On Friday, the Daily sat down with up and coming hip-hop duo The Knux hours before they opened for Ludacris at this year’s A&O Ball. The brothers, Kentrell “Krispy Kream” and Alvin “Rah Almillio” Lindsey, discussed their nicknames, their influences and how they feel about Rolling Stone calling their music “nerdy hip-hop.”

Video by Trevor Seela

Daily: How did you guys get your nicknames?

Krispy: Basically I was just Kream… but my friends would joke and say “Oh, Krispy Kreme.” I didn’t like it at first. Then, this chick was like “Aw, Krispy.” It sounded good coming out of her mouth, so I ran with it.

Al: Rah Almillio is some battle rap name that someone gave me. People were always like “Rah?” as in the Egyptian sun god. I’m not Muslim though as a lot of people ask me.

Daily: How did you get your start in music?

Krispy: I was always musical; it’s just from like playing a video game and you hear the music in that. We tried to recreate the keyboard lines in games and stuff.

Al: Then playing instruments. Our mom actually made us do that to keep us out of trouble so the hood elements don’t take you in.

Daily: Did you always know you would end up in music?

Krispy: Not really, we had no idea. In New Orleans, it’s not a big thing like in some places you go. Like if some guy’s a musician, it’s something that is really cherished, but in New Orleans everybody plays music. It’s not a big thing… it’s just something we did.

Daily: You guys are only two years apart. Have you always been so close?

Krispy: We have to be close now.

Al: It’s like living together again. We had our own lives going on, but we got closer now because we do a lot of business together even outside of music.

Daily: Who are some of your influences?

Krispy: The Doors, Jefferson Airplane

Al: ZZ Top

Krispy: A Tribe Called Quest

Al: Wu-Tang

Daily: How do you write your music and lyrics?

Al: We flow for some reason with music. I never have to guess what’s going in his head, or he has to guess what’s going on in my head. We connect in some weird way when we’re doing music.

Daily: Rolling Stone described your music as “nerdy hip-hop”. How would you describe your music?

Al: They just got it from other people saying that about any style of hip-hop that is not gangsta rap. We’re not literally killing people on records, but it’s not positive music – it’s not like Will Smith. We’re not like telling like fake drug stories.

Krispy: That’s one thing about hip hop. It’s always either black or white. We gotta get away from that. It’s like it’s always either positive or you’re the negative gangsta. How about you be someone in between, like a real person, because no one’s one way all the time.

Daily: What do your tattoos mean?

Al: It’s kind of spiritual. I know everybody has their thoughts about life, but it’s positive though. I’m all about freedom… and being connected with God. I’m not religious, but (spiritual).

Daily: What’s in store for the future?

Krispy: New album. Many more videos. More work, more party, more play, more everything.

[email protected] Tadena contributed writing.