Quelle Chris – Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often [Album Stream]

Here’s an early stream of Quelle Chris’s new project “Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often”.

The album’s first song is “Buddies,” a quirky expression of self-love that finds Quelle toasting his best friend (himself) over a jazzy bass loop and intermittent horn stabs courtesy of producer Ayepee: “I f—- with myself / I might buy myself some flowers / I’m in love with myself.” The high doesn’t last long; the harps that conclude “Buddies” give way to the choral “aahs” and somber guitar of “Popeye, “a meditation on regrets: “Kickin’ the can but never eats the spinach / Seems I never reach the goal but alway meet the finish / Though / I know my heart … goes.” Quelle isn’t alone on this personal journey. Frequent collaborators like Cavalier, Jean Grae and Denmark Vessey (his partner in the collective Crown Nation) lend vocals throughout. Together, they make “In Case I Lose Myself” feel more like communion than a typical posse cut: “I am we / We are God / I am dirt / I am stars / C’est la vie / Say ase / Say Amen/ ‘ḥamdu lillāh.” The guests also help to counterbalance the album’s weighty content. The droning synths of “Fascinating Grass” feels like a stuck-on-the-couch high until Roc Marciano appears to inject his sober hustler’s perspective: “Sling blow / For cheese / Veuve Clicquot / I’m covered in gold / I feel like C-3PO.” On “The Prestige,” Quelle’s short verse sets the stage for Jean Grae to wreak havoc over the Castlevania-esque instrumental for two minutes, quipping, “You’re a one-slice toaster — useless.” Marciano’s slick talk and Grae’s battle rhymes are momentary digressions from the real battle at hand: Quelle’s internal struggle between self-doubt and self-confidence. On “Dumb For Brains,” he beats himself for his failures and on “BS Vibes” he bigs himself up for his talents. The album’s most equanimous moment comes near the end, on “Great To Be”: “Cause being you, is great to be / And lovin’ you, is great to be / And me and you, is great to be.” How’s that for a “note to self?”

Preview the entire LP below and make sure to pick up a copy via iTunes when it drops on February 10th.

2 thoughts on “Quelle Chris – Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often [Album Stream]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *