Quelle Chris | |
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 Tennille performing in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gavin Christopher Tennille |
| Also known as |
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| Born | October 19, 1984 New York, U.S. |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | |
| Labels | Mello Music Group |
| Formerly of |
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Gavin Christopher Tennille (born October 19, 1984), known as Quelle Chris, is an American record producer, rapper and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. [1] He has released over 15 albums as a solo act and with his collaborative projects. [2]
Tennille was born in Johnson City, New York to a shoe designer.[ citation needed ]
Tennille began his music career in the Detroit hip hop scene. [3] His career began expanding as he joined Wasted Youth, where he attracted the attention of other Detroit-based artists such as J Dilla and Proof. Tennille and fellow rapper Denmark Vessey later formed a musical group called Crown Nation, in which Tennille soon adopted the pseudonyms Q-Life and Quelle, the latter of which means "source" in German. [2] With credit as a songwriter on several songs on Danny Brown's early albums, he began working on a solo career. [1]
His debut studio album, Shotgun & Sleek Rifle, was released in 2011, featuring guest appearances from artists such as Brown, Roc Marciano and Big Tone. He signed with Mello Music Group after releasing two extended plays with the music group Racehorses are Resources, which also consisted of poet John Sinclair. With two studio albums Niggas Is Men and Ghost at the Finish Line released on the label in 2013, Tennille produced for musicians such as Pharoahe Monch, Diamond District and Open Mike Eagle. [1]
His fourth studio album Innocent Country was released in 2015, followed by the 2016 instrumental album Lullabies for the Broken Brain. His fifth studio album Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often was released in 2017. [1] [4] He described the album as "about being human. Being great, being flawed, being you". [5] His debut collaborative album titled Everything's Fine with his life partner Jean Grae was released on March 30, 2018, via Mello. [6] On March 29, 2019, Tennille released his acclaimed sixth solo album Guns. [7] On March 16, 2020, Tennille released his seventh solo album Innocent Country 2 and released it on April 24. It features guest appearances from Earl Sweatshirt, Billy Woods, Tune-Yards' Merrill Garbus, Denmark Vessey, Homeboy Sandman, Pink Siifu, and Josh Gondelman. [8] Tennille returned with his seventh album, Deathfame on May 13, 2022. The 14-track album was primarily produced by himself. [3]
In December 2017, he proposed to his longtime partner who is also his frequent collaborator, Jean Grae. [9] [10] The two married on August 5, 2018. [11]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Shotgun & Sleek Rifle [1] | |
| Ghost at the Finish Line |
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| Innocent Country (with Chris Keys) |
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| Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often |
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| Guns |
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| Innocent Country 2 (with Chris Keys) |
|
| Deathfame [3] |
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| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Everything's Fine (with Jean Grae) |
|
| Death Tape 1: Black Cottonwood(with Cavalier) |
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| Death Tape 2: We 'Gon Need Each Other(with Cavalier and Denmark Vessey) |
|
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Lullabies for the Broken Brain |
|
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Niggas Is Men |
|
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Special | Grammy Award for Album of the Year | Nominated | [13] |
Tsidi Ibrahim, known professionally as Jean Grae is a multidisciplinary artist and writer. She rose in the underground hip hop scene in New York City and built an international fanbase. During her music career, Grae's unique music and lyrical style earned recognition as a favorite emcee by many rap artists such as Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, and Black Thought of the Roots.
Tanya Morgan is an American hip hop group, which consists of MC William Donald "Donwill" Freeman and MC/producer Devon "Von Pea" Callender. Donwill is from Cincinnati, Ohio, while Von Pea is from Brooklyn, New York. Their fourth studio album, YGWY$4, was released on July 28, 2017.
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.
Waverly Walter Alford III, known professionally by his stage name King Gordy, is an American horrorcore singer/rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is one-fourth of underground hip hop group the Fat Killahz, one-third of the horrorcore supergroup How to Gag a Maggot, and one-half of the hardcore rap duos Last American Rock Stars and Even Heathens He is currently signed to his self-owned record label King of Van Dyke Entertainment, which he unofficially launched during late 2018.
Marlanna Evans, better known by her stage name Rapsody, is an American rapper. After signing with music producer 9th Wonder's music label It's a Wonderful World Music Group, she released a series of mixtapes and collaborated with Erykah Badu and Talib Kweli. Soon afterwards Rapsody released her debut album The Idea of Beautiful (2012). She would attain further prominence when she was featured on Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly, on the track "Complexion ".
Victor Kwesi Mensah, known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip hop groups Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing his debut solo mixtape, Innanetape (2013). As a solo artist, Mensa has been signed to Virgin EMI Records, Def Jam Recordings, Capitol Records, and Roc Nation.
Jeffery Lamar Williams II, known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern hip hop and trap music, and a pioneer of the mumble rap microgenre. Williams embarked on a musical career in 2011, releasing a series of mixtapes beginning with I Came from Nothing. In 2013, he signed with fellow Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane's 1017 Records and gained further attention and praise for his debut mixtape with the label, 1017 Thug, released in February of that year.
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.
Quavious Keyate Marshall, better known by his stage name Quavo, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the now-defunct hip hop group Migos. Formed with his nephew Takeoff and their mutual friend Offset in 2008, the group released four commercially successful studio albums before disbanding in 2023.
Terry Sanchez Wallace Jr., known professionally as Tee Grizzley, is an American rapper. He first began posting music online following a two year prison sentence, he released the song "First Day Out" in 2017. It quickly gained viral status—earning two million views on YouTube in under three weeks—due to a social media challenge enacted by basketball player LeBron James, after which the song peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 and led him to sign with 300 Entertainment. Its release preceded his debut mixtape My Moment (2017), and was followed by the single "From the D to the A", which received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His collaborative mixtape with Lil Durk, Bloodas (2018), was followed by his debut studio album, Activated (2018).
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.
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.
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.
Kiari Kendrell Cephus, known professionally as Offset, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one third of the Atlanta-based hip hop trio Migos. Formed with fellow rappers Quavo and Takeoff in 2008, the group released four commercially successful studio albums—Yung Rich Nation (2015), Culture (2016), Culture II (2017) and Culture III (2021)—before disbanding in 2023.
Everything's Fine is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jean Grae and Quelle Chris. It was released via Mello Music Group on March 30, 2018. The fifteen-track record features guest appearances from the likes of Your Old Droog, Denmark Vessey, Ashok Kondabolu and comedians Hannibal Buress, Nick Offerman, Michael Che and John Hodgman, among others.
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.
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.
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