thaFormula.com - How did you and Crow get started with the Street Platoon crew?

Cynic Of Sick Symphonies/Street Platoon - The way we hooked up was through Jack and Duke. I've known Jack since I was like 9 years old. I met him like in '88 or '89. I met him in the hood in one of the community centers we used to have in Pico Union 'cause that's where we grew up. At the time I was really into Hip-Hop as a shorty and I was listening to Kool G Rap, Special Ed, NWA and Ice Cube and a lot of stuff that was coming from the east coast also. A few years later Cypress (Hill) came out and he was into that shit too so it was kind of a bond that Jack and me had right off the gate. 'Cause in the hood gangbangin' was more active then Hip-Hop was so when I was able to relate with somebody in the hood on some Hip-Hop shit, I was like "dope." So I would always bump into him throughout the years and I knew he had hooked up with Cypress so we kept in touch just through the streets. In about like '96 before his record came out, I seen him again and by then I was making beats on a DJ sampler and a 4-track. Just looping shit on a DJ sampler and sliding it down the 4-track and you know just trying to learn how to write. I was already rolling with a couple of other homies, but when I met them I actually started hanging out with Duke more, but not even on no music shit. It was just more like I was a little homie from the hood, we would go to the clubs, party and just chill out. Later on through my brother they found out that I was doing music 'cause I've never been the type of dude to be in nobodies face like "check me out I rap." I just always just played my role and shit so when they found out, they were like "yo let me hear some shit." So I played them some beats that I made and they were bugging out. It was some Hip-Hop shit and they didn't expect that from me. So they already knew Crow and Crow was you know working with Jack also showing him beats and shit like that and they were like, "you know what, let's just get these dudes together and let's see what happens." That's when they started recording "Book 1" and "Book 2." We were in the studio with them like everyday coming up with concepts together and shit like that. Crow actually produced a track on "War Story Book 1" and from there on we were just around. Then after what happened with Duke, me and Crow had recorded a lot of songs and through performing throughout all the Los Angeles area, we started getting a little following. So all the shit that we were doing at the shows, people would be like "yo, you guys got anything" and we would be like "man we don't have nothing." If that would have been now, that would have been a mix tape. It would have been like "here is the mix tape," but at the time, that really wasn't big. So we were like "alright these songs we have, lets just make a little record." Plus nothing had really came out since "Book 1." It was a while after we put out "Book 1," it took us at least 3 or 4 years to put out "Book 2." So in between there they already knew we had this whole Sick Symphonies thing going so it was like "man we've got to put something out." So we put out the Street Platoon record and you know we were just doing shows here in L.A. heavily trying to promote and that's how we got started.

thaFormula.com - So when you guys put out the "Steel Storm" LP, what were you trying to do with it and what were your hopes for the album?

Cynic Of Sick Symphonies/Street Platoon - On some real shit, all we really wanted to do was establish ourselves as a group. 'Cause like I told you we were doing a lot of shows but we had nothing out and people knew that we had came out through Psycho Realm so they really didn't know what we sounded like because when they would just come see us live. Also just the fact that we were coming out through Psycho Realm they were already like "ah these dudes they sound like psycho realm or they are biting Psycho Realms shit," but we weren't though. Our voices are different and our beats are different. Their shit was always more of a concept album, with us it was more raw, just Hip-Hop. Not too concept based but just more about life and everything that came with it. So when we were recording songs, we were just trying to develop ourselves and get comfortable on the mic. So we really weren't expecting much, but to try and establish ourselves and for people to realize we were sounding different from Psycho Realm. We weren't expecting to put this out and blow up and be the next fucking group. But we did know that when people heard it, people would respect and realize that we weren't trying to do what Psycho Realm was doing and I think we got our point across pretty good.

thaFormula.com - So how was the reaction from the people when it dropped and did you get what you wanted out of it?

Cynic Of Sick Symphonies/Street Platoon - Yeah it was good man. After that we got a bigger following. We started getting more people to come out to our shows. Even when we had nothing out, we would have like 100 people at our shows, which was pretty good. So then after we put out that record you know little by little we started doing more because the CD was starting to get bootlegged and it was getting to this city and that city. 'Cause when we put it out, we just put it out here in L.A. and we had a few outlets to like the Midwest and we had a few stores in Chicago that we would get it too. But like Europe and shit like that, we never got it out there but it got out there so then we started building this little following like that with word of mouth. So as we were doing that the following kept growing and Jack seen that shit and that's what got him kind of motivated him to get on stage 'cause he would come out to one of our shows and we had like 400 people. So it would be nice and crowded with people into it. He would get pumped up and we'd be like "yo fuck it, lets throw on 'Psycho City Blocks' and lets rock it" and that's how he got back into doing his shows and we were like "man we should just do a whole 'Psycho' set with Street Platoon, we will mix it up, help you out and do Duke's part and just keep it moving." So that's what we did man.

thaFormula.com - Is the Street Platoon thing something you guys planned to do on a constant basis or was that just a one-time thing?

Cynic Of Sick Symphonies/Street Platoon - We weren't trying to put out one record and that's it. We wanted to put out a few records, but sometimes life gets in the way as far as like people having to work and family. To really dedicate yourself to this is hard 'cause if you don't put your all into one thing it's never gonna progress. If you put in 3 hours a day then that's how its gonna move. A lot of that got in the way as far as having to work so we were never able to complete a whole new record. Beats and concepts weren't a problem 'cause those were there. The problem was actually sitting together and getting it done. We recorded a bunch of songs, but like I said it was never another complete record. Right now we are still sitting on a gang of beats and concepts and shit but hopefully we will get to it soon.

thaFormula.com - What will the next Street Platoon album be like compared to the first?

Cynic Of Sick Symphonies/Street Platoon - Pretty much on this new Street Platoon record, I think I'ma take full responsibility of the rappin' mostly and he's gonna help me produce the record. Its gonna be produced by both of us, but I think I'm gonna be doing most of the rapping on the new record.

thaFormula.com - What was the main reason behind you and Jack doing "The Terror Tapes?"

Cynic Of Sick Symphonies/Street Platoon - A lot of people don't know that me and Jack are real cool and shit, besides this rap shit. We get along and talk everyday. We also had done a lot of songs together like shit that never got out. Me and him kind of write the same way. We are into writing quick where Crow and Duke are more similar in that they wrote by pieces and took their time a little more. They were more concept based. So me and Jack, when we would do songs together we would be the first ones to be done and drop. So we were kicking it everyday at the Drug Lab just working on beats and he was like, "I wanna put out a mix tape" and I was feeling the same way and was like "so do I." So we were like "fuck it lets just do it together and we will be done with this shit in no time" and that's exactly what happened. We got it done in a month and the fact that the Crow thing happened to happen at the same time, it was just timing.

thaFormula.com - It came out really dope for a mix tape, were you guys surprised at how good it came out?

Cynic Of Sick Symphonies/Street Platoon - Yeah, a lot of people would always say "oh they are cool but we don't like their beats" or whatever excuse they would always give for not feeling us. So we were like, "you know we could rip it, let's not do to many concepts and just do some MC shit" and we picked some beats that we liked and rhymed over other people's shit that's known but not known. So when we did that, I think that's when people were open cause they were like "yo you are rippin' it to this beat and that beat, I've heard that original song and you guys murdered it or that shit sounds better then the original song." So I think that definitely lured people in and they got more open to our shit and seen where we come from. The DJ FM one (mix tape) too because it's what a mix tape should be as far as the DJ's point of view. I like what FM did as far as blending and actually mixing the whole record together. I'm definitely proud of both projects. "The Terror Tapes" I knew were gonna be good, but I didn't know how good it really was until the end. After we heard all the songs together, we were like "this is actually pretty dope." I think Jack murdered it. He really showed what he could do as far as on an MC level. He showed that he could hang with any other rapper so I'm proud of that project.

thaFormula.com - So what's going on with you right now as far upcoming projects you might be working on?

Cynic Of Sick Symphonies/Street Platoon - Right now I'm supporting Jack on this Muggs record that they are featuring me on. I'm really helping them on that just giving them brotherly support and just helping them throw verses here and hooks and shit like that and man just hopefully get into the Street Platoon record and continue working with Jack on the Spanish record and whatever future projects we got coming through here. I just produced some shit for Ill Bill's record. I did a few songs for the La Coka Nostra shit and I'm sure one or two might make it. I'm just trying to stay busy and get out there as a producer too.

thaFormula.com - With the way you guys have been growing lately, what happens when a huge commercial artist approaches you guys about working together? How do you approach that when it's an artist that you know your fans might not like?

Cynic Of Sick Symphonies/Street Platoon - The way we think, we know better then to jeopardize our shit like that. We wouldn't disrespect someone and be like "fuck off." We would tell them fuck off in a nice way. We know what we should do and what we shouldn't do and that's a situation that we have been faced with before. Either Jack or I have. But its just like man we worked so hard to build what we built with Psycho Realm and Street Platoon's cult following, to jeopardize that and take a gamble on some shit that we don't know we are gonna succeed with. You know like following the formula and doing what everybody else is doing and you know jumping into that shit. What about if that doesn't work for us? If we try to fall back on our fans, our fans are gonna be gone like "fuck them dudes." They are gonna move on to the next person they feel that they can relate too. So we know better then to take that gamble. Like I said we work hard and we're comfortable with what we got and we know that it's growing so I don't think that we would take a step in that direction. Trust me man, this is shit that we talk about all the time that we know not to do. No disrespect to anyone. Maybe if they wanna come do some shit like we do and if they can flip it and sound good then we're down, but for us to go out of our circle to do some whole different shit, nah. I mean we set goals for ourselves but I don't kill myself everyday about it. I let the shit flow naturally. I mean we wanna be to the point like on some Rolling Stones shit to where we are 40 or 50 years old and still performing in front of thousands of people and doing what the fuck we do. Just never changing and to continue that following I think we just have to do what we have always done which is doing music for ourselves and making music we wanna hear.

feedback: info@thaformula.com

Be  sure to join the over 600,000 Industry Heads that have signed up to our exclusive mailing list!!  Click here to join and receive exclusive interviews only available to members. Leave contact info ( name, email address, city, state, and country) at info@thaformula.com.