I guess being on tour is important for you guys ?

Pete and Perq : It’s very important for us. We’re on an independant label so we mainly promote ourselves by touring and we love doing it. It’s the best way to show people the love we got on stage. The effect of seeing us live is bigger than a flyer being sent out, you know.

How has the album doing since the release ?

Pete : It’s a steady process and it’s just keep growing since we’ve been doing shows and releasing videos. We are creating our fanbase. This is our first album and we are an act nobody knows from nederlands not from the states so yeah it’s doing very well.

Perq : We opened for Kanye West in Brussels and we got some more tour coming, in Europe and also Australia and Japon.

What’s your favorite tracks on the album ?

Perq : I like "Amazed" and "Paranoid" a lot because those 2 tracks really show our whole diversity. I like the all album but I think these tracks are good creativally speaking and really introduce the album.

Pete : It kinda depends on our mood because you know it’s a concept album.

How did you guys come to this idea of a concept album ?

Pete : When we decided to make music together the first track we did was “Lazy”. Then we said let’s make an E.P where every track is a mind state and then it evolved into an L. It just evolved gradually to the album.

How did you guys met with Talib Kweli ?

Perq : We are big fans of Talib and especially his first record with Hi-Tek. So when we were recording, we we discussing who should be on the album as guests. We already had people like Senna, Cee Major and jazz musician Jesse Van Ruller and Benjamin Hernan. Pete and me agreed that we should invite Talib. After he heard our E.P. he said ok let’s do this. We recorded the track in Amsterdam while he was on tour in Europe.

Pete : It was really cool. He was just one of us and he is very professional. I am a fan first and I am an artist as well so it was really cool to hear a lot of background on how some his tracks were made and all that.

Perq : When met two times after that.

Pete : Yeah and we were running through Amsterdam looking for brownies not knowing that he meant space cakes. It was on Sunday and every bakery was closed so we were asking why Talib was looking for brownies cause we don’t call it brownies in Europe so that was fun.

What are your favorite artists ?

Pete : My favorite producers are people like Roots Manuva from England, Saian Supa Crew in France.

Perq : I am influenced by Jay Dee, I think he is one of the great Hip Hop producers. I am also influenced by the earlier stuff Hi-Tek and Premier did. At this point I listen much more to other music than Hip Hop music because I don’t think there was a lot of very creative albums released this couple of years. Of course there are some exceptions, I really liked the Danger Doom album, the album Danger Mouse did with MF Doom. I tend to listen a lot to 60’s music, jazz and soul. You can hear these influences on the album. I believe think Hip Hop is the only genre where you can other genres ranging from african music to folk music and mix it and it’s still Hip Hop. This is what we we’re trying to do.

I got an other question : What do you think Hip Hop is lacking these days ?

Pete : Real Hip Hop isn’t missing anything. The only thing that’s been missing is proper representation. The only Hip Hop that’s really been promoted is probably the most cliche music because it’s a formula that works. I really would like a lot of creative acts getting the same promotion than 50 Cent or Eminem. I am not saying that this mainstream Hip Hop is wack or anything, it’s just that Hip Hop is broader than that.

Perq : Yeah, mainstream Hip Hop is only a portion of it and there is a lot of creative people that deserve more exposure.

There might be other ways for independant artists to promote their music, like Internet, what do you think ?

Pete : You know you got people getting Internet and keeping they ears to the streets but you know it’s a whole different league though. People are used to get music coming to them so they want really notice it. Mp3 and downloads is a beautiful way to spread the music but it doesn’t really generate any income for pure artists to survive. So I know it’s a popular belief that Internet is a good promotion tool but if he doesn’t enable you to step out the little box you’re in it’s doesn’t really help, you know. You still need radios and TV to promote it.

Perq : People can come to your music more easily with Internet this is the interesting point. Artists like Kanye West or Common are less gangsta so maybe then they can open some doors for the media to promote other Hip Hop artists.

What’s next for you guys ?

Perq : We are working on a remix album, it’s gonna be called “Re-Mind State” with 10 to 12 remix. Some are gonna be on our My Space. And we already recorded tracks for the second album that’s gonna be dropping in 2007.

Pete : I did some featurings aside. But we are really focusing on touring and promoting the album because that’s the only way to get our music spreading. You know we are doing our management ourselves and we are even selling our shit after the show so we have to keep our energy on promoting our music.

It’s important to stay independant ?

Pete and Perq : Yeah, it’s important to still be able to make the decision.

Perq : The album is released on my label and we did licence with an other label in Japan. I am doing the release for Europe and the Sates. We wanna be in charge of the artistic position. Making the videos and everything because we got a clear vision of how we want to represent ourselves.

Epitaph is a great partner and has done a great job on doing the promotion. We are also working of Anti for the US and Canada release for the album.

Hip Hop Galaxy : Alright, it’s definitely a “Mind State”.

Got a last message for the fans on Hip Hop Galaxy ?

Pete : If you like the music just support it. Check the album and support our album so we can come and play in your city.

Perq : And check our our website : www.ourmindstate.com and our My Space : www.myspace.com/petephillyandperquisite. Just check out the shows and check out our music, listen to it and support it !