Interview By: ESTAXX

The Hip-Hop culture has experienced the rise and fall of hip-hop group and R&B groups such as Hot Boyz, Junior Mafia, Pretty Ricky with the Pleasure P situation and other names. Today I bring you a new group coming out of Florida that goes by Back Pack Cliq. In this exclusive interview with KeepItTrill, BPC breaks down their label situation, how did the group came together and plenty more.

KeepItTrill.com: For those who aren’t familiar with you, let our readers know who you are?

BPC: We are Back Pack Cliq, also known as BPC. We are based in Miami Florida. Our members include Jeano, Josh! Boo-Boo, Don-Don, and Jayy Blakk.

KeepItTrill.com: Growing up listening to groups like Hot Boyz, 504 Boyz, Junior Mafia, and TLC just to name a few names. It seems like groups in hip-hop don’t stick together for a long time some goes their separate way to gain fame on their own. We have experienced the break up with Hot Boyz and the break up of Pretty Ricky which Pleasure P no longer a member and been replaced. With the history of groups in hip-hop do you think that Back Pack Cliq will end up the same way?

BPC: We look at rap groups as if it was a family. In this case were all brothers, and the industry is serving us as mommas house. Eventually we are all going to grow up, and be way too big for bunk beds. We will have served our hip hop “childhood” ultimately need our own space.

KeepItTrill.com: How did you form Back Pack Cliq?

BPC: BackPack Cliq was founded in 2006 by Sadrack “Jeano” Jean Michel in Delray, Florida. They began with a song on Myspace. After a lot of positive feedback, the group decided to take their name and career more seriously. Along the way there have been shifts in personnel. The group is currently comprised of Jeano, Don Don, Josh!, BooBoo and Jayy Blakk. Their extended family includes DJ Money Mitch. Each of us has a unique performing and visual arts background.. Aside from the arts, we all share a common bond of having to grow up fast, making us “wise beyond our years”.

KeepItTrill.com: What do you bring to the music world? And what separates you from the next up and coming artist coming out of Miami?

BPC: Well first and foremost were not your typical street hoodlums, who are bent on getting rich and hustling. We have a different perspective on what we want our audience to hear. One major thing that separates us from every group in Miami is that we aren’t into limiting our style; we range from acoustic songs, booty Shaking beats, and techno head bopping joints. We also are exploring performance art into our shows, because standing in front of a Mic and looking cool is too played out. We enjoy being ourselves on stage, that’s what is going to separate us from the gold chains and every set of rims in Miami.

KeepItTrill.com: With Miami being a hot spot for label exec’s to pick up new talent in “The South,” can you tell the people who did you listen to growing up? Who influenced you as an artist?

BPC: A lot of the variety that comes with our music goes hand in hand with our eclectic collection of tunes. For example Boo-boo Don-don and Jeano all listen to plain white tees, we occasionally hear Josh blasting death metal and lounge music. We even caught Jay Blakk listen to Japanese techno music in the day and classical music before bed. We are very open-minded when it comes to music, because even the greatest artists were influenced by another musician’s successes.

KeepItTrill.com: What was the first Hip-Hop track you heard that made you all fall in love with Hip-Hop?

BPC:
Josh – Electric relaxation, by A Tribe Called Quest
Boo-Boo – The entire Slim shady LP
Jayy- a song called period, by an underground rapper named Juice
Don-Don- That’s the way by Mase and foxy brown

KeepItTrill.com: Tell us about with your label situation?

BPC: As of now were really getting ourselves out there. we have a few interested labels, but we don’t allow those offers to stop our “in house” style from getting us to where we need to go. Once we get an interesting enough offer we’ll take it. But as of now we like “window shopping”.

KeepItTrill.com: Any new projects you working on?

BPC: Were putting some finishing touches on our third mix tape, and in the middle of working our 1st album. We enjoy mixing up our work flow. Between doing shows, shooting videos, writing sessions and spontaneous performances on south beach. We have what you call hip hop “ADD”

KeepItTrill.com: What are some collaborations you are working on, or want to grab for your next project?

BPC: Were are finding our own ground as a group of five. Collaborating with other artists is a possibility in the future, but we have a steady creative process that is still in the works of mastering. Once we get our feet wet we’ll be more than happy to spread the “tracks” on someone else’s doorstep.

KeepItTrill.com: What helps you keep your lyrics and content fresh?

BPC: We get bored easily, if we notice some sort of pattern we break it. We love bending and twisting our music like Play-Doh. We strive to add something from left field to our work, be it sounds from video games or us sampling ourselves. It’s a never ending sandbox with our work.

KeepItTrill.com: How can people get at you on twitter, MySpace, Facebook, etc..?

BPC:16 easy letters to remember, www.bpcmixtape.com

KeepItTrill.com: Any last words for the fans out there?

BPC: As a hip hop group breaking out of the cycle of the same ‘ol same’ ol, we are making it a point that being different is not a bad thing. A lot of artists try to mimic each other with the same goal of trying to be different. How is it possible to stand out if you’re saying/doing/being the same thing?

We are looking forward to adding a flavor to this pot of music that makes people look up the nutrition facts. The main reason people are going to enjoy our music is because we are putting our own personalities into the work, and were likeable people, so we should indefinably have likable music.

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