Qualls- Passionate

What do you think about when you think of hip-hop? I'm not talking about the classic rap era that came from funk, the gangsta hip-hop of the 90s, or the dirty south sound the reigned over the early 2000s. I'm talking about the current state of rap. What comes to mind when you think about hip-hop?

Is it trap beats? Or maybe it's sleepy rappers who sing, don't claim to be rappers, and only rap about drugs, and fucking bitches.

What if I told you there was something different. What if I told you there was a rapper with a new sound, that is actually cutting through the clout cloud and bringing "real" back to rap? Would you be interested?

Well for those who are, let me introduce you to an artist.

Qualls is a 19-year-old rapper from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and he is doing something that sets him apart from the main; he's actually rapping about something.

Qualls got started at young age. As he say, "there were signs”. "At a young age I was very passionate about music. I’d count beats in a measure before I even knew what a measure was. I'd listen to the radio non stop and when I heard a song I liked, I'd spend hours sitting by the radio until they played the song again."

Qualls was and is a lover of music, and all of that was heightened when his uncle introduced him to the rapper Canibus aka "real rap".

"As soon as he pressed play my mind started spinning. Back then all I knew was the mainstream rap and when I listened to Canibus, it was like a lightbulb went off. I started studying Canibus’s music, then I started studying Rakim, Jay z, Big Daddy Cain and so on."

What I like the most about Qualls is that he's a student and a lover of rap. He is bringing a refreshing amount of realness and honesty back to this genre of music. He is a direct descendant of the artist that inspire him, and you can see this in his EP Will.

On this project, he takes you into his heart. He’s not rapping about money and fly shit; instead, he’s talking about his real life. Because he does this, his music has a relatable and realistic feel to it. Qualls leaves nothing behind and talks about very personal things in a way that is not boring or cringe-worthy. The EP is soulful, creative, charming, and a nice introduction piece for an artist. He blows past the standard facade most artist throw out before they are comfortable being deep with their audience, and takes the listener straight into his life story.

"I started rap because I wanted to bring substance back to rap music. I just wanted to make a change. I put my all into it and aim to make timeless music. My heart’s in it, it’s a part of me. This album is a foundation piece; with it you’re taking a piece of me as you listen to and dissect it."

Every bit of Will dives up deeper into Qualls and his sound. On his next project, he plans to expand this by not only giving us a full length, but by being even more open. This new album won't have the exact same sound as Will but it will be reminiscent of it.

All and all Qualls is bringing rap music something that is refreshing to see in his peer group. Just like the industry has made room for artists who glorify drugs and money, we need to equally respect an artist who glorifies becoming a better person and learning from his mistakes. Qualls and artists like him are the future of rap, and it's time we listened.