by SCOTT C

Montreal hip hop group FP Crew has been putting bars and hooks together since the early '90s, when MCs PhD and Big Shah got the ball rolling while still in high school. Ebonics and Frenchi Blanco rounded out the foursome in 1995 and 1998 respectively, and in 2005, after 10 years of making music, these guys are clearly ready to make their mark on heads everywhere. Last year FP released the long-awaited LP Exposé, a tight production that bagged them three awards at the Montreal Hip Hop Gala a few weeks ago, and the motivation to continue coming with quality joints. The Mirror spoke to PhD and Frenchi Blanco about making it in Montreal.

Mirror: It must have felt good to clean up at the Hip Hop Gala, especially after you guys have been at this for so long.

PhD: We've been doing this for over a decade, and we've known in our hearts that we were talented, but when an unbiased group of people votes for you, there's a recognition of what you've done, and it felt good to get the recognition we've thought we always deserved.

M: Montreal still isn't the easiest place in the world to be making hip hop music. I mean, we all do it, and have been doing it, but when it comes right down to it, what does it take to separate you from everything and everybody else as a group trying to come up in this town?

PhD: I think you have to have heart and perseverance. You have to really want it. As far as I'm concerned, we're gonna win at any cost.

M: What would be the ideal situation for FP Crew? What is it that you really want?

Frenchi Blanco: The goal is to be established and make things official, making things happen for a positive cause - for our city, because we love our city. Here in Montreal, we don't have the same exposure as they do in Toronto or Vancouver. We want to show people that there is talent in Montreal, with FP being part of that. There are lots of groups and artists that are coming out, and people need to know about them too. I think people here make do with what they have. We don't have big budgets or the corporate machine behind us, but we do pretty good with what we have. If a group like FP Crew had all the support and backing that some of these American cats have, maybe we'd be up there too.

M: What about vinyl? Any 12-inches in the works?

PhD: Actually we're in the process of working on a 12-inch for our second single "Soundclash," with an all English remix and then a French verse on the original.

FB: As soon as we have all the details worked out, we're definitely coming out with that one on wax.

With Oxmo Puccino, Ruffneck & Buzzy Bwoy and Sozi at le Spectrum on Saturday, March 26, 6 p.m., $20, all ages

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