Before Masi & HP began making music together, they were solo artists. Masi started rapping at age 9 and got into production in high school, though he eventually opted to devote all his energy to being behind the mic. For HP, writing and spitting rhymes was more like therapy; an artistic outlet for his pinned up frustrations, which became the catalyst for his own creativity. What started out as a hobby turned into a legitimate career move and laid the groundwork for their debut EP entitled, Champagne For The Pain.
The 8-track project, backed by business partner Terrell of All In Entertainment Music Group, doesn’t compare with the street sounds emanating from today’s popularized hip-hop. Neither Masi nor HP are interested in competing or chasing trends. Instead, they are curating old head-friendly, feel-good music that also contains introspective rhymes focused on relatable messages complemented by 808 bass lines. Their brand of hip-hop is steeped in tradition yet their wordplay speaks to all generations. HP & Masi decided against features on the EP and opted to use an in-house production team. They prefer to secure loyal supporters by choice and not force.