Brooklyn Bodega’s Raven the Blazin’ Eurasian caught up Tek of Smif-N-Wessun, who will be one of the artists headlining this year’s Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. The Brooklyn emcee talked about the significance of longtime label Duck Down Records’ 15th anniversary this year.

“Just for the simple fact that it is the 15th year of an independent label that’s been putting out good music, good quality music with major artists such as Sean [Price], Blackmoon, [and] 9th Wonder,” Tek said. “We got KRS-One on the roster. We just got Pharoahe Monch on the roster. Kidz In The Hall…not to mention Smif-N-Wessun, can’t forget about them guys. The music is timeless with Duck Down. It’s just a family thing and there’s not many groups that last together for fifteen years of music. That’s a young teenagers life right there. So, you know, it’s just a beautiful thing to be able to keep on doing it and still be relevant.”

Tek went on to discuss he and rhyme partner Steele’s upcoming album with the legendary Pete Rock. Titled Mounmental, Tek says the album is exactly as the title suggest and that recording it was an incredible experience unto itself. He also stated fans can expect to hear some of the album’s cuts preformed during their set at this summer’s Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival.

“We have one of the top dopest producers doing the entire album in Pete Rock,” he said. “So with Pete Rock and Smif-N-Wessun together, there is no other name but Monumental. With the beats he’s going to bring and the lyrics we’re going to bring, each studio session was just fucking like magic…[We’re going to do] some new joints off the Pete Rock/Smif-N-Wessun album, Monumental, be out in September. We’re definitely going to kick some of those off.””

Watch the full interview below or read it here, and make sure to check out Brooklyn Bodega’s Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival this July 10.