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21 Jul 2017

Philly’s The Blumbros: “Something’s Gotta Give”

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July 21, 2017 Category: Entertainment Posted by:

The Blumbros are trying to make their way from Philadelphia’s Blumberg Projects to the top of the music charts by sharing what they’ve learned about life along the way.

 

By Philadelphia Sunday Sun Guest Writers

Hip-Hop legend Chuck D once described the musical art form as “the people’s CNN.”

Raphael and Cartier Perkins (or Raphy and Carty as they’re better known) are sharing the news from North Philadelphia through their hip-hop group, The Blumbros.

The brothers — two of 11 siblings born and raised in Philadelphia’s notorious Blumberg Homes housing project — formed their group in 2016. The brothers were split up as young children and raised in separate sections of the city, reconnecting when they were 15 and 16-years-old respectively. When they started making music together, the duo grabbed the attention of Todd “Morty” Perry II (music manager and publisher, also from Philadelphia) with their regional hit, “Wanna Be Grown.”

Working alongside Perry and their co-manager, who goes by the name “OSS,” they  began to develop their songwriting, image and stage presence. The Blumbros have attracted the attention of powerful music executives such as Philadelphia native J. Erving (Eve, Nelly, Jeremih).

The group is currently on a statewide college tour and will be opening for some major acts this summer.  A few of the duo’s musical influences have a Philly connection as well, such as Meek Mill, PNB Rock and A Boogie, to name a few.

In addition to showing others how to get noticed by major labels in a way that ensures longevity, the Blumbros are an example of how the inner city kids that America often counts out can turn their passions into something that fosters worldwide positivity.

The SUN spoke to Raphy and Carty about their music, how their life experiences has influenced it, and the release of the group’s upcoming album, “Something’s Gotta Give.”

SUN: What’s life like now as recording artists?

CP: We get lots of compliments because people know we make music, and people like being around us. And sometimes we get some negative comments, too. But really, the music changed us. We walk around with a different swag now. I personally like the attention. Everywhere we go we get recognized some kind of way.”

SUN: What was life like growing up?

CP: [It was] bad. [Raphy and I] got separated by DHS growing up, when I was 3, (and Raphy was 5). But we eventually reunited once we got older, like around 16. Once we got discharged from DHS we hung out more. Growing up we kept in contact because we saw each other at visits and stuff. Around 14, 15, I started doing what I wanted, even though I still was in foster care, I started coming outside without my foster parents around and I always would go to the projects. Throughout my time in the system I always would run away and go back to the projects. I always got kicked out of every foster home. We both went to a million schools, stayed in a million foster homes; it was crazy growing up.”

SUN: So wherever your new foster home was in Philly, you all still somehow found a way to come back to the Blumberg.

CP:  Of course. There were 3 buildings, each with 18 floors, so we always had somewhere to go.

SUN: Were you all there when they tore them down?

CP: Yea, we were out there that morning. They tore them down about 7 in the morning. I want to say it was last March (2016). It was crazy out there. They had it blocked off so people had to be at least 3 blocks away. People were on all sides of the blocked off square. People cried. it was real sad to see all those memories get destroyed.

SUN: What memories do you all still keep from Blumberg?

CP: Everything. I did my first everything in there. I wouldn’t be me if it wasn’t for Blumberg. The Blum made us who we are today.

SUN: What do you miss most about Blumberg?

CP: The buildings. They had everything. You could go in a building and buy a drink (of alcohol) if you wanted to. You could buy cigarettes, cigars, condoms, you name it. Certain houses on certain floors had stores. You could even stay with a neighbor if you were locked out of your apartment. It was a community in there; everyone was family.

SUN: Do you still maintain your relationships with people from Blumberg?

RP: We don’t hang around like we used to, because we work all the time, as a way to limit distractions, but it’s still love.

SUN: Where do you record?

RP: At a studio near Broad & Logan.

SUN: What is the travel schedule like?

CP: We go on the road whenever we get the call. We just did some shows out at Penn State (Main Campus). We used to have to pay for our slots (at various talent showcases) and we didn’t really have a problem with that because we always made sure we put on a great show. Now we get requested to perform or make appearances all over the country.”

SUN: Have you had any setbacks?

RP: We just had a setback for over a month because my jaw got wired and I had to get some teeth pulled, and then on top of that my kidneys were bad because I wasn’t drinking enough water so they kept me in the hospital for another two weeks to get my kidneys in order. But once I left the hospital I still couldn’t record because my jaw was wired shut, so we just got back in the lab not too long ago and we’ve been recording ever since.

SUN: What other business ventures are you currently working on?

RP: We have a clothing line called “Wanna Be Grown” and we were selling clothes faster than we could get them in, and we also have some Blumbros shirts and hoodies but when we sold out we just started focusing back on the music. Now we have a project called ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ that will be released later in July, and we are going to have a release party July 22 at Ridge Capital (29th St and Ridge Ave, North Philly). We also just came back from Cali for the first time. We shot a video for our first single, “Wanna Be Grown” and we met with like 5 labels, but we didn’t feel the need to sign a deal. Our manager (Morty Waxman) is out there so he made sure we handled our business.

SUN: What type of crowd do you expect at the release party?

RP: Between our family and our fans, it’s going to be crazy out there. Most of our fans are around college age, and then we have a bunch of family that will definitely be in the building. It’s gonna be lit”.

The group’s next move is to finish and release their project entitled “Something Gotta Give” They will also be collaborating and touring with DJ’s Joachim and DJ Makj.

The Blumbros music is available on Soundcloud, Apple Music, ITunes, Tidal and Spotify.

 

 

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