Big Island bash By Lisa Malakaua Wednesday, February 18, 2009 10:39 AM HST Sonny Westbrook, left, and Kaleo 'The Pervert' Padilla talk about One Slap Entertainment's upcoming concert featuring Baby Bash. - Lisa Malakaua Baby Bash When my buddy Shannon Carlos asked me if I would be interested in meeting Sonny Westbrook of "Dog the Bounty Hunter," who would in turn introduce us to a new entertainment company that now resides on the Big Island, this A&E journalist replied, "Heck yeah! Now quit teasing me and set it up!" So he did. The meeting occurred at LuLu's on Ali'i Drive where BIW would soon be introduced to not only Sonny Westbrook of Westbrook Productions and a bouncer for LuLu's, but met up with Kaleo "The Pervert" Padilla, a Kona Boxing Club professional fighter who has been fighting for Westbrook for 10 years, and is president of the new company One Slap Entertainment, Inc. The idea of One Slap Entertainment Inc. originated during the years when Padilla was being kinda ... well, naughty. "This idea came about when I was incarcerated. I was thinking what I can do for the Kona kids. I have a kid of my own and when I would call home I would ask where they were taking him for his birthday and they would say Pizza Hut or the Bowling Alley or even the Fun Factory -- but other than that, nothing fun for the kids. My goal is to start up a go-cart racing track that has maybe a video arcade room where the kids can come and hang out. Then I was thinking about Sonny's boxing club, which is kind of a small gym, so we want to make it bigger, yah? So when I was incarcerated, I was talking to my bunkies and they were all like millionaire guys and so I asked them how they became millionaires and they all came to the same conclusion, you've got to start one corporation, so I went from there and that is how One Slap Entertainment Inc., originated." "It's because he slaps everybody -- but that was before he was incarcerated," Westbrook said. "He slaps em' and I whack em" as Westbrook continues to egg-on the situation. "Actually, now that we are older and wiser, we have turned slapping and whacking into something business wise," Westbrook said. "There are a lot of kids in Kona that really don't have much to do so we want to give back. That is why we have to start with the promotions, establish ourselves, and build better credit and eventually shoot for our goals. We want to do an event every other month starting with a Baby Bash concert. Next might be a fight and/or boxing match," further explains Padilla. As for bringing in Baby Bash: "Hey, if we are going to step out for our first time, we are going to step out big. No sense bringing in a group that everybody has already seen," said Westbrook who is assisting Padilla with his very first concert that is slated for Feb. 21 with gates opening at 3:30 p.m. Of course the interview wouldn't have been complete without a few words from smooth rapper Baby Bash, originally named Baby Beesh, because he used to drive around in a Mitsubishi. He was born in 1975 near Vallejo, Calif. to a Latina mother and an white father. Both parents became addicted to heroin, leaving Baby Bash to spend a lot of time with uncles who taught him music and a grandmother, who ended up raising him. In his later years, Baby Bash became a part of California's underground Latin rap scene. He joined the groups Potna Deuce and Latino Velvet with fellow Latino rappers Kid Frost and Jay Tee. Soon after, he found himself in Houston, Texas to do a guest spot with the South Park Mexican crew -- he then decided to stay in Texas. Eventually, Bash started working with Frankie J. and the Kumbia Kings, which was a big moment for the rapper. With basketball on his mind as a possible career and selling speed, Bash would soon learn that he was too short for basketball so out the door that went along with selling drugs. But no worries, his music career took off once he signed up with producer Happy Perez at which time Bash released "Savage Dreams" under the Baby Beesh name on the Dope House label in 2001 and continued to release top hit singles such as "Suga Suga," which became a huge hit in Texas, and Universal rushed to sign the artist. The hard work and diverse influences all came together on his major-label debut, "Tha Smokin' Nephew," released in 2003. Two years later he returned with subsequent singles "Baby I'm Back," with a pre-superstardom Akon, and "Super Saucy," with R&B star Avant, which extended Bash's streak of hits. Some of his most noteworthy songs are "Obsession," the smash single from Frankie J's platinum "The One" album, and Paula DeAnda's hit single, "Doing Too Much." Today, his straightforward writing style has also made him an in-demand songwriter. BIW: Aloha, Baby. Now I understand that you have been to Hawai'i before, but never to the Big Island. Are you excited? Bash: Yes ma'am. I'm so excited to get there. I've been to Hawai'i a couple of times but I've never been to the Big Island and I heard that if you haven't been to the Big Island then you haven't been to Hawai'i yet. BIW: So besides performing, what are you planning to do here? Is a little R&R gonna happen for you? Bash: I'm always down for a little R&R. But I just want to check out the sites, the food -- I'm a pretty down-to-earth kind of guy so I pretty much just like hang out and chill, you know? BIW: And your favorite thing to do when not performing? Bash: My favorite thing to do is ... I like to go down and play basketball and play strike-out 'cause I was really into sports, so whenever I get a chance I love to work out and do it through sports, otherwise, I just like to hang out and lay out -- chill out with my friends and crack up with people. BIW: Plan on taking in some surfing while you are here? Bash: I tried surfing without a shirt on and when I got done surfing my whole chest was ripped off and scrapped off. It messed me up. The surfboard was scraping my skin and I didn't know it -- it was ripping my chest off. So I think I will stick to basketball, baseball and football type of sports. BIW: It's probably best you just stay out of the water. Bash: Yeah -- better to just hang out in the sun. BIW: So how in the world did you come up with the name Baby Bash? Bash: You know I never really named myself Baby Bash -- it kinda just came around. I was Baby Beesh at first and somehow it became Baby Bash, so to tell you the truth, it just got around my friends and I used it in music and I crossed it over to Baby Bash. To this day I wish I could change my name and call myself something else, but it's too late so I'll just keep Bash. I bet you've never heard that answer before huh? BIW: Not I haven't. You kind of consider yourself a product of Mac Dre, Ice Cube and E-40, is that right? Bash: Yeah, those are pretty much the rappers that I really like. They all have different flavors, different slangs, all crimpled up in one manulu pot, and I think that's what makes up Baby Bash. A lot of people know from my real smooth record, my real smooth feel good music because I listen to so many different kinds of music. I'm a big reggae fan, I'm a big rock fan and of course I'm a big hip-hop fan and R&B fan, so it all kinda goes into one pot and you can hear it in my music. It's like, it can be up-tempo but it still feels good -- I mean I like feel good music and that's why I'm so excited to be doing the show with J-Boog and Fiji man cause it's going to be a feel good event, you know? If you don't walk out of that show feeling good, then you are somethin' else. BIW: Well, I understand you are addicted to women? Bash: Oh, I love women! Women are so beautiful -- I just love women. I love to hang out with the girls, you know? Everyone should love women. A woman is a beautiful creature, am I right? BIW: Can you tell our readers a little more about your music background? Bash: I've been doing music for a while -- I've been in the game for a while. I started underground with rap music with a group called Latino Velvet, and then I moved to Houston, Texas, and started doing part Mexican, and I was more underground until I wrote my first radio hit, "Suga Suga," and I collaborated with Frankie J, Paula DeAnda, Pitbull, Akon, T-Pain, and so many great artists. My next hit was "Baby I'm Back" and then "Cyclone" came along and then "What Is It." I just did a record with my boy Savage from New Zealand. He's such a talented, talented artist so it was real nice working with him. So I've worked with a lot of people. More people are more familiar with my music than my name, but to me it's always been about the music. Music is a full image for me. A lot of people get hyped up over image or how you are supposed to look and how to act but for me it's all about the music. BIW: So tell our readers why they should come to your concert. Bash: If you have a lot of love in your heart and you love people, and you like having fun and hanging out with beautiful people, then you should come to my concert. Come dance, 'cause there is a lot that will be going on. I will have gifts that I'm throwing off stage. I'm not one of those artists who does a show and runs away from the crowd and not say, 'wutz up.' I actually like to hang out with the people afterwards, shake hands, take pictures, and just marinate, you know? BIW: They will love it. So is there anything else you feel is imperative that our readers should know about you before we close out this interview? Bash: I appreciate all the love. You all can hit me up on myspace.com/BabyBash, and yes, that is me on there. I know at times that things can seem crazy, but just try to take care of yourself and listen to the music, stay blessed and I will see you soon. And thanks to BIW for making this interview so relaxing and fun. All ages welcome. Kids 8 and under free. Rock climbing and special activities for the keiki. Food and merchandise vendors. Tickets are $35 presale and $40 at the door. Ticket outlets: A'ama Surf & Sport, CD Wizard and all Big Island Surf locations. To learn more about the event visit http://www.oneslapentertainment.com. Copyright © 2009 Big Island Weekly