Ubiquitous strolls into the green room of the Rialto Theatre, taking the space in from behind wire-rimmed glasses, and sporting a tech beard. Godemis follows, backlit by the harsh afternoon sun, wearing a Rockstar Energy ear flap beanie despite the temperature.
Both rappers, collectively known as Ces Cru, are collected and concise, much like the music they make, and speak with conviction about the image they’ve worked hard to build.
After making their local rounds, rotating group members, and at times facing little to no recognition for their powerhouse stylings, the duo is finally making moves under the wing of independent rap great Tech N9ne.
The spitfires are slated to be the next powerhouse act to come out of Tech’s Strange Music label, following in the footsteps of acts like Krizz Kaliko, while pushing a rare act in rap. While the name is new, Ces Cru isn’t fresh-faced in terms of its pedigree.
Coming up in Kansas City, Mo.,’s storied rap community, where Tech himself is a legend, Godemis and Ubiquitous stand out with their technically classic approach to hip-hop while infusing their sound with a sense of spirituality.
“It’s been an underlying thing that we didn’t really put into the music for years,” Ubiquitous said. “It’s kind of been a literal life practice. When we were first clickin’ up, there was a lot of spiritual shit in our midst. We were growing and experimenting mentally.”
When you’ve been rapping together for the better part of a decade, you’re likely to stick to what you know. And for Ces Cru, that’s paid off, as eschewing themes of consumerism and early-’00s bling-heavy rap were never a part of their sound.
While the rest of the rap realm has slowly started to develop a conscious state that’s similar the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, with artists like Kid Cudi and Kendrick Lamar leading the way, Ces Cru has stayed true to the intricacies of purist hip-hop while still storytelling.
“We’ve been making the style of music we do now for 10 years,” Ubiquitous said. “The game has shifted in our direction.”
With that shift comes the ability for Ces Cru to act on any of its creative whims. On Constant Energy Struggles, the duo’s first major label release, Godemis and Ubiquitous showcase the breadth of their talent, from cadence shifts to party anthems to classic hip-hop flow.
While trap music runs rampant in the rap world, it’s a bold move with which to break the mold. However, that same approach might just work for Ces Cru.
“We think we try to stay away from safe music, specifically,” Ubiquitous said. “I think that that’s just a fuckin’ death sentence.” After 10 years of cutting their teeth, Godemis also said he knows that taking risks is the only way to make a name for yourself.
“If it feels safe then you should probably try harder,” he said.
With Ces Cru’s latest single, “Juice,” featuring Tech N9ne, it doesn’t take a rap aficionado to appreciate Godemis and Ubiquitous. They lay down bars over a Jurassic 5-style beat while NWA-era sirens wail in the background — it feels like the ‘90s in the best way possible.
Ces Cru doesn’t care if you’re on board with them yet, however. If anything, you’ll recognize their talent, and you’ll probably come around in time.
“There’s enough bodies out there to where I don’t feel like we need to conform or assimilate ourselves,” Godemis said. “They just gotta come fuck with us.”
