When he was growing up, it was heavy metal, not hip-hop, at the top of his playlist.

So how has that kid grown up to be known as Self, part of Edmonton hip-hop group The Liberators, with his brother, who performs using the moniker John Press,?

“As a kid I was a huge metalhead, and I still am, but I had a good buddy who eventually got me hooked listening to the early 90’s (rap) from NY and Philly and that was it,” says Self. “I had to create those sounds.”

The Liberators will perform at the fifth annual Hip Hop in the Park (HHITP), a free, family-friendly clebration taking place noon to 8 p.m. Saturday (May 25) in Louise McKinney Park.

“HHITP is definitely a big day for us, as well as for the Edmonton hip-hop community,” says Press. “It’s great to see all the artists from the scene gathered together enjoying the day and just the culture of hip-hop.”

While some 20 artists – many local — are slated to perform at HHITP, The Liberators stand out in Edmonton’s budding hip-hop scene, with a style Self descrives as “sci-fi”.

“(We’re) Just a couple of dweebs keeping out of trouble and expressing our avenue of hip-hop, and thankfully it’s been received well amongst the peers and the people out at our shows,” he adds .

This is shaping up as a big year for the Liberators, who will release their album, Fun Since Day One, this summer. They’ve recently opened for hip-hop legends The Pharcyde, and Self was part of the Hip Hop For Hunger Freshman Cipher, a buzz-generating YouTube video showcasing Edmonton’s upcoming rappers.

Press, who admits to not having much of a plan so far, just wants to keep it moving.

“I want to branch into other ventures, hopefully release some soul/blues projects with local artists, as well as providing knowledge and opportunities for young ones to come up and have fun with us,” he says. “I think Edmonton has some exciting young prospects no one has really heard yet. So here we go.”