Album of the Year #2: Quelle Chris - Guns - HipHop | HipHop Channel

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Album of the Year #2: Quelle Chris - Guns - HipHop

Album of the Year #2: Quelle Chris - Guns - HipHop

Album of the Year #2: Quelle Chris - Guns

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 05:49 AM PST

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 widely regarded as his best works, a big question arose. Could Quelle keep this hot streak alive? Would he be able to continue making his unique, odd-ball flavor of hip-hop work in his favor, or would his nasal tone and eclectic beat selection come off as self-indulgence for the sake of self-indulgence? On March 29, 2019, Chris was given the chance to confirm whether his past two albums success were an outlier, or if he would finally cement himself in this decade's underground hall of fame.

Album Review

In Quelle's own words, from his bandcamp page:

Guns is an arsenal of both sounds, styles and subjects. At its core it's about things that can be weaponized for good or evil, including ourselves. The words we say, what we fear, how we love, how we live, what we ingest, what we believe in, who we idolize, shit like that. Somewhat a sonic study of the question "do 'guns' kill people or do people kill people?

On Guns, Quelle examines not only the obvious sources of violence in American society, the literal guns, but the root cause(s) of where these violent urges stem from. "Guns" simultaneously acts as a metaphor for how institutions are weaponized to hold people down, as well as the weapons we have to fight back against an inherently corrupt system. Quelle explores these concepts with beautiful intricacy and depth.

LITERALLY (more patriotic than pie)

With a title like Guns, you might expect Quelle to utilize an aggressive sonic direction, using the beats to act as a metaphor for the loud and violent state guns exist within. However, Quelle instead opts to let his pen sprawl the concept. With the opener "Spray and Pray", producer Dane sets the tone of the album with a simple kick and snare pattern featuring a thicc snare, while a tall, walking bassline backs the drums, creating an unsettling, yet simultaneously comforting vibe for Quelle to spit his socially conscious bars with his trademark mellow and monotone flow. At only 1:30, Quelle is able to pack a surprising amount of thought provoking bars into the brief track.

Quelle sets the lyrical tone of the album, nailing several major points regarding gun culture in America with multiple tightly packed one liners. Mentioning his original friend cohort and their eventual lifestyle change, concluding that a 401k is more useful than an AK-47. Commenting on the culture surrounding gun safety that he has experienced; where young people refuse to utilize their safeties, and how that mentality translates into adults who are intentionally reckless with their arms. The most poignant piece of commentary here is found in the bridge, where Quelle uses "all guns for hire" as a metaphor for the massive lobbying power provided to the NRA, who use that power to spread misinformation regarding gun violence in order to maintain the current status quo.

This song ends abruptly, with Quelle seemingly getting ready to go in for a second verse, when he is stopped short by…

Praying the climate changing, this game maintained by the youth

Watching 'em run and gun 'til they grow up to be like (gunshot)

...you guessed it, a gunshot. Quelle uses the opening track as an opportunity to create a library of generic gun violence talking points, almost in an attempt to get them out of the way. This is what the album would be if he were to address this deeply nuanced topic from a strictly surface level perspective. Instead, we are blessed with Quelle diving deeper into the social and cultural aspects of gun violence on the following track.

We then dive directly into the title track "Guns", opening with a cascade of jazzy piano keys and a super smooth synth chord progression to compliment it, which then breaks into these double time opened snare claps, providing Quelle an up-tempo, bright and colorful backdrop to spit hyper conscious lyrics, beginning with the foundation as to what drives American's obsession with guns.

Not unlike many different cultural phenomena, Quelle views the American fanaticism with guns as a learned cultural expression. He provides a few examples of how a weapon, that ideally should be used for protection, can be normalized in a person's youth to the point where it's not viewed as a weapon anymore. If a twenty-two caliber bullet is viewed as "more patriotic than pie", or if you learned how to fire a weapon before you could even spell, then gun use has been deeply ingrained into your psyche and is now a standard aspect of your life. However, it's not simply the presence of guns that has been normalized; it's the misuse of these weapons as toys, and their appropriation as status symbols that has been normalized. The bigger your guns, the stronger you are. This is a fallacy that Quelle builds around for the duration of this album.

In the second verse, Quelle is able to extrapolate the idea that guns are an integral part of American culture, imagining himself in the shoes of someone who was raised with this world-view, reacting to some of the proposed gun control measures.

They hollering give me back my bullets, Lynyrd Skynyrd, new Van Zants

If you own it, then you'll pull it, maybe so, probably not

They spend billions like civilians won't catch trickle from the top

Just to protect or to progress what but little bit we got

Bruh-bruh, I'm your friendly neighbor, I stay on yo block

I protect and service, I big game, buckshot

Ain't no cracking that code, ain't no safety on locks

Might as well get you one, procrastinating will get you popped

After reeling from the unsurprising animosity to the proposed gun control measures, Quelle attempts to bargain with this "person" (not really an individual, more a representation of a group think). As their "friendly neighbor", he understands their desire for protection in their neighborhood. Quelle states that even he arms himself; although, it's likely with a hunting rifle or shotgun. Eventually realizing that there is no "cracking that code", or getting through to them. If they are not willing to listen, nothing will change, and his only logical course of action is to arm himself at an equal level to his neighbor because, as stated, "procrastinating will get you popped".

This verse does an excellent job of illustrating how the gun control argument in America has progressed on both sides. Instead of being clearly biased, Quelle presents viewpoints from both sides of the argument; showing how deeply ingrained guns are in American culture, and why people might be hesitant to willingly give up an aspect of their culture that they have always known. Simultaneously, it also illustrates the reaction that some people might take when their ideas to curve the widespread violence are immediately rejected; a reaction that will not only not solve the crisis, but exacerbates it. The idea that "if everyone has a gun, we would have no gun violence" only provides a sense of security on an individual level, not a systemic one.

All this is subtly expressed through Quelle's 16 bars. As he progresses in his career, Quelle's pen has become more and more impressive. Listening to the guy who once wrote a song called Super Fuck spew these incredibly socially conscious lyrics is almost shocking.

RACE & THE LAW (for the black, for the white, it's for all)

"Color of the Day" is a simple skit track, taking a subtle jab at law enforcement, and how simply performing mundane activities (walking, shopping, swimming, driving) "while black" is enough to get someone stopped by the police. Really, the skit is meant to provide some context to the following track, "Mind Ya Bidness".

Sounding like something straight out of a 1980's video game, and further confirmed that's exactly what Quelle was aiming for, with the music video, the self-produced "Mind Ya Bidness" is a representation of a few things. On the surface, it's an ultra low-key flex track, with Quelle describing his night at a club. Obviously, the first thing he does before he even leaves his house, is get baked with his wife. But don't try to take his weed, he'll have you praying for mercy. He then heads out to the club; the catch here being that Quelle doesn't like to stunt.

I ain't tryna stunt, I post in the back

Can't eat with them niggas, most them niggas is actors

You ain't got no homies, all your homies is rappers

If Quelle's at the club, he's hanging out in a back room with his ride or die friends and a shitload of weed. He mentions how he can't hang with these "actors", likely meaning other rappers that are putting on a facade. You may have more heads in their section, but they're not your homies. They're just dudes who are trying to get put on and chase clout.

The chorus outlines a small bit of social commentary with a double meaning, connecting the mellow flex-track to the overarching theme illustrated throughout the record.

'Cause me and mine 'bout to shine, that's for motherfucking sure

Feeling VIP, fill a zip full of motherfucking smoke

We got brown, we got white and some motherfucking Guinness

If Quelle feels like it's a VIP kinda night, he's gunna take a zip of weed and head out with his friends. In this case, it's a mixed crowd (figuratively and literally). He's got black friends, he's got white friends, and he uses "Guinness" as a metaphor for his mixed-race friends, as well as the literal interpretation of drinking beers.

And ain't nobody here tripping, so mind ya motherfucking bidness

This is the double meaning that Quelle is implying throughout the song. If a group of dudes are just chilling and not causing a disturbance, then there's no real reason for someone (a police officer) to not mind his business and leave them alone. Chris' poignant social commentary, speaking on the systemic racism that plagues law enforcement officers throughout the US, is illustrated in the music video as well; after being welcomed into the back room of the club and bartering with a dude, he is chased by a pig and put in handcuffs, while a white dude smoking a bong right behind the pig is ignored and gets off scott free.

I COULD STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF FIFTH AVENUE AND SHOOT SOMEBODY AND I WOULDN'T LOSE

"Mind Ya Bidness" ends with this real life quote from our Orange In Chief™ , delivered via vocal snippet collage, introducing the topic found on the following track.

Imagine; it's 2007 and presidential candidate Barack Obama gets in front of the press and starts talking about the strength of his campaign. He says, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters". How do you think this would have been received? I can tell you now, he would have been ostracized by the media and would have lost all the political support he had, nearly immediately. But Donald Trump, a person who had been in the media's spotlight for ages before he announced his candidacy, can say this and be met with a room full of applause. LAUGHTER. A ROOM FILLED WITH PEOPLE LAUGHED AS HE STATED THAT HE COULD MURDER PEOPLE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.

And then he went on to win the fucking presidency.

"It's The Law (Farewell Goodbye Addio, Uncle Tom)" opens with a plucky, walking bass-line, backing these off-kilter, slowly marching kick-kick-open-snare patterns, creating a beat that's almost dragging its way through the track; an apt backdrop for the subject matter tackled, beginning with this skit:

It's God's and Nature's Law

That man attempt to prevail over his fellow man

Better to remember, that God is white

Would you mind repeating?

God is White; and as long as God is white

We will prevail over all other races

Both of these short skits are meant to outline white privilege; the former in a very real, recent vein, and the ladder in a more conceptual, abstract lane. It's been well documented that Jesus Christ was not white, yet he is continually portrayed as a white man. Why? Why do people who worship Jesus, the supposed Son of God, insist on viewing him through this white-washed lense? It's all about control. As long as God, or the Son of God, is white, they will prevail.

Both of Quelle's verses on this track are packed full of metaphors and imagery that depict how white supremacy has been a keystone building block of the foundation of the United States. I'll breakdown the subtleties of his first verse, as I find it to have some of the most intriguing metaphors and delivery I've heard this year.

Let he who is without cast the first 'Get-out-of-our-country'

Oh, the hypocrisy

Another tongue in cheek ode to the democracy

To help normalize the day to day atrocities

Quelle digs into this concept with brilliance right off the bat, repurposing one of Jesus's most famous quotes (John 8:7) to call out the double standard of people calling for a wall to keep out "criminals and rapists"

By the law of the land, as planned by the man upstairs

From Lehem with the long blonde hair

The USA was intentionally founded as a country with religious freedom, yet it has somehow been misconstrued as a "Christian Nation" by any number of religious fanatics screaming for America's laws to more accurately reflect the "morals of the Bible." Quelle directly references the fact that Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem, Israel, a middle eastern country, is generally depicted as having long blonde hair.

Oh, the irony

All these multi-culti hatin' whities

Who fetishize some brown on ivory

AKA bless the USA

In the true blue bloods who trust, American Way

Quelle continues to poke holes in their logic, this time with a beautifully executed double entendre. The first of which being that white supremacists, who so vehemently hate black culture, fetishize the words of a brown-skinned Jewish man as the "law of the land". The second of which being the fact that in todays society, southern states, which are generally associated with rampant racism and hatred of black culture, search for ebony and interracial porn at a far higher rate than the rest of the country.

Hate in the name of love

Sin ain't a sin if the pen pushes them vs. us

From under the ship to behind the truck

Behind the truck to the back of the bus

Now we makin' it?

Or going back where we was?

Progress is a long road

So buckle up

The treatment of African-Americans in this country could easily be viewed as a sin. That is, unless the laws of the US condone it, and until not that recently in terms of our country's history, they very much did. Quelle outlines a brief history of how the rights of African-Americans have progressed in the US, ending with a question. Have we made it? Have we reached a point where African-Americans are considered equal? Or have we regressed? Either way, buckle up, because progress is a long road.

This is easily the best verse I've heard this year. Not only is it unbelievably witty and well-written, but it's delivered with such ease from Quelle that you might not even pick up what he's talking about on first listen because his flows are so smooth and his rhymes are so tightly packed that you just want to listen to how effortless his raps are.

This song ends with the final iteration of the chorus...

It's the law, it's the law niggas

It's for me, it's for y'all, it's for all of us

For the straight, for the coochie and the ball lickers

It's the law, for the black, for the white, it's for all

...which then brings us back to the Donald Trump quote that initially lead us into the song. This is meant to drive the point home that laws are meant for everyone; except the 1%. If you're part of the 1%, you are more than welcome to threaten murder on national TV; hell, it might even increase your poll numbers. And while historically, the law has been used to oppress people of color, Quelle now realizes that it has moved past just oppressing one race. It's used as a mechanism to hold people in their current social class, and does not apply to people with money. Class is the new race, which is better for the oppressors, because it's not illegal to discriminate against poor people.

GOD (and so will I… why not?)

Religion was touched on lightly in the previous track, the implication being that religion is the basis for the laws that have been so effectively weaponized to discriminate. "Wild Minks" follows in the tracklist, continuing the theme of religion; this time with a much more metaphorical and abstract approach.

The track opens with a lone piano note, and a few simple piano chords following shortly after. A very mellow kick-kick-kick-snare pattern that sounds like it's been sat on eventually breaks into the track. Quelle added a layer of what sounds like vinyl static to the background of this track, making it feel distinctly lo-fi compared to the rest of the album, which sounds tightly polished and clean. Maybe this is due to the Mach-Hommy feature, whose vocals are consistently muddy and mixed down, even in his own music. Either way, this lo-fi hissing does detract from the verses spit on this song, making appreciating the subtle concept even more difficult. From a sonic standpoint, I'd say this is the low-point for the album. However this sonic shortcoming is more than made up for from a lyrical perspective. "Wild Minks" is, without question, the most complicated and abstract concept approached on this record. I'm going to do my best to break it down for you here, but I urge you to read the lyrics a few times before you read my explanation. A big part of what makes this concept so unique is the perspective from which Quelle writes his verse; blending true aspects of biblical scripture with absurdism, and using that as a metaphor for today's society.

Quelle's verse here starts out referencing Matthew 3:4, referring to John's shirt of camel's hair and his leather belt as "Wild Minks". He then lays down an intricate and descriptive verse about John The Baptist and how he lived; detailing his affinity for substances, his desire for lavish compensation, his expansive housing, his high quality furs, his expensive diet, and how he's considered to be cultured and refined by his friend group due to these things.

Wait, back up. John The Baptist wasn't materialistic, was he? He's considered a Saint in the Christian faith. How could someone who enjoyed such a lavish lifestyle be a literal Saint? As it turns out, very little Quelle details in his verse here is true about how John The Baptist lived. So why fabricate this detailed verse about his lifestyle? What am I missing here?

Quelle ends his verse with the perfect summation of the subtle metaphor outlined in this track:

Johnny boy wore wild minks, and so will I

Why not?

Chris uses the "wild minks" that John The Baptist wore as a metaphor to illustrate how religious scriptures can be easily lost in translation, and misinterpreted in ways that are far, even polar opposite, from their original intention.

If John The Baptist wore wild minks, what's so wrong about me wanting to do the same? He was a Saint, after all. First off, a shirt made of camel hair isn't exactly comparable to a "wild mink". Even if that's what it was referring to, during the time he was alive, the fact that he was wearing a wild mink implies that he was living in harsh conditions; he likely hunted those animals in order to stay warm and survive. However, in today's society, a wild mink coat is considered a lavish and expensive luxury. Viewing this scripture from a strictly surface level perspective might allow one to interpret that living a materialistic lifestyle is condoned by the Bible.

His lyrics here reflect the absurdity of what it would have been like if John was to live with lavishness, with delicate complexity, such as:

Feasting on meats that was bled from the throat

Lambs and goats

Wiping the grease from said treats on the sleeves of his coats

Matthew 3:4 literally states that John's diet consisted of locusts and honey. Quelle outlines the habits of today's ultra-wealthy and re-appropriates them into the context of John The Baptist; making you realize the true absurdity of the way the 1% lives today, a lifestyle that has strayed quite far from what their "God" would condone.

Quelle's verse here very subtly summarizes how scripture can be intentionally misinterpreted for personal gain and selfishness, expressed using extremely complicated and deeply coated metaphors, all of which sound buttery and smooth flowing from Chris, thanks in part to his complex rhyme schemes. This is undoubtedly the most subtle concept in the whole album. No joke, it took me a full week of dissecting these lyrics and studying John The Baptist to piece this metaphor together.

P.S. Fuck you and your shitty DMCA takedown requests Mach-Hommy!

YOURSELF (i par up bar for bar, pa)

While the first half of this album beautifully details the many ways in which our society is designed to hold people back, the second half of this album is about how we can combat it. As individuals, we don't have the luxury of being able to design our country to benefit the few. We must operate inside the system we've been born into, and Chris is aware that the most powerful weapon we have to fight back against a corrupt system is our own success. This is what "Box of Wheaties" represents.

As some of you might already know, Quelle Chris recently changed the beat on "Box of Wheaties", presumably due to sample clearance issues. When I discovered this, I went to check his Twitter to see if he mentioned anything about it, and the very first thing I saw was this series of tweets that Quelle had recently pinned. He basically goes off on hating the streaming service industry, and how we are just borrowing music from Big Brother.

Really the most essential thing to take away from this, is that buying music is arguably more important than ever. By exclusively streaming music, you don't own any of it. It can be taken away in an instant by any number of frivolous lawsuits artists are slapped with on a regular basis. But, if you buy a physical copy of an album, no one can take it away from you.

I'm extremely lucky to have had the foresight to download the album to my phone, which has not yet been changed. However, one day when the data is corrupted, I will have no option but to re-download the tracks, and I will lose the OG version of "Box of Wheaties". BUT, I have the album on vinyl. And although it was pressed with an illegal sample, there is no court that can take away my vinyl. I have that version forever now.

Initially, I wondered if I should have my review reflect the original version, or the updated version that new listeners would experience. However, it's clear from his tweets, this new beat is not what he envisioned or wanted for this album. He put out the version with this sample for a reason. My review will be reflective of the original version.

The beat on "Box of Wheaties" (originally) samples Les Hurdle - You've Got What It Takes, taking the smooth guitar melody and jazzy drums, pitching them down, and looping it to fit into the slow groove of 88 BPMs that "Box of Wheaties" so comfortably rests at.

Chris opens this track with a super catchy chorus, featuring a flurry of internal rhymes and the smoothest delivery you can imagine, listing reasons as to why he thinks you should find his face on a box of Wheaties, a place historically reserved for "Champions".

Chris has been grinding in his profession for a long time. He's been making music for well over a decade; at this point in his career, he's 15 albums deep. If you had paid attention, he believes you would find his work is worthy of a spot on a Wheaties Box.

Now, if Wheaties were to start including artists (musicians, writers, actors, etc.) on their prestigious boxes, would Quelle qualify? Based on his overall discography quality at this point, I would say no. In my opinion, he has three albums that are worthy of true praise and accolades, all of which came out within the last 3 years. But that's not what Chris is alluding to with this metaphor. His point here is, being confident enough to believe that he deserves the Wheaties Box spot is a major factor in manifesting that reality.

The way Quelle delivers this hook with absolute confidence in his ability, even mentioning that his raps are good enough to "par up bar for bar, pa" with any rapper in the game today, is an attitude that society could benefit from. Put in the work and know that the accolades will follow. This is exactly what happened with Chris' work. After grinding for 10+ years, he finally began getting noticed in 2017 with Being You Is Great. Everything's Fine was named bandcamp's AOTY in 2018, and he has what I consider to be the best album of 2019 with Guns. But it starts with knowing that you belong there. Your thoughts manifest your reality. Put in the work and know it will come, and it will.

SLEEVELESS MINKS (smoke em if you got em)

If "Wild Minks" represents the many ways that the elite live to excess, "PSA Drugfest 2003" represents the limited ways that the 99% live in excess. Since most of us don't have money to blow on lavish clothing, cars, or homes, we're forced to find ways to cope with the stresses of living in this near-dystopian wasteland, and there is nothing more cost-effective at doing so than drugs.

Acting as the follow up to his song "Drugfest TooThousandToo" from his 2015 album Innocent Country, Chris takes the concept previously explored and amplifies the message. In "TooThousandToo", he utilizes a crowds' reaction to his mentioning of certain drugs as the litmus test for what drugs are good and what drugs are bad, eventually concluding that weed and mushrooms are the favorites from the crowd. In 2003, Chris has evolved his opinion, throwing caution to the wind with his drug choices. This is made clear right off the bat with his opening line.

This town ain't the right size for you and I

Six million ways to fly, who's tryna die?

Chris is rapping from the perspective of the average American, looking for ways to cope with the insane stresses that the elite have forced us to live with. He isn't looking to be picky with his high, he just wants it to distract him. He starts with the spliff, but quickly graduates to harder drugs as the weed and nicotine high "got lame"; moving up the drug intensity scale as our drug tolerance increases and our social and economic injustice tolerance decreases.

When that shit got lame, we spiced up the game

Brought out the blades and lined up cocaine

Prefer it off white, but albinos, okay

To balance out the jump, we rolled it up Js

Making one last bible reference in the chorus here, he relates the American people to the sinners of Sodom and Gamorrah, implying that we would rather be dead than to continue to live in the wasteland that we currently exist within. And let me tell you, in a certain sense, he's not wrong.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (trust me tho i seen it)

The track "Sunday Mass" is sandwiched between Drugfest and "Straight Shot". This short, one verse song, delivered by Bilal Salaam, is essentially a laundry list of mass shootings from the past few years. Bilal refers to the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Las Vegas massacre, and the Texas shooting that occurred in a Baptist church, amongst others. This is used to set up the concept of the following track.

"Straight Shot" is a representation of a couple things. One, it outlines some of the hopelessness that many of us experience due to the long-term impact of the many weapons that society has pointed at us, be they literal or figurative. We get to watch our neighbors be executed by mad-men with guns on TV on a semi-regular basis, and then walk outside to a world that is literally designed to oppress you and make you complacent. It's not difficult to see how the combination of horrors we are subjected to regularly can make people feel like there's no point in being here. I know for a fact that I've experienced it, and I'm positive plenty of you have as well. Two, it's a reminder for people who are feeling this way that there are reasons to stick around.

Featuring a verse from Brooklyn native Cavalier, "Straight Shot" is easily one of the most gorgeous and well composed songs on this record. Melancholy piano keys and a single bass note opens the track, followed shortly by Quelle singing the incredibly soulful chorus. He seems to be on the brink of crying, with his voice cracking as he sings along. A skeletal drum kit comes in after the first iteration, followed by a choir of voices singing the bassline melody, before the full drum kit kicks off Quelle's verse.

Chris opens the track with a verse that's very light, describing himself seeing the good in the world. He paints a picture of himself enjoying life; making the music he loves, laughing at his past pain, and stopping to sniff the flowers. He recognizes that he's preaching to the choir, as his fanbase are generally people who might be aware of the issues he's been outlining during the past 35 minutes.

Cavalier follows the chorus with a verse that paints a diametric view of the world. He describes his time on "this pitiful stone" as a Sisyphus Stroll, and his desire to leave it all behind. However, Quelle's perspective in the previous verse has brought him back from the brink. Using absolutely gorgeous imagery to describe his misery, and his eventual conclusion that there are reasons to continue on; Cavalier realizes that the powers that be are the ones making him doubt his worth, and if there's one thing he loves, it's an underdog story, and standing against the ruling class in today's society is about as big of an underdog that you can be.

EAT THE RICH (i'm tryna burn this bitch down)

The lead single for Guns, "Obamacare" features this absolutely haunting, choppy synth lead pounding away until a short piano melody erupts into the enormously heavy, and honestly sinister beat drop. On the surface, "Obamacare" seems like a simple flex track, with Quelle laying down ultra-confident bars, painting a picture of other rappers being terrified to take Chris on. However, watching the music video, you begin to realize the secondary meaning that he's attempting to outline; anarchy.

Quelle's hook game has been massively improved, even from his last few records, with the catchy chorus starting off with lyrics that any anarchist would be proud to chant in the streets.

I'm tryna burn this bitch down, I ain't tryna break in

Fuck your opinion 'bout us, to me don't mean nathan

I brought the wave, brought the rain, brought the lake in

Eyes on the cake and yours is for the takin', wait man

Lyrically painting a picture of a society that is sick of being oppressed by the ruling class and is finally ready to rise up, Chris' anarchist nature is made very clear in the music video. The chorus features a robber burning down a building and making off with a comically sized money bag, while a cop, in an ironic twist of fate, is stuck behind bars, as well as a literal lake of blood rising while pieces of cake, depicted as boats, float around the blood lake.

If you were look at this from a surface level perspective, you would likely see a flex track, as Quelle's second verse particularly comes off as "look at how much better I'm doing than you". But watching the video, it becomes clear that he's rapping from the perspective of the 1%. We see Chris and his "friends" sitting around a table, playing cards, while his verse details some of the privileges the 1% live with; being able to gamble money away while people in the lower classes would significantly notice a few more dollars in the paychecks. Their neighbors are high ranking pharmaceutical industry members with access to any drug they can imagine, vacationing together in southern beach houses, eating steak and eggs until gout forms. These lavish lifestyles are bound to anger the lower classes, who are literally starving. Hence the chorus' overt "eat the rich" themes.

ROMANTIC LOVE & LEGACY (and when i win, we win)

Following "Obamacare" as a much needed positive note(s) to end the record on, the album's love song, which features Quelle's wife Jean Grae on the refrain, might seem a bit out of place on this album at first glance. However if you've made it this far into the review, you can likely conclude that Chris is making the point that finding the right person allows both of you to muddle through this hellscape known as our society with a bit more ease. You hold each other up in times of darkness, and celebrate big in times of light. One person's victory becomes our victory. Quelle and Jean married in mid 2018, and if you were looking for a compelling reason to keep going on "Straight Shot", Quelle is letting you know his with "You, Me, & Nobody Else".

Finally, we are brought to the closer "WYRM". This track shows Quelle ruminating over the idea of his legacy, and how he will be remembered when he's gone with absolutely gorgeous lyrical expertise, particularly in his first verse. He's aware that most people who are born into this world are forgotten sooner than later, and the only way to be truly remembered is if you have a worthwhile legacy. Calling back themes previously mentioned throughout the album, he feels like he's done enough to be remembered, but don't we all?

Will you remember me?

Am I just a moment for few to see?

Another black face rapping nigga on a cash chase?

Dozen for a dime, penny for your mind at one time?

Chris is aware of the saturation of rappers in the game now and worries that his legacy will be downplayed and forgotten due to the direction he took his art in. Rappers who are making music just for the money are a dime a dozen lately, and he's concerned that his legacy will be tarnished due to those who aren't in it for the right reasons.

Overview

This is by far Quelle's best album to date, in my opinion. Guns does an unbelievably gorgeous job identifying the many ways our society has been oppressed into submission, while simultaneously summarizing how we can rise above the few and be better people for it with intricate detail. Chris' lyrics are sharper and more layered than they've ever been, and the self-produced beats are beautiful beyond words. Guns is not only a milestone for Quelle Chris' career, as this is by far the most cohesive and conceptually brilliant piece of work he's ever released, but it also represents a breaking point in our society, as well as the framework for how we can better ourselves and the people around us on the long road ahead. Quelle has nailed every aspect of this project, stringing these 13 tracks together into a album that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

9.2/10

Favorite Lyrics

Talking Points

  • How does this album compare to the rest of Quelle's discography?

  • Do you think I'm reaching with some of the points I made during this review?

  • What are your favorite lyrics?

  • How do you think this album will be looked back on in 5 years?

submitted by /u/jordanbeff
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Daily Discussion Thread 01/02/2020

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 05:11 PM PST

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

This thread is for:

  • objective questions with right/wrong answers (e.g. "Does anyone know what is happening with MIXTAPE?", "What is the sample in SONG?")
  • general hip-hop discussion
  • meta posts...e.g. ideas for the sub

Thread Guidelines

  • Do not create a separate self post for these types of discussions outside of this thread - if you do, your post will be removed, as stated in the guidelines.

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

  • If a question has been asked many times before, provide a link to a thread that contains the answer.

Weekly/Monthly Threads

Other ways to interact

There are a number of other ways to interact with other members of HHH:

New to /r/hiphopheads or hip-hop in general?

Check out these:

submitted by /u/ModsLittleHelper
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DaBaby just got arrested

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 02:34 PM PST

French Montana Caught Using Fake Streams With Hacked Spotify Accounts

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 08:27 PM PST

"Writing on the Wall" w/ Cardi & Post flopped on arrival in 2019, and now its suddenly gaining and heading for top 20 on Spotify.

Twitter Thread:

https://twitter.com/karlamagne/status/1212770395729870849

​

french montana's out here buying streams in a desperate attempt to turn his 3 months old flop song into a hit

https://i.imgur.com/IHOxFEo.png

​

the song was released on sept 27, 2019 and it wasn't very successful despite having two popular rappers featured on it. it charted for 5 weeks & left the top 200 on spotify, then re-entered 3 weeks later & even reached a new peak on spotify US today & this is where it gets weird

https://i.imgur.com/bBIaJVE.png

https://i.imgur.com/2dnKjfj.png

https://i.imgur.com/PPivGdr.png

https://i.imgur.com/GzJ3wid.jpg

​

apparently the reason why it's charting again is because it's currently popular on tiktok...then why is it only rising on spotify? i mean when you look at the pics the difference between spotify and apple music is astounding. #21 (+27) on spotify #1192 (-105) on apple music???

https://i.imgur.com/UAkjHLM.png

https://i.imgur.com/k4MahFs.png

​

so i decided to search on twitter to see if anyone was actually listening to the song since its popular on tiktok and i found some very interesting tweets of people saying their spotify was hacked and it was playing...french montana.

https://i.imgur.com/TvaqpAg.png

​

look carefully at the dates most of those tweets were sent, between 18-25 december 2019. now look at the date "writing on the wall" re-entered spotify US. december 22. y'all see where i'm going with this?

https://i.imgur.com/ezoE5G0.png

https://i.imgur.com/3D3yfvp.png

​

in conclusion its really easy to get a hit song nowadays, all you need is a fraudulent label who's willing to spend money on you. so if you see writing on the wall by french montana in the top 10 on billboard next month don't forget to come back to this thread. that's all for now

https://i.imgur.com/Ew9Rfby.png

​

t's more than clear that french montana's label is buying streams and trying to make it seem like the song is rising on its own because it's popular on tiktok

https://i.imgur.com/W5YC3py.png

​

People on twitter claiming Spotify account being hacked

https://i.imgur.com/bpfdUnY.png

https://i.imgur.com/Tt2kaNu.png

https://i.imgur.com/je4XsaM.png

submitted by /u/Hayday12designacct
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Coachella 2020 Full Lineup (Rage Against The Machine, Frank Ocean & Travis Scott Confirmed Headlining)

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 07:14 PM PST

Mick Jenkins new album “The Circus” coming January 10

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:00 PM PST

Tracklist:

  1. Same Ol
  2. Carefree
  3. The Light (feat. EARTHGANG)
  4. Flaunt
  5. The Fit
  6. I'm Convinced
  7. Different Scales

Source:

submitted by /u/jzglt
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2Pac Talks About Sex Life With Madonna While Dating Her

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 08:41 AM PST

[SHOTS FIRED] FRENCH MONTANA SHARES PHOTO OF 50 CENT KISSING A MAN

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:13 PM PST

I have so many questions....

Is this photoshopped?

What year is this?

Are those lips actually locked or just very close to each other? Maybe it's a whisper?

Tell me...do you think this very entertaining feud between French Montana & 50 Cent gone to far? Weigh in below.

(https://www.instagram.com/p/B62E489JMHg/?igshid=16wxplcpibjba)

submitted by /u/derrick_obscure
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Future ft. André 3000 - Benz Friendz (Whatchutola)

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 06:50 AM PST

[FRESH] Mick Jenkins - Carefree

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:01 PM PST

Album That Had A Ton Of Hype And Ended Up Disappointing?

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 12:06 PM PST

Views is my pick, Drake just came off of WATTBA with Future and IYRTITL the year before literally everyone was hyped for this release, and when it dropped it was absolutely terrible.

submitted by /u/Mixxrr2k
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[FRESH ALBUM] Westside Gunn - Flyest Nigga in Charge Vol. 1

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:06 PM PST

Apple Music

Tidal

Can't find it on my spotify yet.

submitted by /u/DaveHolden
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Weaver Beats - Hourglass (ft Paradigm) (2020)

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 05:20 PM PST

The Genius Decade: The Biggest Producer Every Year Of The 2010s

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 06:08 AM PST

[FRESH] Your Old Droog - Crab Cakes feat. Prodigy of Mobb Deep

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 02:55 PM PST

Man shot while driving on Highway 509 identified as aspiring hip-hop artist Tanaa Money

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 12:17 PM PST

Young Thug ft. Travis Scott - Me or Us (vinyl exclusive)

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 03:07 PM PST

Lexii Alijai Dead: Rapper Dies at Age 21

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 12:17 AM PST

[DISCUSSION] Jay-Z - Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (20 years later)

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 08:57 AM PST

Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on December 28, 1999, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. According to USA Today critic Steve Jones, the record marked a return to the street-oriented sound of Jay-Z's 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt.[1] Vol. 3... featured production from Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, K-Rob, DJ Clue, Rockwilder, DJ Premier, and Irv Gotti, among others.

The album was well received by critics and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 462,000 copies in its first week. It has since sold over three million copies and been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

submitted by /u/TheRoyalGodfrey
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Oj Da Juiceman feat. Gucci mane - Make The Trap Say Aye

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 07:51 AM PST

Lil Wayne - Rich As Fuck ft. 2 Chainz

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 10:48 AM PST

Royce Da 5'9 - God Speed (feat. Ashley Sorrell)

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 12:47 PM PST

[FRESH EP] Famous Dex - DEXTER 2031

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 05:16 PM PST

[FRESH] Moneybagg Yo & Lil Baby - U Played

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:00 PM PST

Benny The Butcher - Scarface Vs. Sosa Pt. 2 (prod. by Daringer)

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 03:23 PM PST

[FRESH] Quando Rondo (feat. A Boogie, 2Chainz) - Bad Vibe

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 09:04 PM PST
at