As might be expected from a group with a sound as diverse as Planet Giza, the Montreal trio’s selections comprise a world tour of influences, from Haiti to London. Their new album Ready When You Are is available to stream here.
What song reminds you most of your childhood?
DoomX: It's a song from Haiti - “Lokal” by King Posse. I was like two years old when it came out, and I used to hear that song all the time from my family playing it in the house.
Tony Stone: Probably like a Jackson 5 song, “ABC” or something. I remember that being played in the house a lot and singing along.
Rami B: For me, it’s Sean Paul “Get Busy.” When used to live in Montréal-Nord back in the day, they used to play that every time in the parks so that reminds me of my childhood.
What was the first physical record you remember buying?
D: Bow Wow, Beware of Dog. I don’t know if that’s actually the first, but it’s definitely the first one I remember.
T: You know what’s crazy, I don’t really buy records like that, but I remember going to the record store with Ram and he bought a Big L album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous.
R: That’s true, I remember that. That would have been around 2011 - I actually first met Doom through Tony around that time. I’ve known Tony since 2008 because we used to play basketball together. But to answer the question, the first record for me was The Game, The Documentary.
What song is the best representation of your hometown?
R: There’s so much, but there’s this song by Baxter Dexter called “6 Vrais,” it’s in French. For me, I think that represents Montreal.
D: Muzion, “La Vi Ti Nèg,” ’cause that shit used to play all the time when I was little.
What songs remind you of traveling to a specific place?
T: I know we’ve got an L.A. song...
R: We’ve got a London song too - “Ye” by Burna Boy.
D: And “Talk About It” by Giggs.
T: Oh yeah! When we first went to London and heard that song, I was like “yo, Shazam this right now!”
D: And first time we went to LA, our friend Zach used to play this 03 Greedo Song all the time.
R: Yeah, “Floating”
What song do you wish you had written?
T: I think about this all the time, so I already know it’s “What’s Luv?” by Fat Joe and Ashanti. There’s also a bar from a Tyga song that goes “I do what I want, wake up when it’s lunch,” and when I heard that I was like “that’s so relatable.”
D: For me, it changes all the time because I’m always hearing great new songs, so I couldn’t even say.
R: On the production side, “These Walls” by Kendrick Lamar. That is right in our pocket, and I wish we had produced that.
What’s the best song to play at a house party?
R: “Love Like This,” Faith Evans. This is the one.
D: I think “Return of the Mack.”
R: That’s a good one. Or “Hey Mr DJ” by Zhané.
T: I feel like you can’t really go wrong with anything by The Neptunes.
What song would you like to be played at your funeral?
D: Smokey Robinson, “Much Better Off”
R: That’s a good pick.
T: What's going to make them cry? I’m trying to make them really cry. I’ll go with “Love is Everywhere” by Pharoah Sanders.
R: OK I’ll be literal with it, and go with “Don’t Cry” by J Dilla
T: How about “We Cry Together” by Kendrick? As long as it mentions crying, it’s in.
You’re abducted by aliens, and when you wake up on the spaceship, they pass you the aux. What is the song you’re playing to convince them not to destroy Earth?
R: Phew… “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson man.
T: Come on! Oh my God, the Earth is saved!
D: What else… there must be another good one…
T: I’m thinking Curtis Mayfield, “The Makings Of You”
R: Yeah, that’s a good one.
D: I’ll go with The Notorious B.I.G., “What’s Beef”