Editorial Reviews Rapping along side local MC’s ultimately brought Qwel to Wednesday nights at WHPK, a legendary Chicago hotbed for radio freestyle battles. It was a forum for anyone with a passion for hip hop to come and test their skills against the best the city had to offer. Here is where Qwel met up with then host DJ Natural, and MC’s Qwazaar & Denizen Kane. The foursome quickly recognized each other’s talents, and decided they should collaborate. They began working on a group project under the name Typical Cats. Typical Cats released their solo debut in 2001 on up & coming Chicago independent label Galapagos4. It was received very well from the start, and continued to gain momentum as the word spread. It quickly became an underground favorite and to this day has sold almost 5000 units and counting. The stage was definitely set for Qwel to release his own material. Anticipation was large, but no one knew what to expect from Qwel as a solo artist. His track "Not Impressed" on the Molemen’s "Ritual of the…" was a hit, and established Qwel as one of underground’s prominent battle MC’s. He also had battled Eyedea (whom eventually won) in 2000’s Midwest Blaze Battle in a battle judged by the crowd which many say Qwel clearly won. But when Qwel came out with his solo debut, "If It Ain’t Been In A Pawn Shop, Then It Can’t Play The Blues" on Galapagos4 in September of 2001, the underground was taken aback. "Pawn Shop" was far from a battle oriented album. It showed what the Typical Cats LP had hinted at, that Qwel had lyrical prowess far beyond the punch lines. His imagery and poetic sense combined with his intricate flows and story-telling skills catapulted him to the forefront of underground rap. Songs about abortion, war, hip hop hating parents, and the evils of television proved he was a the top of the game. Heads everywhere were talking about and checking for Qwel. He also appeared on DJ White Lightning’s "White on White Crime" LP (Galapagos4 2001) with 2 tracks, one of which was Kevin Beacham’s top song of the year on his legendary Time Travel show. Because of these accomplishments, and because of the music he has released, Qwel is known as an intense lyricist with an often cynical view of the world around him, always expressed with skill and wit on the mic. In 2002 Qwel is set to release his follow up to "Pawn Shop", entitled "The Rubber Duckie Experiment" due out in November on Galapagos4. He is currently touring with DJ/drummer Meaty Ogre & bassist Dwight Lightnin.
Music Review:
Music Review
Respighi/Ravel: Violin Sonatas
Rock & Roll Machine [CD-single] [Import]
Republica Do Reggae: Ao Vivo [Import]
Searchin' For A Rainbow [Extra tracks] [Original recording remastered]
About the Artist
Qwel came upon the hip hop scene with a vengeance. He began as a prolific graff writer in the late 90’s with various crews around Chicago, and picked up rhyming by jumping in battle ciphers with Chicago’s Nacrobats crew. He quickly gained notoriety as a master of punch lines and ill off the head flows. A brief but infamous stint with the Scam Artists crew along with Prime, Pugslee Atomz, Verbal & Robust birthed his recording career, as he jumped on various guest appearances & posse cuts.
Album Description
Qwel? A Typical Cat? He may be a group member, but the intensity of "The Rubber Duckie Experiment", his second solo, speaks volumes on the irony of that name. His intense lyricism & skill on the mic are renowned to be among the underground‘s finest. But don‘t put Qwel in a category with any other MC you‘ve heard. "The Duckie" speaks it’s message loud and clear; as Qwel states in the liner notes - "It’s not gospel music - It’s revelation music". Swarming, rugged production laid down by the hands of Dwight Lightnin, Meaty Ogre, Jackson Jones, Maker & Qwelly Belly himself serve as landscape for Q's cynical view of life as we know, or do not know it. This follows up 2001's critically acclaimed "If It Ain’t Been In A Pawn Shop, Then It Can‘t Play The Blues" LP with nuclear fallout. The fat & happy rubber duckie squeaks.