California Freestyle, the first-ever music record made of California cheese, launched on April 1, along with a free consumer download of the featured track that celebrates all things California and California dairy. California Freestyle, a collaboration from the California Milk Advisory Board with Latina singer-songwriter CRYS, captures the intersection of California music and delicious, sustainable dairy in its rarest form — a playable record made from a wheel of real cheese from the Golden State. California Freestyle is a core element of Real California Milk’s new advertising creative, Tracy, Calif.-based CMAB said, and is currently available to download and stream on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Pandora and YouTube Music.

“To Live in the Golden State is an active, cultural experience, both physical and emotional, where we embrace everything that makes this state so special and we nourish ourselves with delicious, comforting food made with Real California Milk,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB. “California Freestyle is more than a song, it’s a visual celebration of diverse people, individuality, iconic destinations and food. It’s the rich and vibrant lifestyle and mindset of living in the Golden State.”

In addition to the cheese wheel record, an accompanying music video showcasing CRYS in a variety of locations in the Golden State debuted during the April 3 Grammy Awards broadcast in California.

“Partnering with CMAB has been a dream come true,” said CRYS. “There is nothing more fulfilling than creating art that represents you and the things you love, like California dairy! And who doesn’t love cheese and ice cream?

“From showcasing the rich and diverse cultural landscape of California to singing all about the things that make the West Coast the best coast, it’s been so much fun to bring this campaign to life,” she added. “I’m so excited for people to experience what we created, and I look forward to more collaboration with CMAB."

The cheese record version of California Freestyle started as a 14-inch, 12-pound wheel of California cheese (Fiscalini Farmstead San Joaquin Gold in this case, which itself was named for the Central Valley area that houses many of the state’s family dairy farms). The existing cheese casing was removed, CMAB said, and a 1-inch-high, 7-inch space to insert a special vinyl gold record was carefully pressed and embedded into the cheese wheel surface. All edges were sealed with cheese wax, and the limited-edition California Freestyle cheese record was made playable on a regular turntable. Consumers will be able to view the cheese record in real life this summer at various California destinations throughout the state or online at realcaliforniamilk.com.