[4] The music video was released on YouTube on July 30, 2010,[7] and was later made available on iTunes on August 24.[8] The single was released on August 17, and comes with an a cappella and instrumental version of the song.[9] The song also appears as the third track on the deluxe edition of Cazwell's second album Watch My Mouth.[10]

Composition edit

"Ice Cream Truck" has been described by both Cazwell and other writers as a cute, simple and upbeat 1980s-style hip-hop summer anthem.[2][11] It plays at a length of two minutes and seventeen seconds and at a tempo of 127 beats per minute.[12] Keyboard-performed xylophones are used in the track's instrumentation to emulate an ice cream truck jingle.[2][13] Cazwell said about the song; "The lyrics aren’t overtly sexual and the video is fun and sexy. And makes people feel fun and happy about being gay. It’s an irresistible song. It’s not pushy. Everyone’s smiling and having a good time."[14] The track was well received by a writer for The Advocate, who noted the song to be "destined to rival Katy Perry's "California Gurls" as this summer's most sizzling anthem."[11]

Music video edit

The video debuted on YouTube on July 30, 2010, and was directed by Marco Ovando. The dancers in the video were Avi Vichner, Alex Maravilla, Jimmy Gonzales, Cesar Abreu, Joe Buffa, Johnny Sanford, Eddie Barrena, John Byrne and Geronimo Frias.[7] The video was shot in Cazwell's apartment in one day.[15] According to Cazwell:

"We just used color backdrops and did the whole thing in one day. That wall – the kind of Mexicana rose color – that’s my apartment, and when we’re outside, that’s my block. Me and Marco [Ovando], the director, we both work in clubs so we know all the hot dancers. So all those boys from the video are just dancers from the clubs. I wanted it to be sexy but I wanted to be very cute, too. My mission whenever I make a video is, ‘let me make a video that looks like how I think the song sounds’ – and that’s what the song sounds like to me. It’s cute, it’s summertime. I also wanted to dedicate the video to hot Latin boys of New York.”[2]

Because of the provocative nature of the music video, YouTube has flagged the video for adult content.[7] Thomson called the video "this summer's raunchiest music video,"[2] while Michael Musto of The Village Voice named it "hypnotically suggestive" and a "sweet uplift".[16] It was rated "music video of the day" by Paper magazine on August 16, 2010.[17] The video became a viral hit, receiving over 1 million views within a week.[1][2] A sequel of the video is for Cazwell's "Get My Money Back", which featured the same dancers as in "Ice Cream Truck".[2]

Yogurt company Snog also did a commercial taking on the music video, which also featured Cazwell and the same dancers, and was directed by Ovando.[18] A brand of underwear based on the song was also sold in retailers.[19]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Cazwell's sexy 'Ice Cream Truck' video goes viral". ChicagoPride.com. August 7, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-09-16. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Thomson, Charles (August 12, 2010). "The Ice Cream Man Cometh". Sawf News. Retrieved January 24, 2011
  3. ^ Ariel, Mark (July 2013). "GUESS WHO? CAZWELL" Archived 2013-10-23 at the Wayback Machine. The Fight. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Steward, D.A. (February 22, 2013). "Cazwell Talks About Life, Hip-Hop and Go-Go Boys". Outlook Columbus. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  5. ^ Rothaus, Steve (October 2010). "Gay rapper Cazwell hauling his 'Ice Cream Truck' to Lux on South Beach Sunday night". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  6. ^ Rule, Doug (September 23, 2010). "Sweet Licks". Metro Weekly. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c "Cazwell "Ice Cream Truck" HD". Peace Bisquit Official YouTube Channel. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  8. ^ Music Videos - Ice Cream Truck by Cazwell. iTunes Store. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  9. ^ "Music - Ice Cream Truck by Cazwell". iTunes Store. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  10. ^ "Music - Watch My Mouth (Deluxe Edition)". iTunes Store. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  11. ^ a b "Cazwell Video Heats Up Summer". The Advocate. August 6, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  12. ^ "Ice Cream Truck by Cazwell on MP3 and WAV" Archived 2014-06-05 at the Wayback Machine. Juno Download. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  13. ^ InTorontoMagTV (December 3, 2010). "InTorontoTV: Interview with Cazwell in Toronto". TorontoTV Official YouTube Channel. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  14. ^ Matthew, Kirsten. "CAZWELL: it's all over his face". Archived from original on February 5, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  15. ^ Lopez, Rich (September 22, 2010). "Sticky sweet" Archived 2014-06-05 at the Wayback Machine. Dallas Voice. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  16. ^ Musto, Michael. "Cazwell's Super Hot "Ice Cream Truck" Video". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2010-08-15. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  17. ^ Mr. Mickey (August 16, 2010). "Cazwell's ""Meet Me at the Ice-Cream Truck" Is Our Music Video of the Day" Archived 2013-09-28 at the Wayback Machine. Paper. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  18. ^ peacebisquet (May 24, 2011). "CAZWELL "The Snog Shop" [SNOG Commercial]". Peace Bisquit Official YouTube Channel. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  19. ^ Musto, Michael (March 2, 2015). "Rapping Stud Cazwell On Hot Guys, Groupies, and His New Underwear Line". Out. Here Media. Retrieved 21 February 2016.

External links edit