Thug Life Army

Play-N-Skillz has heard all the hype. The same hype that has the hip-hop Dallas rap duo being praised as one of the hottest up-and-coming production teams in the hip-hop game. Hype that has made brothers Juan "Play" Salinas and Oscar "Skillz" Salinas much sought after producers from submitting tracks to heavyweight rap icon 50 Cents to collaborating with platinum Texas cohort Lil'' Flip. With their debut release The Process, on Universal/Motown Records the southwestern-based tandem adds to the lineage of Texas street-rap royalty that includes Scarface, The D.O.C., UGK, and the late DJ Screw.

What is special about Play-N-Skillz is their unique background. Raised in a South American family, the two brothers grew up in a predominantly African-American neighborhood of Irving, Texas aka.Crooked I. "Our family came to this country not knowing how to speak English," recalls a proud Play. "We had our struggles in the neighborhood, but mostly, people gave us love. With the support of their mother, the brother's love of rap inspired Play to become a DJ. After garnering a name for himself at local Dallas clubs around town, it was only a matter of time before DJ Play's younger brother would take on the turntables. "He had no other choice but to let me roll," Skillz laughs. "But we eventually got tired of the records we were playing as DJ's and decided to start creating our own stuff." After creating, a makeshift recording studio in their mother's cramped two-bedroom apartment, Play ditched his college plans and rented out a space with his brother with plans to build a professional studio and soon Prime Time Productions was born.

By the summer of 2003, Play-N-Skillz had become local fixtures on the Texas underground rap scene, prompting Lil'' Flip to make a visit to the duo's Dallas recording studio. Impressed by the versatility of their street-inflected beats, Flip asked them to produce several tracks on the now platinum-plus You Gotta Feel Me, including "I Came To Bring The Pain," featuring Ludacris and the mix tape and club favorite "Bounce." An alliance between the two parties eventually developed. "When Flip stepped into the booth with us, it was magical," describes Play. Except for The D.O.C. and Erykah Badu, we don''t have too much popping on the music side in Dallas," say Play. "All the music was coming out of other areas in Texas, we bridged the gap," continues Play, now even artists outside of Texas area are getting at us." So what does that say? Can''t nobody front on Dallas or Play-N-Skillz," adds Skillz.

Such bravado may sound overly cocky coming from a pair of baby-faced brothers who have only been in the rap scene for two years. However, for Play, 24 and Skillz, 22, The Process simply backs up their swagger, displaying the duo's versatile skills as both producers and rappers. On the creeping first single "Freaks," Play-N-Skillz recruits Krayzie Bone and the seductive vocals of the original freak herself Adina Howard. While, the infectious "Now," featuring Lil Flip, brazenly finds the duo detailing coming up in the streets. While, on the sly come-on "Call Me," featuring up-and-coming Texas rapper Chamilionaire, the brothers show the women some thug-love over a mid-tempo groove. For Play-N-Skillz, injecting a realistic approach to their music has always been a priority. "Lyrically, every song came from everyday life situations," Skillz says.

"The people that survive in the business really don''t have a formula," Play says. "Dr. Dre can make a beat for Busta Rhymes and then switch to a Mary J. Blige. That is why he is a legend. And that's the path we are looking at." With the release of The Process, it is simply time for these Dallas native sons to show and prove, and it is a challenge they are both ready to take on.

Here is a track from the Play N Skillz album ‘The Process’ due out October 18th. Play N Skillz are ready to take the game by storm and represent their roots at the same.  It’s what hip hop is all about!  Represent your true essence no matter the background or the culture you hail from.  These brothers are ready to make all the “Latinos Stand Up” as well as anyone who may want to bounce with them!

Audio: Latinos Stand Up

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Make sute you check this album out Oct. 18^th.

http://www.playandskillz.com/

http://i-squad.com/Universal-Records/Play N Skillz.html