Who says only big cities produce hip-hop talent? Two best friends since the age of eleven, from the city of Des Moines, IA, are representing the Midwest and captivating audiences with their truthful rap lyrics and infectious beats. After high school each chose separate paths and attended school in different states. Never did they think that the roads traveled would bring them to reunite in West Palm Beach, FL where they would pursue their rap careers.
Category:
Singers - Hip Hop Singer
Additional Category:
Singers - R and B Singer
Genre:
Blues Disco, Hip-Hop, Rythym and Blues, Rap, Reggae
“Outkast meets the Wu-Tang Clan...”
Chicago has rapidly become the Mecca of hip-hop's triple threat - the super producer-writer-entertainer.
No longer second to any metropolis, Chicago has launched this brand of superstar by giving us R.
Kelly, Kanye West and now, the band, Qualo. Newly signed to Universal Motown, this quartet of hip-hop thoroughbreds has been hailed by the likes of XXL, Billboard Magazine, The Source, YRB, Complex magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times and even Playboy magazine!
Qualo, meaning “The Four.”, consist of
rapper-producers: Preast, Chicago Shawn, Optimyst and Shala Esquire. The four come together with an energy similar to the heydays of the hip hop super-group.
This seldom-seen combination makes their musical reach wide and addictive. They have hooked up with WGCI-FM 107.5’s DJ Mike Love to become the Midwest mixtape kings, and have had their latest release “Believe”
praised by critics around the nation. Bottomline: a definite franchise...
Preast delivers soul-touching, picturesque rhymes with a lyrical depth paralleled only by such greats as ‘Pac, Nas, and Eminem. Chicago Shawn adds a stick of dynamite to the recipe with a high octane flow to match his intricate wordplay and introspective sentimentality. Adding fuel to the fire is Optimyst.
Optimyst lends his distinguished wordplay, commanding the listeners’ attention. His compelling “prose” style verses possess a quality of simple sincerity and clarity; a kin to musical icons, Outkast. Shala Esquire adds a catchy, speech-style flow to the band engaging the listener in a one-way conversation and a humorous call to arms. A native Nigerian, Esquire is the proverbial glue, anchoring the Qualo sound. A renaissance man, in his own right, he is easily the next “Diddy”; as much as he hates and denies it.
Each of the members of Qualo contributes to the group's production. From Esquire's unique rock-inspired bangers, to Preasts' cutting edge 80’s style fire, to Chicago Shawn's sense of sound and Optimyst's ear-snatching creativity, all four contribute to the Qualo sound - a unique blend of fierce rhyme techniques, sincere street narratives, infectious chants and catchy hooks, set to a backdrop of bass-heavy beats, soulful music, social awareness, and political satire.
“Qualo exhibits what most of the greatest bands of our time have often demonstrated; they seem to be totally oblivious of what the world of music is doing at any given time but it always manages to be hot and right on time”.
While the music is an experience in itself, Qualo’s true essence can only be captured by seeing their live show. Qualo captivates the audience with a stage presence that is both exciting and inviting. They possess a synergy and presence rarely seen in this post-new school hip hop era. Whether you’re a “hip hop purist”, a radio junkie, or a rap critic, if you put your ear to the street and listen closely, you’ll hear and be quickly entranced by the “hood’s heartbeat”...
the Qualo sound.
THE MOVEMENT./ UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
A. V. Collective is a: creative, diverse, hyperactive, in-YOUR-face, versatile, group of 3 flowers Dekin Don, David The Saint, & Mike V., Bridging the generation gap with an old school DJ, DJ Enlivin who has been on the 1's and 2's since the late 70's
Category:
Band
Additional Category:
Band
Genre:
Blues, Dance, Funk, Hip-Hop, Pop, Rythym and Blues, Rap, Top-40
