 The duo of Magnif and Griot became engulfed in hip hop culture at the ages of 6 and 9, and spent their teenage years honing their skills on the production boards and on the microphone.At the ages of 16 and 19, the duo released their first single, titled "Mic Check", in 2003 on Running Man Records.The next year, the duo hooked up with fellow Detroit native, producer J Dilla, to release the single "The Shining".