Jun 8, 2008 - 9:36 PM
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Qwel is one of the most heralded and highly respected members of the Chicago Renaissance hip-hop movement. For as long as the name rung out in the underground, starting with his group of fellow Windy City-ites, Typical Cats, his high pitched voice and aggressive style has been synonymous with a certified high-grade dope. On his newest album The New Wine, much of Qwel's standard fare still exists: wisdom, religiosity, and knowledge cloaked under a vocal labyrinth in a discombobulating flow of lyrics, syllables and pitch oscillations.
The difference this time is Kip Killagain, a jungle DJ from Flagstaff, AZ, who co-stars and bakes delicious audio-edible treats for Qwel to devour. Kip's beats make Qwel's sometimes abrasive flava seem much more palatable. And when Qwel complains on "Adam & Eve," that nobody listens, he misspeaks; just because they may be paying attention to the production, it doesn't mean they're not listening. Word to Dreamworks, Killagain orchestrates a high-def soundtrack compiled from a diverse instrument selection in order to score this masterpiece theatre. It’s as if Kip is Steve Spielberg or George Lucas producing a sound stage for the lyrical indie hero Qwel to dictate another mission from God, only now it all takes place in THX for the new millenium. And if Qwel's cenobitic message becomes overwhelming, Kip's snake charmer melodies become a nice opportunity for escapism.
What Qwel seems to not understand, or give a fuck about, is his listeners. He demands attention, even whines about his lack thereof, yet fails to recognize the essential needs of ears. They need a break. If he ever wants to bust out of the funk he's in, it would not take a dumbing down of his message, it would merely require him taking it a little bit easier on the audience. Too much of anything is bad, even the good stuff in life. One can nearly feel Qwel's hunger to get into his soundproof pulpit and recite neo-testimonials through mic cords and headphone wires, but his oratory style leaves those in the pews praying for an occasional antidote. Which is why when he's shortened, silly, or sharing airspace with Kip that The New Wine hits its highest heights. Killagain produces some epic Wu-banging sounds that would be appropriate for the next Abbot project, and Qwel rides most of them perfectly. But again, the Typical guest would be nice to hear; at least Qwaazar for a verse or Denizen Kane for a hook.
But Qwel handles his own sufficiently while only ruining a beat or two, and Killagain misses the mark occasionally with some weird hyphy snapish sounding beats that are ill-fitting. "Innuendo" sounds a lot like a Lyrics Born song, in both beat and vocals, which makes one wonder whether Qwel could ever achieve similar success if he was to pair up with the right producer. Since Qwel has relocated to the Left Coast, his sound has taken on a new appeal. Though cross-over appeal is probably impossible now, Qwel would be wise to go the Del route—a perfectly executed Qwel-tron would be classic. In his affinity to working solely with one producer, if he matched up with, say, Traxamillion and made some spacey thizz shit to preach to e-heads, it would go platinum...on Mercury in 2020.
After another great effort from a supremely talented, if not slightly mislead, hip-hop stalwart, the guidance of Ms. Hill from The Score may be in order: "After all my philosophy and theory, I add a 'motherfucker' so you ignant n****s hear me."
PREACH!
Austin Walsh is one of God's own prototypes—a high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Originally from Humboldt county, he recently venni, vitti, vicci'd The City of Frisco, and is now taking his conquest abroad to infect the rest of the globe with his passion for music, appetite for destruction, and loathing of fear. If you come across the wayward philosopher-king, don't cross him, just take the time to give him a light for his smoke, and spark one too, for the opportunity to add another excerpt to his ever evolving enigmatic epitaph.
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