Artist: Quelle Chris
Album: Guns
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Background
One of Detroit’s true odd-balls, Quelle Chris got his start in 2006 with fellow wordsmith Denmark Vessey, forming the duo known as Crown Nation, releasing their debut LP $lutbag Edition in 2008. Linking up with Danny Brown shortly after, Chris is credited as a writer for many of Brown’s early work, even going as far to produce several tracks on The Hybrid. In fact, they ran in such a tight circle that Quelle used the same beat from Danny Brown’s XXX on his 2011 debut solo album Shotgun & Sleek Rifle; (Quelle’s “MTFO” uses the same beat as Brown’s “Nosebleeds”).
Quelle began his rise to underground prominence after his 2017 album Being You Is Great! I Wish I Could Be You More Often was met with critical acclaim, landing at #26 on Anthony Fantano’s end of year list, #11 on Rolling Stone’s best rap albums of 2017, and #12 on bandcamp’s end of year list.
Quick to follow up what was clearly his best album yet, shortly after getting engaged to legendary underground MC Jean Grae, these two came together in 2018 to release their collaborative effort Everything’s Fine, which was somehow even more well received than Being You Is Great. It was awarded Best New Music by Pitchfork, and was hailed as the best album of 2018, landing at #1 on bandcamp’s end of year list.
After two albums in back to back years, both of which are w
... keep reading on reddit ➡Quelle Chris - Guns
Release Date: March 29th
Label: Mello Music Group
Genre: Abstract Hip Hop, Jazz Rap
Singles: Obamacare
Streams: Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play
Schedule
| Date | Album |
|---|---|
| Tues. | Mekons - Deserted / Laura Stevenson - The Big Freeze / White Denim - Side Effects / american pleasure club - fucking bliss |
| Wed. | Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Hiding Places / Quelle Chris - Guns / Show Me the Body - Dog Whistle |
this is an unofficial discussion for reactions to the album or whatever your little heart desires. this is for the sake of preserving discussion on as many albums as possible. if there's any releases for the week (or in general) that may be of interest missing from the schedule either PM me or leave a comment somewhere and i'll add it.
hey folks, looking to pick up a copy of this record, and specifically that pressing for reasons that im sure quite a few of you would know. im hoping to spend around US$40+shipping. will only pay via g&s obviously. a sealed copy would be ideal but if yours is lightly played and appears pristine im probably still interested. im based in australia so if youre from here that would be very convenient but otherwise i have a us address you can send to. cheers
also if anyones got a copy of martin lucid dream by denmark vessey theyre willing to let go of hmu!
edit: purchased!
https://music.apple.com/us/album/imaginary-everything/1556556486
https://preview.redd.it/19hjpkyr5x961.png?width=220&format=png&auto=webp&s=f361050a8adb902765de0ee183d5bd3bca076046
Artist: Quelle Chris and Chris Keys
Album: Innocent Country 2
Released: April 24th 2020
Label: Mello Music Group
Listen:
Innocent Country 2: Melody as Remedy and Identity
A Tale of Two Chrises: Quelle and Keys
Innocent Country 2 by underground rap extraordinaire Quelle Chris and Bay Area-based producer Chris Keys is the second installment in a hip hop saga concerning creative catharsis and the triumph of the personal spirit over the seeming hopelessness of the world at large. The first Innocent Country was released in 2015, as part of Quelle Chris’s 2Dirt4TV series. IC2 was created over the past few years, comprising Quelle’s travels and friendships across this lost, blessed country God forgot.
In the modern day we’re inundated with information, digital access feels like a double-edged sword. It all makes our era one of perpetual existential anxiety about the climate, the future, ourselves, race and sex, money, and most of all, time. Though we’ve never been more comfortable or connected as a society at large, the problems are impossible to ignore. Wealth disparity persists amidst a resurgence of far-right hate groups and “politics” globally. The technological addiction of social media pervades our lives, as we scroll our way through the everyday, chained to our glowing, electronic boxes of dopamine and superficial validation, all made by unseen workers in foreign countries paid in pennies and subject to inhumane conditions. Anything mass-produced is almost always made possible through exploitation, and so consumers are passively complicit in that exploitation. Anybody who’s paying attention likely feels a deep sense of hopelessness against the corporatist destruction of the earth as we know it.
As I edit this review, the American Capitol in DC has been stormed today by unabashedly fascist members of the Trump cult attempting to overthrow democratic institutions. These are the same people who fantasize and salivate all day online for a race
... keep reading on reddit ➡Tracklist
- Bitter Cassava (feat. Pink Siifu)
- Solarium
- Charms (feat. KeiyaA)
- Pommelhorse (feat. Curly Castro)
- Leopards (feat. Nosaj)
- King Tubby
- Frida (feat. Quelle Chris & Fielded)
- Slew Foot
- War Stories
- Flavor Flav
- Dead Cars (feat. R.A.P. Ferreira)
- Parables (feat. Akai Solo)
- Ramessess II (feat. Earl Sweatshirt, Moor Mother & Fielded)
- The Eucharist
Haven't listened to much of any of them yet, but when was the last time a single date had so many anticipated releases? Which one you most looking forward to?
Tracklist:
- Dragon Town (feat. Young Queenz)
- A Scholar’s Rock (feat. Grande Marshall)
- Money In The Wild (feat. Tree)
- Rose Royce (feat. Quelle Chris)
- I-78 / Capillaries (feat. Mach-Hommy)
- Wan Chai (feat. Nickelus F)
- North Bridge (feat. Navy Blue)
- Lemon Rinds (feat. Billy Woods)
- Medicine Drawer (feat. Roc Marciano)
- Correspondence (feat. Your Old Droog and Mach-Hommy)
- A Cure For The Common (feat. Ka)
- Children Of Never (feat. AG)
- Mouth Of A River (feat. Michelle Siu)
Guns by Quelle Chris dropped a year ago today.
What are your thoughts on this album? Still finding yourself playing it? Excited for his new release?
Quelle Chris - Innocent Country 2
Release Date: April 24th
Label: Mello Music Group
Genre: Jazz Rap, Abstract Hip Hop, Neo-Soul
Singles: Sudden Death, Living Happy
Streams: Spotify, iTunes, Google Play
Schedule
| Date | Album |
|---|---|
| Tues. | Quelle Chris - Innocent Country 2 / Clams Casino - Instrumental Relics |
| Wed. | TBA |
this is an unofficial discussion for reactions to the album or whatever your little heart desires. this is for the sake of preserving discussion on as many albums as possible. if there's any releases for the week (or in general) that may be of interest missing from the schedule either PM me or leave a comment somewhere and i'll add it.
https://preview.redd.it/kguuyy78syp41.jpg?width=2932&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6661d8f1f1aa8edc3546d787753447b6e1dbb3b7
This is Quelle Chris with his 2019 full length project "GUNS" as well as one of my favorite projects of the year. Quelle Chris is one of the most truly interesting figures in hip hop right now. "What makes him so interesting?" you ask, SIMPLE his smooth, groovy, quirky, and yet somehow (initially) slightly frustrating sound. Quelle Chris is a Detroit rapper who's delivery is best compared to Guru's of Gangstarr. Extremely monotone with little vocal range; what makes Chris so different is the soundscapes he creates in his albums and how he uses them. Chris has a talent of making experimental hip-hop sound buttery smooth. His craftsmanship is second to none when it comes to beat selection, or creation, features, sample usage, and theming. His ability to make non-traditional hip-hop sound oh so pleasing to the ear is second to none IMO.
Without a doubt his biggest hold up and the slightly frustrating aspect to his sound previously mentioned is.... HIS VOICE. Simply put Chris's voice does not stand out on a track, with its monotone nature and his habit of mixing his own vocal's into the instrumental to a point of frustration. Doing so to the point where, while first exploring his music it can muddy his verses. However I urge you push past that and eventually you wont even notice. The reward on the other side is well worth the adjustments to your sound system to hear his vocals correctly, because Chris is extremely talented. His wordplay and storytelling skills are superb, and surprisingly enough so is his flow once you get in tune with his vocal performances.
He is criminally underrated considering what he brings to table so I hope you give him a chance. The best place to start is his collaborative joint with Chris Keys, 2015's Innocent Country. With Chris Keys handling the production it allows you more time to adjust to Chris's voice without him full on assaulting you with his usual off kilter production and mixing, and is the best way to adjust to fully enjoy his other works. If he interests you then please listen to this (GUNS) or his 2017 album Being You is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often. They are his most fully realized solo projects and a fantastic add into your rotation.
"Straight Shot" off GUNS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOCJTBE1poY
Are you guys gonna review both of these albums? It seems like at least 3/4 of you fuck with these guys and it'd be a shame if you didn't review it becase feefo doesn't like stuff like this like 9/10 underground rappers.
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