Quelle Chris never disappoints me. When I found out the nomadic, erratic MC had found a proper home with respectable indie imprint Mello Music Group, I was happy. Up until now, all his material has been released in uncompromisingly DIY and lo-fi manners. Whether it was hand-drawn vinyl covers or no-mix Bandcamp releases, everything the Q-meister has put out has been the rawest of the raw.
It seems that's about to change as Quelle preps 2Dirt4TV Episode 2: Niggas Is Men, which is actually a prelude to his formal full-length MMG debut. The first taste of the very tactfully titled project is "Long Tokes," a collaboration with new rhyme homie Cavalier. Over production that sounds like equal parts late 90s indie boom-bap and Saturday morning cartoons, the two MCs take turns telling you just why and how they inhale that good good.Fuck with Quelle. He has an impeccable ear and in a pleasantly refreshing turn for a rapper, he's not too self-conscious to let himself go completely into the moment, whether it's emo-rap, boom-bap or whatever. Plus who's the last MC you've heard to reference Gonzo in a verse with a straight face?