Harbor Kidz are Jamil Honesty and Squeegie Oblong, a rap duo from Staten Island who deal in raw and hard hitting lyricism over powerful and soulful beats and have just released their self titled debut album on Black House Records. Just like S.I rap royalty, the Wu-Tang Clan, Harbor Kidz deal in the grittiest of hip hop and while Wu have put tales of Stapleton and Park Hill into the consciousness of so many rap fans, Harbor Kidz are aiming to do the same for their neighbourhood of Mariners Harbor.

Harbor Kidz sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

SQUEEGIE: My house always was flooded with music, my pops played a lot of different stuff and my moms was always diverse with her r&b hip hop love.

JAMIL: My mother playing music in the house on vinyl… She loves music so it was passed down to me. My grandmother loved music as well, so I was surrounded by it like a second language for me coming up.  But Hip Hop came later and I started loving it in the early 90s, 91 when Scenario came out, I was sold and ready to embark on what would be a very interesting journey emceeing and later on with production.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

SQUEEGIE: Doom, Wu, early Em, Onyx, Mobb Deep, Nas, it’s almost like the 90s era hip hop that mid to late 90s was a major influence. To get with any of these dudes except those who have passed on would be a dope energy.

JAMIL: RZA, Ghost, The whole Wu, Busta, Redman, Kool G rap, Nas, Black Thought and Common are heavy influences. I would love to work with Black Thought, G rap and Black Milk.

3. What projects do you have coming up and can you give us any info on them?

SQUEEGIE: Right now I have some work coming soon (shouts to Exquisite Dope Records on that release). Then we plan on getting this Squeegie O prod by Jamil Honesty out the way and more Harbor Kidz work. I’ll keep y’all in tune with more of that soon.

JAMIL: The Gods Honest Truth, Martyr Musik 3, The Greatest Dope and another album I’m producing for my artist STAXX out of Baltimore. 22-23 will be filled with pressure.

4. How would you describe your sound?

SQUEEGIE: Fingerpaint-in-digital if that makes any sense!

JAMIL: Authentic because it comes from my soul and the way I perceive and consume music.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

SQUEEGIE: The way the music has been received the past 3 years to me is some of my more personal highlights. From FNTG up until now with the Harbor Kidz, it has been greatly received by the people and has been running around in this underground scene and I’m just glad to be apart of what could be history unfolding giving my perspective of this crazy world.

JAMIL: The first time I had my music on Vinyl.

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

SQUEEGIE: Don’t quit, don’t feel discouraged if something goes left and stay away from bad mojo, that shit will rub off like a temporary tattoo.

JAMIL: Learn your craft then learn the business.

7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?

SQUEEGIE: Besides us there’s Bankai Fam the Umbrella Collective the good brothers P.U.R.E and Ace Cannons, Pro Zay, 2nd Generation Wu and a whole lot more to name, we could be here all day.

JAMIL: Ace Cannons, Vega 7 The Ronin, Willi Perez, SickintheHead, Ill conscious, Supreme Cerebral.

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

SQUEEGIE: I’m in the late 90s early 2000’s my shit been random between RZA “as Bobby Digital”, M.O.P “Marxman Cinema” and Sticky Fingaz “The Autobiography Of Kirk Jones” with some random Jay-Z songs tossed in there.

JAMIL: Jericho Jackson, IX by Codenine and Harbor Kidz.

9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?

SQUEEGIE: Spend time with my son and his mom’s and on occasion get some gaming in.

JAMIL: Working and living life which gives me the inspiration to create

10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?

SQUEEGIE: Blunts, good beats and a nice size Poland spring bottle.

JAMIL: Focus.

Words: Gavin Brown