Last two free tickets to Shwayze tonight!

To win a pair of tickets to Shwayze's show tonight, tell us why you should be the one to go ... but here's the catch ... it has to rhyme. Good luck! Winners will be contacted by Monitor staff members via the E-mail address reigstered to www.themonitor.com.

Shwayze is as hot right now as the Malibu beaches he grew up on.

• Click here to listen to our exclusive telephone interview with Shwayze.

The 23-year-old rapper stars in "Buzzin,'" an MTV reality show about his exploits in the music business. He's also headlining a nationwide tour. And his group - named after him and consisting of himself and producer Cisco Adler - dropped its self-titled debut album in August.

• Click here to check out what one of our MySpace readers wanted to ask Shwayze ... and what he answered. 

Back at the start of this summer, few people west of the Hollywood sign had heard of him. Now he's poised to become a major star. And he's headlining Thursday night at McAllen's Cine El Rey theater in what might be the area's most anticipated concert this year.

But he's only been on the national music scene for about two months, making him a question mark to most people. So Festiva sat down, researched the rising star and chatted with him on the phone. Here's what we found out.

>>> Shwayze's sound <<<

Shwayze makes unique music. Aaron "Shwayze" Smith raps over Adler's background vocals and acoustic guitar-driven beats. Think Jack Johnson meets Kanye West writing music about chasing women, partying and living on the beach: That's Shwayze. It's the melding of two eclectic music styles.

Adler comes from show business roots. His father is Lou Adler, who is widely credited with discovering The Mamas and the Papas and helping to organize 1967's famous Monterey International Pop Festival.

Cisco Adler also jumped into the music business. He fronted the rock band Whitestarr, which came on the scene a few years ago.

Shwayze himself grew up listening to oldies. James Brown, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder shaped his musical tastes. He transitioned to rap groups A Tribe Called Quest, OutKast and De La Soul in his teen years. Throw in Rage Against the Machine and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and you have the recipe that formed his style.

Shwayze fronted a rap/rock band for a while, but that didn't work.

"I broke that up, and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do," Shwayze said during a phone interview from Santa Monica, Calif. "I knew I didn't want to do straight hip hop, rap over straight beats that you hear all the time. I never wanted to rap to that, and the band was played out. I hit a wall with the band, and then I met Cisco at an amazing time."

>>> Shwayze's beginnings <<<

Shwayze calls himself "the only black kid in Malibu," noting that he grew up in a trailer park down the street from some of the richest stars in Hollywood.

He worked tons of jobs growing up, including barista at Starbucks and an assistant handyman to his grandfather.

His "big break," so to speak, came in 2005. Cisco Adler's band Whitestarr played a gig at a Malibu venue. During an opening act, Shwayze jumped on stage, grabbed the mic and began freestlying. Shwayze knew the drummer, Alex Orbison, and he began laying down a beat. The crowd ate it up.

Adler took interest in Shwayze. They became friends and have been working together ever since with very few problems.

The MTV reality show "Buzzin'" even chronicles their working relationship.

"It is true to form," Shwayze said. "Pretty much our music is a view into our lifestyle, and I think the reality show is the same exact thing. Us working, partying, me getting into troubles and always getting out happily."

>>> Shwayze's future <<<

Shwayze has about 4,162 tour dates scheduled through the end of the year.

That's an exaggeration, but the guys will be on the road non-stop until 2009. That comes after a summer spent on the punk rock-heavy Van's Warped Tour.

Shwayze called touring his favorite part of the music business. With an enormous yellow bus featuring Shwayze's name emblazoned on the outside and a recording studio on the inside, who could argue?

Shwayze says this is just the beginning. He wants to make more records, play bigger venues and collaborate with other artists. Adler and Shwayze started recording earlier this year without a deal. They simply made music and had fun. The guys made 50 songs before getting a deal and pairing the album down.

And that's what Shwayze plans to keep doing. The duo has also started work on a comedy. They'll star in the movie, titled Banana Sauce.

"We're just going to keep on going, dude," he said. "We're not going to stop."

LIVE Shwayze With Tyga, Cisco Adler and DJ Skeet Skeet

• Thursday, September 25
• Cine El Rey theater, 311 S. 17th St., McAllen

Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment for Festiva. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.