PRINCE Jaheem, Saadeio, Duke Gritty, Shooter McGavin and Dre Kash all attended school together in San Jose. Driven by their passion for music, they grew up making beats and writing rhymes in their apartments. Their goal was to produce as many songs as possible. Eventually, they formed the hip-hop group A.P.E.—short for Action Pack Entertainment—and their focus turned to touring and being heard.

But their grind mentality hasn't changed. Their latest album, Apes on Grapes, took them 16 months to record. It's a 15-track album with a solo from each artist, a few collaborations and one group joint. The A.P.E. set wanted to make sure they showcased everyone's individuality.

"A lot of groups don't do that, because they're scared to show their individuality. We're all individuals. We just come together because we sound so much doper together, but we want to show that we got it on our own too," says Prince Jaheem.

"The fans out there can get a taste of each one of us, and get to know us personally," says Duke Gritty. Their group joint, "Don't Touch My Cup," also serves as their single. It's an alcohol anthem for the clubs. "It's a nice little party lick. A smooth blues lick idea. Something universal. Something for the party people," says Saadeio. It's also a reflection of Action Pack Entertainment's efforts to make music fun again. The group steers away from being hardcore and all about the streets.

"We're just trying to bring the love for hip-hop music back so everybody can just have fun and party," says Duke Gritty. Of course, in a business like the music industry, everything isn't always going to be smiles and daps, especially for a group in the process of building its fan base. A.P.E. admits it can be rough, but there are things that make their hustle a little more bearable. "A lot of times it's not the immediate people on the microphone, it's the people around you that keep the movement going. So it's hard, but it's easier if you have a movement," says Prince Jaheem. Duke Gritty says the toughest part of the business is simply the day-to-day hustle, but he keeps his eye on the prize, or in his words, "On the gold pot at the end of the rainbow."

The A.P.E. set has performed throughout the Bay Area, as well as Nevada, the Northwest and Southern California. It's now in local stories and online, but they want to get their music out everywhere—when they joke about how you can even purchase their album at liquor stores, you can tell they wouldn't mind.

"If you listen to the album you're going to get 100 percent of how we are in real life. Were some normal guys out here," says Prince Jaheem. "We're just trying to make it, you feel me?"

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