Qualo
Pockets (Maxi Single)
© 2007 The Movement (634479555657)
Chicago's foremost rap group.
tracks
try this
albums you will love
- ALEXANDER MONDAY: Alexander Monday Presents: The Bridge Boyz
- PREAST: Fear God. Tell the Truth. And Make Money
- QUALO: Believe.
- QUALO AND THE MOVEMENT.: Chi-bangin. The Movement Catalog
genres you will love
By Location
Recommended if you like ...
notes
“The kids, Qualo, are going to make it big from the underground this year.”
-Lupe Fiasco (during his interview with Mike Shinoda of Fort Minor and Linkin Park)
“Qualo is so awesome. They're definitely leaders in this new Chicago movement of ours. They bring the streets.”
-Kid Sister
"Qualo's sound is 'street-gospel'! 'Jesus Walks' meets 50Cent! ..and that's a whole 'nother genre. Not even just rap. They are the starters of 'Street Ghetto Gospel' "
-Rhymefest
"We're friends with them.” “Man, Qualo is going straight to the top;….. I swear, they have a sound unlike anyone else in the game right now!"
-Flosstradamus
"Qualo is another extension of the Chicago 'Movement' that the world needs to look out for."
-Kanye West
"Qualo been family forever. They're original ‘Mobstaz.”"
-Twista
"The honesty and sincerity in Qualo's music is what hip-hop needs a lot more of.”
-Phonte of Little Brother
"Man, Qualo is the inner soul of Chicago. If Chicago was a body Qualo would be the heart."
-Rhymefest
“ I’m expecting some extremely big things from those cats in the future.... they are the future.”
“ With a whole city behind them, tens of thousands of units sold and overseas distribution, they’re slated as the next group to blow, and blow big”
*****
-Itunes
“Qualo’s brand of street politickin’ is catchin’ on in the Windy City, a town known for its strong identity in the Pro-Black campaign.”
-XXL
“If –as an ever-louder chorus of voices keeps proclaiming – Chicago continues to sit on the edge of a massive hip hop breakout, the West Side collective, Qualo may go down, along with Kanye West, as one of its most incendiary catalysts”
-Billboard magazine
“When Qualo takes the stage, they take it.”
-Chicago Sun-Times
“If you like: Talib Kweli, Tupac Shakur, NWA. …This Chicago foursome is both raw and insightful, vicious and comical…definitely something that both the Jay-Z crowd and the Black Star would like.”
- The Chicago Sun Times
“What if 2pac was a group.....”
“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”.
“They ARE the new Outkast!”
-DJ Vdub of 107.5 FM WGCI radio and The Violator Allstar DJS
QUALO
The Immortal Movement Nation.
“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, Ken Winz and Shala Esquire. The four come together with an energy similar to the heydays of the hip hop super-group. This seldom-sen 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 Ken Winz. Ken Winz 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 Nigerian-American, 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 Ken'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.