| Innocent Country | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Quelle Chris and Chris Keys | ||||
| Released | July 10, 2015 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 32:48 | |||
| Label | Mello Music Group | |||
| Producer | Chris Keys | |||
| Quelle Chris and Chris Keys chronology | ||||
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| Quelle Chris chronology | ||||
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Innocent Country is the first collaborative studio album by American rapper Quelle Chris and producer Chris Keys. It was released through Mello Music Group on July 10, 2015. [1]
San Francisco Bay Area producer Chris Keys and Detroit rapper/producer Quelle Chris started to develop the Innocent Country project after meeting through mutual collaborator Roc Marciano. [2] The twelve-track LP audio production was entirely handled by Chris Keys, and featured guest appearances by the likes of Denmark Vessey, Cavalier, Fresh Daily, The Fiends, and Big Sen. [3]
Innocent Country is the third record of Quelle's ongoing 2Dirt4TV series, followed by Niggas Is Men (released in 2013) and 2Dirt4TV (released in 2012). Its sequel, Innocent Country 2 , was released in April 2020.
On June 25, 2015, Quelle released a music video for "Where the Wild Things Roam", co-directed with Eric Mercure. [4]
The project’s lead single, "I Asked God", was released on June 10, 2015. [5]
Music video for "Nothing Moves" was directed by Da Dreak for Eyewerk Films and was released on September 16, 2015. [6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [7] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10 [8] |
| HipHopDX | 4/5 [9] |
| Pitchfork | 6.9/10 [10] |
Paul Simpson of AllMusic gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5, describing it as "a playful set of reflections about life and all of its troubles and disappointments, and how to cope with it all." [7] Marcus J. Moore of Pitchfork gave the album a 6.9 out of 10, stating, "The soundtrack moves between wistful and nonsensical moments, which leads to a strong alliance with Quelle who, across several projects, uses conversational flows of disconnected thoughts." [10]
All music is composed by Chris Keys
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Freedom & Fear" | 2:32 |
| 2. | "Where the Wild Things Roam" | 2:51 |
| 3. | "We Want It Alive" (featuring Fresh Daily and Cavalier) | 3:36 |
| 4. | "Well Running Deep" | 3:49 |
| 5. | "Madness in the Oasis" | 2:44 |
| 6. | "The Ones to Watch" | 2:22 |
| 7. | "Nothing Moves" | 2:13 |
| 8. | "Murphy's Law" (featuring Denmark Vessey) | 3:26 |
| 9. | "Drugfest TooThousandToo" (featuring The Fiends) | 2:10 |
| 10. | "The Plan" (featuring Denmark Vessey) | 3:03 |
| 11. | "The Mirror" (featuring Big Sen) | 0:48 |
| 12. | "I Asked God" | 3:14 |
| Total length: | 32:48 | |
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Denmark Martin Vessey is an American rapper and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He is also a member of hip hop duo Crown Nation with Quelle Chris. He was named after Denmark Vesey, leader of a slave revolt planned in 1822 in Charleston, South Carolina; it was interrupted before any actions took place. He is also a member of the west coast collective Dirty Science.
Angel Del Villar II, better known by his stage name Homeboy Sandman, is an American rapper from Elmhurst, Queens, New York, United States.
Dan Weiss, better known by his stage name Verbal Kent, is an alternative hip hop artist from Chicago.
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Billy Woods is an American rapper based in New York. He is also the founder of the record label Backwoodz Studioz. Woods has been a member of Armand Hammer, Super Chron Flight Brothers, and The Reavers.
Mello Music Group (MMG) is an American independent record label based in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 2007, Mello Music has released hip hop compilations and albums by producers and rappers such as Oddisee, Apollo Brown, Mr. Lif, Ghostface Killah, Open Mike Eagle, L'Orange, Quelle Chris, Jean Grae, Kool Keith, Nottz, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Pete Rock, and Rapper Big Pooh. In 2012, MTV Hive described MMG as having a "dedication to intelligent, street-wise boom bap", although the label has released a number of purely instrumental albums as well. In 2016, Forbes magazine called Mello Music Group the most successful indie rap label of the decade.
Hella Personal Film Festival is a 2016 collaborative studio album by American rapper Open Mike Eagle and British record producer Paul White. It was released via Mello Music Group on March 25, 2016. Recorded in London, it features guest appearances from Aesop Rock and Hemlock Ernst. Music videos were created for "Check to Check", "Admitting the Endorphin Addiction", "Smiling ", and "Dang Is Invincible".
Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often is a solo studio album by American rapper and producer Quelle Chris. It was released via Mello Music Group on February 10, 2017. The seventeen-track record featured guest appearances by the likes of Roc Marciano, Homeboy Sandman, Denmark Vessey, Jean Grae, Elzhi, Cavalier, and Wasted Youth among others.
Ghost at the Finish Line is a solo studio album by American rapper Quelle Chris. It was released via Mello Music Group on October 29, 2013. The thirteen-track record featured guest appearances by the likes of Alchemist, Black Milk, Denmark Vessey, Fuzz Scoota, Guilty Simpson, House Shoes, Jimetta Rose, Marv Won, and Mosel.
Too Dirt For TV2 – Niggas Is Men is a 2013 mixtape album by American rapper and producer Quelle Chris. It featured audio production handled by Messiah Musik, Sifu and Quelle himself, and guest appearances from Bwameeks, Cavalier, Chay, Denmark Vessey, DJ GroWeyez, Fresh Daily, Mosel, and Tanya Morgan.
Gavin Christopher Tennille, known as Quelle Chris, is an American record producer, rapper and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He has released over 15 albums as a solo act and with his collaborative projects. He has been described as a student of Detroit hip hop.
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Guns is a solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Quelle Chris. It was released on March 29, 2019 through Mello Music Group with distribution via The Orchard. Production was handled by Chris Keys, Dane, and Quelle himself. It features guest appearances from Bilal Salaam, Cavalier, Denmark Vessey, Eldar Djangirov, James Acaster, Jean Grae, Jonathan Hoard, Mach-Hommy, and Ugly Boy Modeling.
Innocent Country 2 is the second collaborative studio album by American rapper Quelle Chris and record producer Chris Keys. It was released on April 24, 2020 via Mello Music Group, serving as a sequel to their 2015 album Innocent Country and the fourth in the Quelle's 2Dirt4TV series. It features guest appearances from Merrill Garbus, Cavalier, Denmark Vessey, Earl Sweatshirt, Homeboy Sandman, and comedians Josh Gondelman and James Acaster, among others.
Dusty is the ninth studio album by American rapper Homeboy Sandman. It was released on October 18, 2019, through Mello Music Group with distribution via The Orchard. Recording sessions took place at Sung Moon Recordings in Buffalo, New York. Production was handled entirely by Mono En Stereo. It features guest appearances from Quelle Chris and Your Old Droog.
Resolution is the second studio album by American hip hop group The Perceptionists. It was released on Mello Music Group on July 28, 2017. Music videos were created for "Hose Down" and "Free at Last".
Deathfame is a solo studio album by American rapper and producer Quelle Chris. It was released via Mello Music Group on May 13, 2022. Production was handled by Chris Keys, Knxwledge, and Quelle Chris himself. It features guest appearances from Cavalier, Denmark Vessey, J Jig Cicero, MoRuf, Navy Blue, and Pink Siifu.
Don't Feed the Monster is the tenth studio album by American rapper Homeboy Sandman. It was released on October 16, 2020, through Mello Music Group with distribution via The Orchard. Production was handled entirely by Quelle Chris, who is featured on the album as well.
