This is the best chicken I’ve ever had.” Bon Voyage proudly proclaims upon biting into his Toriten, a staple lunch entree at the famed Guu Izakaya. Perhaps it’s the hangover following a long weekend of celebrations talking, but his appetite lives up to the hyperbole and the dish is quickly devoured.
The Airplane Boys, APB, have been redefining their best at a steady pace over the past three years. With every new free album they release, they up the quality of their product substantially. The sounds get more daring, their visuals virtually peerless in Toronto’s hip-hop scene. The spot they occupy is theirs and theirs alone.
Bound at the hip from childhood, Beck Motley & Bon Voyage – born Mannie Serravilla & Jason Drakes, respectively – have an effortless yin & yang chemistry about them. Beck’s infamous curly locks spurt out of his scalp while Bon’s hair is closely shorn. Beck will bound ahead in a conversation to share his take on the APB vision, speaking in hyperbole and gesture. Bon will sparingly offer his grounded observation in metered monotone, adding gravitas to the dynamic.
In this instance, the Boys are feting a sold out show in Toronto in promotion of their latest project, Ego & Expectations. It was a test of self-sustainment, not only for the artists, but for their overarching collective, Beau Monde. “The guys that we grew up with were running the show,” says Beck Motley. “No sponsors. No nothing.” The results were fruitful: a sold out merchandise stand, new fans, and reaffirmed believers.
The Boys also needed some affirmation themselves.
“This was the first time we felt the anticipation on us. Usually, we’re opening up for people or educating people on who we are. But this time around, we saw people in Beau Monde shirts. There’s a line up going down the street chanting “APB!” Bon chimes in, “To see that we did all of that by ourselves is amazing. It reminded us that we had the power. That we could do this.”
That “this” is to build a creative empire that is slowly creeping through the global music scene along a most unorthodox route. Beau Monde includes such talents as Warren Credo, who has shot all of APB’s videos to date, and Justin Creates, a major contributor to the group’s overall aesthetic.
The APB’s story innocently enough. The budding young rap group released their first video, entitled “Sleep.” It got widespread blog love and generated a bit of buzz. A music executive from L.A. caught wind of the track and enticed the Boys with promises of studio time and collaborations with dream producers. Sold instantly, they spent every cent to get to California, only to be stonewalled upon arrival. Smoke & mirrors.
Gutted, and without a plan, APBs’ trip was salvaged at the last second by the most important email they’ve ever received. “We got an message from Snoop Dogg’s management team saying they would love to rep us. We didn’t know how they found us. We go visit their office, and shit, it turns out to really be them. They made a case as to why they should manage us. We believed in them.”
That leap of faith (and support from one of the most experienced managing crews in the business) soon took The Airplane Boys to the world’s biggest festivals across Asia, the UK, most notable of which was Coachella. For anyone so fresh out of the gate, such a shift in gear could be overwhelming, but the duo managed to keep everything in perspective. “We’ve been put into the fire, and we know how to handle it,” Beck explains between sips of tea. “We come out to crowds that don’t know us and they’re booing, then we make them applaud. We come out to crowds that don’t know English, and we celebrate the universal language of music.”
Bon Voyage acknowledges the strides the group has made but knows there’s more to be done. “We’ve constantly been getting better but we’ve also been going backwards. We went on tour early on in our career, not really having a foundation of fans at home, but now we’re able to do a show here (in Toronto).”
Artistically, they also realized they faced more obstacles. Beck explains, “Everyone was saying, ‘these guys are next.’ The expectations devalued our growth. We started to believe them and weren’t realistic with our own.” The Airplane Boys believe Egos, their fourth release, puts them back in the driver’s seat. “We dictate our growth. We’re growing in the spotlight but staying there with our traditions, our principles.”
Beck reflects on where the Boys are today and on the whirlwind of events that led them there as the cheque arrives. “Even though we’re all over the world learning and seeing new things, It’s so refreshing to come home. You have to come back to yourself at some point to make the growth complete.”
Thanks to Guu Izakaya for their hospitality.
This is the best chicken I've ever had." Bon Voyage proudly proclaims upon biting into his Toriten, a staple lunch entree at the famed Guu Izakaya. Perhaps it's the hangover following a long weekend of celebrations talking, but his appetite lives up to the hyperbole and the dish is quickly devoured.
The Airplane Boys, APB, have been redefining their best at a steady pace over the past three years. With every new free album they release, they up the quality of their product substantially. The sounds get more daring, their visuals virtually peerless in Toronto's hip-hop scene. The spot they occupy is theirs and theirs alone.
Bound at the hip from childhood, Beck Motley & Bon Voyage - born Mannie Serravilla & Jason Drakes, respectively - have an effortless yin & yang chemistry about them. Beck's infamous curly locks spurt out of his scalp while Bon's hair is closely shorn. Beck will bound ahead in a conversation to share his take on the APB vision, speaking in hyperbole and gesture. Bon will sparingly offer his grounded observation in metered monotone, adding gravitas to the dynamic.
In this instance, the Boys are feting a sold out show in Toronto in promotion of their latest project, Ego & Expectations. It was a test of self-sustainment, not only for the artists, but for their overarching collective, Beau Monde. "The guys that we grew up with were running the show," says Beck Motley. "No sponsors. No nothing." The results were fruitful: a sold out merchandise stand, new fans, and reaffirmed believers.
The Boys also needed some affirmation themselves.
"This was the first time we felt the anticipation on us. Usually, we're opening up for people or educating people on who we are. But this time around, we saw people in Beau Monde shirts. There's a line up going down the street chanting "APB!" Bon chimes in, "To see that we did all of that by ourselves is amazing. It reminded us that we had the power. That we could do this."
That "this" is to build a creative empire that is slowly creeping through the global music scene along a most unorthodox route. Beau Monde includes such talents as Warren Credo, who has shot all of APB's videos to date, and Justin Creates, a major contributor to the group's overall aesthetic.
The APB’s story innocently enough. The budding young rap group released their first video, entitled "Sleep." It got widespread blog love and generated a bit of buzz. A music executive from L.A. caught wind of the track and enticed the Boys with promises of studio time and collaborations with dream producers. Sold instantly, they spent every cent to get to California, only to be stonewalled upon arrival. Smoke & mirrors.
"We've been put into the fire, and we know how to handle it."Gutted, and without a plan, APBs’ trip was salvaged at the last second by the most important email they’ve ever received. "We got an message from Snoop Dogg's management team saying they would love to rep us. We didn't know how they found us. We go visit their office, and shit, it turns out to really be them. They made a case as to why they should manage us. We believed in them."
That leap of faith (and support from one of the most experienced managing crews in the business) soon took The Airplane Boys to the world's biggest festivals across Asia, the UK, most notable of which was Coachella. For anyone so fresh out of the gate, such a shift in gear could be overwhelming, but the duo managed to keep everything in perspective. "We've been put into the fire, and we know how to handle it," Beck explains between sips of tea. "We come out to crowds that don't know us and they're booing, then we make them applaud. We come out to crowds that don't know English, and we celebrate the universal language of music."
Bon Voyage acknowledges the strides the group has made but knows there's more to be done. "We've constantly been getting better but we've also been going backwards. We went on tour early on in our career, not really having a foundation of fans at home, but now we’re able to do a show here (in Toronto)."
Artistically, they also realized they faced more obstacles. Beck explains, "Everyone was saying, 'these guys are next.' The expectations devalued our growth. We started to believe them and weren't realistic with our own." The Airplane Boys believe Egos, their fourth release, puts them back in the driver's seat. "We dictate our growth. We're growing in the spotlight but staying there with our traditions, our principles."
Beck reflects on where the Boys are today and on the whirlwind of events that led them there as the cheque arrives. "Even though we're all over the world learning and seeing new things, It's so refreshing to come home. You have to come back to yourself at some point to make the growth complete."
Thanks to Guu Izakaya for their hospitality.