On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.
Qwel & Maker: Owl (Galapagos4, 9/14/10)
Qwel & Maker: “Letting Life Pass By”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/11-qwel_and_maker-letting_life_pass_by-noir.mp3|titles=LettingLifePassBy]Although Chicago’s underground hip-hop scene has roads that point back separately to both MC Qwel and DJ Maker, their partnership has helped them reach audiences beyond the confines of the city’s gridded streets.
Qwel gained an underground following starting in Chicago’s south-side neighborhood of Hyde Park as a founding member of the Typical Cats in the late ’90s. Between periods of work on Typical Cats material, he has released several projects that enlist fellow artists at Galapagos4, the indie label that has put out nearly 20 Qwel releases since 2001. That expansive list becomes larger with Qwel and Maker’s third record together, Owl.