Straight-up press honesty here: we here at the Phoenix offices are often the lucky recipients of a whole smorgasbord of free shit, some of it good, some of it terrible. As a food writer, this is a less frequent occurence for me, since sending comestibles isn't exactly the same as Fedexing a book, or a CD. It's messy, and more often than not, pricier. I got beer in the mail once, though. That was pretty bangin.This strange give-and-take relationship sometimes makes us some kind of middleman to you, the consumer, in the weird battle for your hard-earned (or parent-funded) money. Now, because we've all had Malibu rum at some point in a cheap mojito, or in a rum and coke while we bob around awkwardly to house music, this new bottle of Malibu Red I had just received--a concoction of Malibu, tequila, and coconut liqueur--sat on my desk staring at me while I struggled to find a way to say something about it. It was too sweet for my taste, and as a pure spirits kind of girl, the blend of rum and tequila was mildly overwhelming.
Then I learned that this wasn't just Malibu. It was Ne-Yo's Malibu.
Ne-Yo? I thought. Shit, I haven't heard anything about him in a while. Stomp the Yard was pretty awesome. Problem solved, bitches.
So, because why the hell not, here's an interview with Ne-Yo about his new endeavor, Malibu Red. Do with it what you will.
How did you become involved with Malibu? Been drinking Malibu with tequila for a
while. Someone said to me after trying it, "You should take this to Malibu!" So I did.
How'd the launch party in NYC go?
Did Malibu Red
please the masses?
Malibu Red is a party starter and everybody that came to the NYC launch got to
witness that first hand. They are thus changed forever.
Whose idea was it to pump up the
coconut notes in MR?
It was a mutual thing. The people at Malibu and myself spent much time and effort
making sure the mixture was "not too sweet, not too much bite, in two
words, just right.
If someone was going to name a
cocktail after you...what do you think it would be called? What would be in it?
My cocktail is called "The Pocket Square." One part Malibu Red, one
part tonic. Add a liberal splash of cranberry to make a "Red Pocket Square."
Ok, no bullshit, what is your
go-to drink when you go out? Points lost if you say Malibu Red. Unless you actually have been
drinking nothing but Malibu
Red out of loyalty, in which case, we are extremely impressed. To be completely
honest, in that Malibu Red is still kinda new, if a function I'm at DOESN'T
have it, I'll reluctantly resort to a vodka tonic.
Do you have any embarrassing dance
moves that you only bust out after a few rounds? You always know when I've reached my
respectable limit. The hat comes down over the eyes and anything I do is
literally in slow motion. For some reason women love it!
What's your favorite bar you've
ever been to, anywhere in the world? Why? I don't think I've been there yet.
Been to some great ones, no doubt, but not one that sticks out in my mind. Gonna
wait til' the world knows Malibu Red to answer that question.
So you're a father of two. How's dad life treating you?
Dad life is GREAT! As my children's lil' personalities develop and I start to
see pieces of me.....it's beautiful and a lil' scary.
What else are you working on at
the moment? New album on the way properly named
"The R.E.D. Album" which stands for "Realizing Every Dream"
which is and has been for some time now, absolutely my reality. I'm blessed and
I know it. This album is a celebration of life, love and music.
Stomp the Yard: good movie, or
greatest movie? Stomp
The Yard was my first big screen opportunity. It changed my life. Therefore,
GREAT movie!!