After ten years of rhyming and scheming in the Kansas City music scene , CES Cru is now officially a part of the most powerful independent record label in the world, Strange Music, and they have their sights set on the benefits that come with it: touring, merchandising and a major album release.

In our live podcast interview with Travis O’Guin, we caught a glimpse of what Strange Music expects out of CES Cru and how they’re going to go about making it happen.

During the course of the interview, the Strange Music CEO revealed that an EP is on the way from the duo and also other acts on the label as well…

On to CES Cru, I know that this is an act that Tech was personally very excited about. What is Strange Music’s expectations for them?

If we signed you, we have huge expectations and we expect it to go as far as it could possibly go. We want to push it to be as big as it can possibly be. Who knows? Maybe CES Cru’s the sleeper and they end up being the stars of the label with millions of records sold. You never know what’s going to really grab hold. We know that it’s lyrical. We know that it’s fucking really hardcore, deep-rooted hip hop shit and we know that it fits what we do, yet another lane of what we do, because it wasn’t what Tech does, it isn’t what Lynch does, it’s its own stuff. You’re going to see a lot more kids at a CES Cru show wearing backpacks. It touches on the backpacks but it’s lyrical enough and dope enough to be broader than just that straight backpack shit. The main thing about CES Cru is that shit is super-lyrical. It’s super lyrical. Like, I gotta rewind a couple of times like “Hold on, what the fuck did he just say? What was that metaphor? Oh shit! Okay!” When I listen to a CES Cru song, I’m continuing to get pieces and meaning even though I’m on my seventh, eighth, ninth listen in. Like “Ah man, that was dope. I see how he did that.” I think they’re going to do very well. I know that we’re going to take the time to get the best album out of them possible and put the best foot forward. You’re going to see a lot of videos with CES Cru. Those guys do a lot of their own videos. As I was saying to a caller earlier, “go out and create your own buzz”. That’s what CES Cru did. That’s how they got attention around here, that’s how they got our attention, and then seeing them live was another thing that helped push them this way. Ultimately now they’re with Strange, they’re a part of the team, they’re a part of the family, and we want to make sure that they can do the best job that they can do. We have to get them ready for the tour life, we have to get them ready for bigger videos, we have to get them ready for bigger opportunities, and I think they’re going to handle it quite well.

So a record probably next year?

You know what I was trying to do and I was talking to Dave about this and even Korey downstairs, I want to do an EP on those guys this year. Matter of fact I want to do an EP on ¡MAYDAY! this year still, I would love to do an EP on Krizz Kaliko, as crazy as that sounds. I’d love to do an EP on Big Scoob, I’d love to do an EP on Kutt Calhoun. I’d love to give the fans some music and if I can do it I will because I want them to get a fix. You know what I’m saying? So the reason you’ve been seeing so many EPs from us is that it allows the fans to get that hold over. “Oh fuck! Dope man! Six songs! Seven songs! Ah man, this is cool!”

I like doing the EP and it’s not because they’re big money-generators or no shit like that, because they’re truly not, but what they do is service the fans, and it makes them happy. If they’re fucking happy then they’ll be dialed in so when we put out the real album hopefully they’ll go and pick it up. So if I can put together an EP and sell it inexpensively, you know, $5.99 or whatever it is, and give them that fix, then that’s the least I could do. I love to see an EP from CES Cru definitely, ¡MAYDAY! I definitely think that’s going to happen this year. I’d love to see one from Krizz, not to sure about that one. I’d love to see one from Scoob and Kutt Calhoun, because Kutt hasn’t had a record out and I want him to get his full length done however if I need to give the fans something as a holdover, let’s give them an EP, because I think people are waiting for Kutt’s music. I’m waiting for it my damn self. If we can’t give everyone a Tech album this year, which I hope that we can, but if we can’t, then let’s at least give them an EP.

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