With “Blood and Ashes”, Planet and Crypt showed that being lyrical is still relevant in today’s crazy hip-hop game.    2 years later, both emcees have grown, their topics have grown and they still have something to say.  “Blood Brothers” drops through Babygrande on September 5th.  This LP, the 2 In-Laws and best friends are going to show that you can still be hip-hop and yet become a “grown ass man”.  I got a chance to chat with both emcees about the album, family and the upcoming east to west tour that starts middle September.

HHS: What up fellas, how you been?

Plant:  What’s good man, chilling.

Crypt:  Chilling man, on the grind.

You’re about to drop your 3rd LP “Blood Brothers” what would you say is the most valuable lesson you have learned thus far?

Planet:  You have to always try harder and harder.  It’s getting more difficult to be successful and get things the way you need them and the way you want them.  The more into the game you get, the harder it becomes.  You have to stay at it and try to figure out a way to get through it without driving yourself crazy.

Crypt:  You can’t set limits with your music, don’t look at everything so one sided.   You can’t settle for shit and you should go for what you know.  For “Blood Brothers” we wanted to do a song with Sheek, and that’s what we did.  It looks like it’s going to work out well for us.  I’m trying to feed my family off this rap shit, we can’t keep everybody happy all the time.

The indie game has really had a lot of change happen in the 5 years.  You have to really stand out to be successful now, not just be indie.

Planet:  A label has a lot to with that because they control how you get out there and the promotion of the project.  You have to get with a label that has the resources to put you out and you have to make dope shit, point blank.

Crypt:  You have to reach that broader audience, I can rock an open mic all day but I’m going to leave just a broke as I was when I came.  I love our fans and we have traveled the world with Vinnie and right now we are trying to grow and we are asking our fans to grow with us and take you for a good ride.   I’m not 17 in the lunchroom anymore, this is real business.

What is the exact release date for “Blood Brothers”?

Planet:  September 5th is when the album drops.

You have been with Babygrande for quite sometime, a lot of artists jump labels, why stay with Babygrande?

Planet:  They are the label that has showed the most interest and the dedication to putting us out.  They have bee doing a really good job and there is really no need to go anywhere else.

Crypt:  Babygrande is a great indie label, but if we could put something together in the future and a bigger label wants to pick it up, maybe we would go that route.  We aren’t trying to stay stagnant in any way.  I don’t just look at this year, I’m looking at the next 10.

Jedi Mind Tricks own Vinnie Paz is executive producer on “Blood Brothers”, how did you guys meet up?

Planet:  Us and Vinnie met years ago in Philly.  There used to be open mics in Philly that we all used to go to.  One day we just linked up, I thought he was dope, he thought I was dope, we just linked up and started talking one day and from there we became real tight.  Me, Him and Crypt are real tight.

Crypt:  Exactly, we just grew to be a big fam.   It’s bigger than music, if Vin comes to my house he kisses my wife and hugs my son.   If the music thing was gone tomorrow, I would be hitting Vinnie up to go drink a 40 with him.  It’s not just music with us.

So is that way the name is “Blood Brothers”?

Planet:  Actually, Crypt and I are in-law brothers and best friends.   I actually married Crypt’s sister and we are probably as tight as it gets.

Crypt:  Plan and I are very family oriented.  Like he said he married my sister and named his first born me.  My first name is Marcus and his son’s name is Marcus.  We aren’t actually bound by blood, but it feels like we are.

Give a quick run down of who is guest appearing on the LP and who’s on the boards for this one.

Planet:  As far as production goes we have a lot of new names, Clockwork did the Sheek joint and Sake did the joint with Royce and a couple of other songs.   We also have 7l and J-Zone.  The J-Zone track is crazy and different.   We have some up and comers because they are hungry just like we are, and we really felt them.   We also have some guys that are pretty big in France called the 707 Team, they did 2 tracks.  They are trying to break into the US.  My brother King Syze, Royce, Sheek from the Lox and Vinnie.   We also have Soundtracks on a track.

Not the same Soundtracks that produced “Kick Push” for Lupe.

Planet:  Naw, different guy….i don’t think he did it (laughs).  When I saw the video for Lupe I thought the same thing.

The single “Street Massacre” feat Royce the 5’9, why did you choose that as your first single?

Planet:  We are supposed to get Royce a while ago.  Outerspace likes to put out something a little more upbeat and with a catchy hooks, we aren’t as dark as Jedi.  We have some darker songs that are more topical.  “Street Massacre” just sounds like a good reintroduction for Outerspace, it’s been 2 years since we’ve been out. We thought it was a good song, label thought the same thing about putting the heavy stuff out first, we thought we had to come hard to get us back in the fans heads.

Crypt:  It is a double single with the Sheek joint.  We chose to put that out because we have been out of the loop for a minute.  The last album did well and captured a nice fan base, but we hadn’t had anything in a while.  We felt it was a strong way to come back and say look what we have been doing.

Times have definitely changed over the last 5 or so years, in 2006 what would you consider more important Beats or Rhymes?

Planet:  It’s weird, back in the day and being an emcee I used to think lyrics were the most important thing.  My brother always used to tell, naw man it’s not all about the lyrics.  Back then everybody was using big words and that was the style back then.  As I got older I realized that if a beat is wack, nobody gives a shit about what you are talking about.  Then I started respecting the beat aspect of the game.  When it comes to putting out singles, you are always going to be respected as a lyricist.  At the end of the day if your beats are garbage nobody wants to hear it.  There are emcees I like a lot, but their beat selection is trash.

Crypt:  Overall, you have to have good beats.  Rhymes are rhymes and everybody has rhymes.   You have to have swag now when you spit.  There are so many dope lyricists out now; it’s not about beats and rhymes it’s about making good music.  When I listen to music I want to hear something that will make my head nod and just be dope.

What would you say is your favorite song on “Blood Brothers”

Planet:  Personally, the Intro “Blood Brothers” produced by Sake.   It’s a full song not like just a minute long or anything like that.  It basically introduces the whole theme of the album, the whole thought about the album.  It’s like the monologue of the whole album and sums it all up.  As a pure song we have a guy named Lo-Key called “Boiling Point”.  I think it’s a song that everybody will like, from the underground head to the real street type of dude.

Crypt:  To me “Grown Ass Man” and the Intro like Planet said.  “Grown Ass Man” is basically a song about the road.   Everybody wants to hear us on the conspiracy theory shit like we used to be.  We talk about just because I don’t write graffiti anymore and I like money, that doesn’t mean that I’m not hip-hop.  We are talk about us trying to evolve and trying to feed our families from this hip-hop shit.  If I wear a chain and I made it off hip-hop, let me rock it proudly.

I’m sure a tour is starting to help push the album, when can we expect to see you guys on the road?

Planet:  The tour starts the middle of September and goes for about 5 weeks.  We are going from east to west.

Crypt:  Yeah, we are going on tour with Jedi Mind Tricks and RA the Rugged Man.

Oh man, RA is hilarious, he was the craziest interview I’ve ever done.

Crypt:  I haven’t gotten to chill with him yet, but the stories Vinnie tells are nuts.  He actually has a track with Vinnie on his album and it’s crazy.  It’s going to chill your bones.

Any other projects you guys are working on since the album is done?

Planet:  For now we are going to really push the album and go on the road.  We are working on a mixtape to be sold on tour, unreleased stuff, freestyle shit and so on.   You will only be able to pick that up at a show.

Crypt:  We are really focusing on doing this tour right now and keeping our wives happy (laughs)

Shoutouts.

Planet:  Thank you to the people that support what we are going through.  This album is exactly how we feel, it’s straight from the heart and exactly how our brain works everyday of the week.   Support “Blood Brothers” it’s hot, it’s out September 5th, go get it.

Crypt:  I just want to shout out my whole fam and those that support us.  My family consists of Planet, King Syze, the whole QD, Army of the Pharaohs, Vinnie P for everybody else who don’t support and who hate can get a big fuck you.

(Laughs)

Crypt:  For real.