Prior to this album, Qwel was mostly known as one of the Typical Cats, a rap trio who had helped making Galapagos4 a central label, in Chicago's indie world. His two albums, If It Ain't Been In a Pawn Shop... and The Rubber Duckie Experiment, had also collected praises in the underground. As for Maker, he had authored Honestly, a semi-instrumental record, and produced Seconds Away, another great album recorded jointly with DJ DQ and the rapper Adeem, under the name of Glue.
So, they hadn't said it all. Responsible for some of the best indie rap releases in the mid 2000's - especially the brilliant The Harvest - the duo had made it again, ten years after. In 2013, Qwel, a member of the Typical Cats, who had originally perfected his rapping skills in Chicago's MC battles, and Maker, the finest producer in the Galapagos4 family, would add another great piece to their discography.
Eventually, Glue's discography would be short. Apart from a few singles, a tour CD, and an EP, Sunset Lodge, the trio would have delivered two albums only, across its career. Each record, though, was a strong one, and this is the only thing that matters. Each was the product of a perfect alchemy between the rapper Adeem, the producer Maker and DJ DQ. They were both perfect examples of records made with care, without unnecessary considerations like making something new, or, on the opposite, complying to such or such heritage. And they were recorded by three equally skilled protagonists, all sharing similar views.
Coming from Aurora, not too far from Chicago, Marco Jacobo explored a similar style as Galapagos4's beatmakers. His first album, actually, was similar to Meaty Ogre's Leo Vs. Pisces. In both cases, it was some well crafted work based on samples, alternating rapped songs with instrumental tracks. Both men knew each other well, actually, since they had recorded jointly another record, Meet your Maker Vol. 1. And Birthwrite Records, Pugslee Atomz's label, where the producer would release Honestly, was somehow a twin to Galapagos4. However, thanks to his outstanding finesse, Maker was surpassing all other beatmakers on this scene.
Music is only a matter of alchemy. And this alchemy, this delicate balance, few approached it as closely as Adeem, Maker and DJ DQ, a.k.a. Glue, one of the most solid and constant groups ever engendered in hip-hop's underground. As soon as at its beginning, with the excellent Seconds Away, Glue was this perfect rap trinity that, when perfectly aligned, a MC, a producer and a DJ can be.
Beatmakers able to release three excellent albums within a few months aren't too many in the hip hop world. But Maker is one of them. Honestly, The Harvest with Galapagos4’s Qwel and Glue’s Seconds Away with Adeem are all "must have" records. The recent release of a new instrumental album, Shooting The Breeze was an opportunity for us to ask Maker for a bit more information about him.
Comment