QDIESEL

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“If you’re going to do it, do it. Don’t let anyone change what you create” 

-J. Dilla

 

One of the greatest lessons, producer and rapper, QDiesel learned from the late, great J. Dilla was, when other people begin to change your vision, it is no longer your own.  QDiesel’s sonic journey has clearly been formed, partly by his cousin’s advice and example; as a result, QDiesel has been steadily blazing his own trail in the music industry. Music is a family affair for QDiesel, inheriting the talents of his mother and father, both of whom sang and performed in 1970’s; he was a quick study and started performing early, when he was in his teens.  QDiesel started out as a background dancer for Slum Village (initially known as Ssenepod) in 1988 and continued through 1993; mastering his craft of abstract hip hop dancing. After heavily contributing to the composition of Slum Village records, QDiesel was encouraged by the group’s willingness to trust his input. The trust exhibited by his musical compatriots emboldened QDiesel, and he embarked on a solo career.  QDiesel’s first EP, “Quite Delicious”, was the result of three years of incubation; released in 1997, the body of work, which was produced in entirety, by J. Dilla, was quickly sold out by word of mouth via direct sales and local mom and pop stores.  Without the aid of social media, as it was virtually non-existent, “Quite Delicious” generated a cult following. Word of the EP circulated to Fat Beats Records in New York City and as a result, three songs off of the EP were released as a twelve-inch single in 2000. The Fat Beats white label catapulted QDiesel and his music was heard on a worldwide level; earning the artist a global fan base, in remote locales such as South Africa, Switzerland, and Amsterdam. Subsequently, QDiesel’s music was sought after and was used on several international releases presented by well-known music labels such as Pisces Entertainment LPD (London), Om Records (San Francisco), and Up Above (New York). Having established his prowess as an emcee, QDiesel has been featured on numerous projects including, B.R. Gunna’s “Dirty District” Volumes 1,2 and 3, Black Milk’s “Sound of the City”, Slum Village’s eponymous LP, and has been fortunate to collaborate and work with artists such as Illa J, Frank & Dank, and Mad Lib. Naturally, the next progression for an artist like QDiesel, who has spent the last 25 years absorbing all aspects of music creation, is production. Always looking to redefine his narrative and legacy, QDiesel began producing music in 2008 and has since released two mix tapes, “808 Bass Cadet”, Volume 1 and 2, featuring the usual suspects performing over his funky, electronic beats: Black Milk, Illa J, Dank (of Frank & Dank), T3 (of Slum Village), and relative newcomers, Vice Verses (from Chicago) and Leslie Rochelle.  QDiesel’s highly curated releases highlight the extraordinary wealth of musical knowledge this veteran has amassed thus far in his career; QDiesel is ready to push sonic boundaries even further, creating music with specific influences ranging from his hometown, Detroit, to the pioneering sound of electronic music, the legendary emcee Rakim, the soulful sound of James Brown, and the revolutionary music of Marvin Gaye.