A Conversation with Planet Giza

Photos by Mawuli

In the ever-shifting landscape of hip-hop, where trends come and go, Planet Giza stands tall as a beacon of innovation and artistry. Comprising rapper Tony Stone, alongside skilled producers DoomX and Rami B, this Montreal-based trio effortlessly blurs the lines between rap, funk, and the avant-garde. Their music, marked by its futuristic allure and infectious energy, has transcended geographical boundaries, captivating listeners not just in the north but also across the globe. Planet Giza's journey to musical prominence culminated in the release of their highly anticipated sophomore studio album, 'Ready When You Are,' this April. The record, a sonic masterpiece, features an impressive array of collaborations, including renowned UK artists like Kojey Radical and Venna, as well as North American talents such as Mick Jenkins and Saba. This fusion of international influences is a testament to their diverse musical palette, reflecting a collective spirit that knows no borders.

I had the privilege of delving into the creative universe of Planet Giza as we caught up during a studio session in Montreal back in August. The insightful conversation entailed their origin, the intricate process of crafting their latest project, and what lies ahead for the group in the near future. It was an enlightening experience that shed light on their artistic vision, their relentless pursuit of musical excellence, and their unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. As we navigated through their narrative, it became evident that Planet Giza is not just a rap group; they are visionaries who are reshaping the hip-hop landscape with their unmatched creativity and passion.

modrNation: Tell me about your origin story, and how the three of you came to be as a group.

Tony: I used to play basketball with Rami when we were very young, and when we met back again in high school, it was summer school, and I was asking him what he had been up to since I hadn’t seen him in a while. He told me that he was making beats, and I didn’t even know what that was. I was still playing basketball, and I was really curious. I was like, “what do you mean?”, and he went “no, like I make instrumentals and stuff”. I told him that he had to show me, so I went to his house, and he basically taught me the essentials, and the basics to making beats on FL Studio. I went back home and started making beats that day. Further down the line, I met with Doom, and he was already making beats, and so was I, so we got together and made this group called ‘The North Virus’, and we were just making music every day. One day, I was at home, and I was thinking that since Doom makes beats, and Rami makes beats, that we could all get together and see what that could do. We got together, and we made a song called ‘Old School Convertible’, put it on Soundcloud, and we found that it did very well. We felt it was a good dynamic, and we wanted to keep it going.

modrNation: How did you come up with the name Planet Giza? Was it to play into your self-described “retrofuturistic” sound, or did the name influence the development of that sound?

Tony: We started throwing around ideas for name, because we didn’t want to be ‘The North Virus and Rami B’, and we came upon ‘Planet Giza’. We wanted ‘Planet’ something, Giza for the three pyramids of Giza, and we’re three, so we thought it made sense, and we thought it was cool.

Rami: We didn’t think retrofuturistic at that time, but we tried to have an Egyptian art feel, because it was during the SoundCloud era, so we were trying to find something cool since we didn’t want to put photos of ourselves. We needed to find an identity, and we ran with that. We just kept the name, so it doesn’t mean anything to us right now, but it sounds cool.

modrNation: What did the creative process of your latest album ‘Ready When You Are’ entail, and what inspired it?

Tony: It was a long process. It entailed a lot of music research, a lot of travelling, a lot of sessions where we were just trying to tinker and find out what we were trying to do. We established that we wanted it to be like our Thriller; every song had to be amazing, so we were going to work on everything so it would sound perfect. The concept behind it was me navigating stardom and relationships, and I brought that idea to the guys, and they were like, yeah, let’s build on that.

modrNation: Four years stands between your previous record ‘Added Sugar’ and RWYA, so how would you say that your sound has changed?

Doom: It didn’t really change, but it matured. If you think about it, Ready When You Are is like the continuation of Added Sugar, that’s kind of how I see it. Everything we tried to do on Added Sugar that we couldn’t do at the time because we just didn’t have the knowledge or the experience musically, I think we achieved on RWYA.

modrNation: Your new project has 8 features: Kojey Radical, Venna, Saba, Mick Jenkins, Femdot, Topaz Jones, Sun, and Lan’do. What inspired you to incorporate more collaborations on RWYA?

Rami: They were just organic collaborations. We were just making the songs, and we would connect with artists, and be like “oh, you would sound good on this.” So, we would work with them. People that we’re fans of, that are also fans of us, so it just made sense. We didn’t really force anything. When we did Added Sugar, we were trying to get a bunch of features, but nobody was replying to us, so we got used to just making the music, and not waiting on it. It worked out perfectly on this record.

modrNation: You’ve been travelling recently, from NYC to London, as part of your promofor the album (after a while of remaining in Canada in wake of the pandemic). What are some memorable experiences from these travels?

Rami: Memorable? I mean, doing Sway.

Doom: Exactly, Sway.

Tony: Sway’s Universe, that was incredible, getting to rap on there. I grew up on Sway, the hip-hop pillar, you know? Getting to talk to him, and see how cool he was, man. He was just a real genuine guy. He gave us his phone number, and that was very memorable.

Rami: Getting a taste of doing PR, like a real PR run. Spending the whole day going from there, to there, to there.

Tony: Yeah, having a whole schedule.

Doom: That sh*t was not fun.

Rami: It was not fun at all!

modrNation: You often collaborate with others in the city, whether it’s producers like Kaytranada or JMF, or features from artists like Sun. Who are some artists in Montreal that you would like to see gain more recognition?

Tony: This amazing artist by the name of Foxtrot! We are currently in the studio with her right now.

Rami: Shoutout Foxtrot: *laughs*

Tony: She has a very unique sound, and yeah. I'm looking forward to seeing how she grows with that sound, and I hope she gets the acclaim that she deserves.

Doom: I think Foxtrot, Sun, JMF, among others. The people that are close to us.

modrNation: Your music clearly reflects a deep appreciation for old school hip-hop, with Tony seamlessly incorporating references into the lyrics. Could you elaborate on how this love for old school hip-hop influences your creative process and the overall sound of your group?

Tony: We all have different influences when it comes to creating music and what we like, but our foundation is rooted in hip-hop. At a very young age, when it comes to the lyricism for me, it’s all I listened to and it’s what I enjoyed. Good lyrics, and a good punchline that makes people go, “Oh, my goodness! He’s so incredible...” So, I think that’s why it’s reflected so much in the music, because it’s the foundation of it. From that, we jumped into other music genres.

Planet Giza: Jazz, House, Bossa Nova, Funk, Soul, R&B, Disco, Electronic...

Doom: There’s no limit to what we listen to.

modrNation: You all are often seen wearing a ‘Q’ pendant, or posting the logo on social media, symbolizing Quiet Note. What does it mean, and what vision do you have for this creative venture?

Doom: Quiet Note is like the brand around Planet Giza. We’re still working on it right now, so we’re still trying to figure out what we want to do. But it’s basically a clothing brand/event; we’re trying to get into events, too. Video direction for other people, a whole bunch of things. It’s still in the works, and we’re planning it right now.

modrNation: What can fans expect from Planet Giza in the near future?

Rami: Shows. We’re trying to get our visas.

Tony: We’ve got a show in Toronto on October 25.

Rami: Yes, at The Drake Underground.

modrNation: What message or feeling do you hope your Toronto audience will take away from your upcoming October performance, and how does this concert fit into your larger musical journey?

Tony: I hope they get the message that we are very passionate and serious about the music we make, and we want them to have a great experience, and leave the show with a newfound appreciation for a group that they maybe didn’t hear before, or they may have already heard. Yeah, we just want them to have a good time. Transitioning from the studio to the show and seeing people appreciate our music, I think will never get old. We will always be appreciative of that.