QT's? "It's a Long Way Down" Review
Review by: James Adamiak, Writer @RisingPathMusic
Edited by: Paul Thorson, Writer/Editor @Paulyt03
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Cover art by TheLoweEnd
QT?'s new full-length album "Long Way Down" is a sound for sore ears. Its cozy yet strange vibes are a dream that's not easily forgotten upon waking. At the first sound of the opening track's plush, bending piano melody, you know you are in for a wild trip.
When I heard QT?’s combination of singing and lyricism, it made a mark on me. You can’t help but love his soulful, layered vocals. They are raw but reassuring and dripping with experience. This album marks an unmistakable new era for this inspired vocalist. This LP just hits different.
Tracklist for “It’s a Long Way Down”
The first track, "Discipline," is not just a random word associated with the song. Every bar & measure illustrates a rigorous commitment to practice and honing one’s skill:
“ Daily devotion on the beat/
Went cold turkey, but I was back in a week.””
Personal stories seep out of this narrative while the rhythm blurs in and out of focus. An enchanted refrain appears almost ghostlike by the end. One of my standout favorites is “Bullshit” It is an audible exhale after a long haul:
“Keep pushing through the bullshit. Stop harboring my sorrow”.
The sparse production is really a thing of beauty, and it is so effective. This song is an induced meditative state. QT? pushes content over clicks.
“Bogus” starts with some amazing harmonization by one of the Twin Cities' most gifted vocalists Traiveon Dunlap. Not just a hook to the song but an ensemble of syrupy voices singing:
“Sugar Coated, shake my focus/
Might do you bogus, but still I try.”
QT? brings it all together, enraptured with a new love, and describes it exquisitely.
“London 71” is the radical first single featuring Juice Lord. Charged lyrics bounce over this groove. There’s more to it than being socially conscious when these two powerhouses meet. They push each other and drop a lot of jewels along the way. Also, they put out a dope video directed by none other than Destiny Roberts.
“LWD,” the title track lures you further down the rabbit hole. The backward sounds hit with precision as this futuristic beat slaps. QT’s lyrics shine with profound intensity singing:
“It’s a long way down. Hope you don’t fall. Hey, watch your step, player.”
The words here are an extension of self and a victory of sorts. This is truly a meditation for the seeker. The intonations are mesmerizing. You quickly realize that this is mastery via waveform.
Lil Sinner is a brave, silky smooth R&B expedition into another world. Mama’s and Poppa’s lil sinner is acting like they’re grown. These raw raps have an edge to them. DEO’s feature is absolutely killer adding “respectfully” at the end of some suggestive phrases about your mama.
This song is a testament to QT?’s ability to blend the unexpected with the familiar. The audio clip at the song's end is a hilarious & insightful conversation about his lineage that he taped at his grandmother’s house.
“Nevada” is a lavish vibe. The vocal delivery ricochets off the drums and weaves in and out of the golden-toned, warped guitar melody. It’s more of an unexpected oasis than your typical love song.
This album culminates in the triumphant conclusion of “Wildflower,” is a reflection of what we could all hope to learn during a lifetime:
“At your own pace: we live, we grieve, we grow.”
Keeping it pushing no matter what is thrown at us. There is inherent wisdom in every corner of this LP.
“Long Way Down” gets better and better the longer I spend time with it. This project is not a piece of art that sits stagnant in a frame; it is a living, breath collection.
Sleepless Blue’s production is next-level and otherworldly. Most of these songs are less than 2 minutes, and I absolutely love that aspect of it. It instantly caught and held my attention. The talent here is not easily compared to any other artist – it’s a comet shooting through the night’s sky.
“Long Way Down” is exciting, sticky, action-packed & to the point. It is incredible from beginning to end.
Interview With QT?
Melodic Noise sat down with the artist to ask a couple of questions:
MN: Congratulations on the album! Can you walk me through the production? Who was behind that?
QT?: From Top to Bottom, it was produced and mixed by Sleepless Blue, my dog. We have been rocking for the past three years now. This is the first body of work that he has produced for me, top to bottom.
MN: Can you give me some background on how you two linked up?
QT?: At the beginning, the first time we met was at Honey back when Honey was popping. We just linked through there through mutual friends. He also produced “No Good neighbors” (with Seiler and North Star Wisdom.) He did their production, mixing, and engineering. We crossed paths at more shows at Honey. They booked us for a residency, and we’ve just been clicked up ever since. The energy’s been there.
MN: How did you approach this album differently than 2019’s “In Time Spent?”
QT?: Number one: my main goal was trying to lock in with one producer and make a fluid body of work. That was my goal at the end of the day. Obviously, we put in time and experience with Whim County’s “Molotov Mongoose” (Sleepless Blue, DEO & QT?) our first project. We got a lil’ vibe. He produced, “Symmetry,”on the last album. I wanted to elevate my sound.
It’s been a three-year break for me, so I had time and space to create. We wanted to take it one day at a time. The first record on there is the last song, “Wildflower,” that was the first one we made in 2020. I was really focused on building something that is stripped down and highlights what I do best vocally.
MN: A lot of these songs are 2 minutes or under, was that a conscious choice?
QT?: Absolutely, from top to bottom I wanted it to be quick and easy listen. I feel like you can listen to that shit in a car drive to your girl's house, a car ride to the grocery store. Whatever back and forth, and you can bump that. That was my intention, “Is that shit already over?”
That’s the art. In this day and age, you don’t have too much time to make an impression. Let me just make it bite-size.
MN: What were some of your musical inspirations, and what inspired you to start playing and making music?
QT?: The first influence that I could remember was my mom, she sang a lot within the city through churches, doing that thing, but she also had a solo career. She released a couple of records and was played on KMOJ. She definitely was the first inspiration for me, and she is a great singer to this day. Shout out to Ma Dukes.
MN: You have frequently collaborated with DEO (Minneapolis Quarantine Mixtape Project and the Whim County EP.) He’s also featured on your new album. How did you two become such close musical collaborators?
QT?: First things first, that’s my dawg. One of my best friends – we’ve been tight ever since middle school. That’s my boy for real. We started our musical journey at the same time. We were in a rap group with another fellow under the name “Like Minds.”
MN: Tell me more about “Like Minds.”
QT?: That’s the gang. That’s how we got our feet wet. We were in an apartment in Richfield/Minneapolis. A little section 8 spot. We set up a mattress and a mic, and you know, we were just trying shit out – made a tape.
That kind of grew into something special. The love and that bond, that friendship kind of grew. We did it. We took it to a pretty elite level, playing festivals in California, Dallas, Chicago. We put the pedal to the metal as far as our brand goes. That’s where we really tightened up collaboratively. “Iron sharpens iron. Steel sharpens steel.”
We were trying to go hard at each other, rap our asses off. “You aint fucking with my verse. Who is going to have the tightest verse on this song?”
100% we are brothers at the end of the day. We love to kick it with each other. We broke bread and found community. It definitely took us a long way, and I appreciate those moments. It helped me grow as an artist for sure.
MN: I absolutely love your singing, and even your raps have a musical cadence to them. How did you develop your style?
QT?: For sure, it started with the Like Minds guys –it was really centered on rapping early on, consistently coming up with the best verses and really focusing in on that. When the 2nd project rolled out, I was trying to experiment and coming up with different things for my sound. I knew that my voice was an instrument and I could play with it a little bit. I continued to work on it and build it, build it and it worked into its own thing where I live between the worlds of singing and rapping. I love it so much. I love rap as much as I love singing. I almost love them equally. I feel like that is my perfect happy medium.
MN: Looking back, what is your favorite venue to perform at or your favorite show that you have done?
QT?: I have to say we played a show in Chicago in 2018. It was one of my favorite shows outside of the city (Minneapolis.) We were opening up for some cats. Obviously, we were not trending or popping like that, but somebody was giving us a look and an opportunity. It was a packed house. Everyone came to see this artist, and they called our name up there and it was… crickets.
It couldn’t be more dry. We were like “Alright” We do our thing, you know, and we kill it. Rip it down and the whole building; as soon as we say “that’s our time,” they give it up. That was one great feeling of being able to switch a room like a light switch. That was a great feeling.
MN: Outside of music, what are some of your interests and hobbies?
QT?: I’m big on gaming. I love 2K, watching football, basketball, sports in general. I go to the games, family time. I don’t really have hobbies outside of creating music and kicking it with the homies. My other biggest hobby outside of music is podcasting. I am ¼ of a podcast “Kush Thoughts” podcast. We’ve been doing that for better part of 4 years.
We’ve had Blu from Blu & Exile. Camouflage Monk one of the best producers from Griselda right now. He is really doing his thing and a couple other cats. I love podcasts. I love listening to them all day.
MN: Can you tell how the Juice Lord Collaboration came about and how you both linked up with Destiny Roberts for the London 71 video?
QT?: Shout out to Destiny Roberts, Juice Lord, both St. Paul acts. Shout out St. Paul. I’ve known Juice for a long time, been in and out of sessions.
There’s a studio in Dinkytown that everyone has been in at one point in time. I met him in the rooms there fucking with a homie of mine, Rich Lee – another great producer. We just kicked it. I got more serious about making a record after me and Destiny Roberts did “See Through Force” in 2020.
He was fucking with that record and was like “We gotta get one!” I sent him over the song. It was done and I was like “Bro just plug in your verses.”
He knocked it out the park. Circle back around to video time – “Do you have anybody in mind?” And he was like, “Why not Destiny?”
She was more than happy to help out and be a part of the team. She did the edits and shot it in 1 day. Shout out Destiny. She got a young one on the way and she was pregnant when she was shooting the video. She was powering through. She captured the energy I wanted in the vide, even in the murals in that video, my best friend that does all my album artwork. A great visual artist Adrian Lowe did the murals that you see in the background. All those murals are him.
MN: Personal growth is a prevailing theme in your music. What does spirituality mean to you?
QT?: To me, it’s something that I live every day. I think the evolution of a human being on planet earth is constant. If you are not trying to constantly work on yourself then you are just stuck, and I don’t want to be. I try my best not to land in that place, no matter how old I get. A lot of my songs are letters to myself or what I wish I could be. Growth is big for me. I continue to try to build a better version of myself every day.
MN: What do you have planned for the summer or the remainder of 2022?
QT?: Putting the album out. We are definitely doing a release party at the Moxy in May. We hitting the road, man. We are hitting Dallas, we hitting New York, Cali. We trying to get back on the road and do our thing here. I got some shows lined up.I'mm super excited. Me and DEO are planning to lock back in for “Whim County Volume 2.”
MN: If you can have your fans remember one thing about you, what would it be?
QT?: Remove the mask, be your true form. That would be it. Be your authentic self. That’s one thing I want people to take away. Be yourself.
MN: Anything you want to plug or that you want to mention?
QT?: The website Qtwashere.com. I got the video “London 71” on there and a couple of singles. Tap in with that. As well as the show in May at the Moxy. You should definitely pull up.
Where to Listen
Long Way Down is out April 1, 2022, and can be found at the link below:
https://www.qtwashere.com/
