Hip Hop Habit: KhanQuest
posted in: Features • Urban
Who is KhanQuest? In some scenarios, he is the typical American thug touting drug use, fast cars and territorial dominance. In other situations, he is a biblical scholar, interpreting the last supper. And every now and then, he’s a tender man flattering potential lovers and giving props to his mom. Sifting through the seemingly contradictory personalities (all blazingly worn on his sleeve) may not be for purists out there, but there’s no doubt that”if nothing else”his rhymes leave a lasting impact.
Coming from Newark and reaching the height of adolescent rebellion during the infamous east coast vs. west coast rap battle years, it should come as no surprise that sections of KhanQuest’s OurStage catalog present him as the quintessential hostile east coast aggressor. One such piece is the subtly rumbling Quiet Storm. Opening with clichéd thunder effects, KhanQuest is quick to squash any doubts of fraud as soon as his verbal lightning sets the track on fire. His piercing threats and poisonous vernacular march nicely with a busy, low range bass and draining orchestra flanking not far be behind. With the song’s opening line being First off fuck a bitch who ain’t spittin’ flames/ East side when I ride through switchin’ lanes/ on edge like I’m sniffin’ ˜caine, you’d think the copious amounts of venom being spewed would eventually subside, but you would be wrong, as he continues to inflate his power and tenacity to King Kong-like proportions. KhanQuest casts an intruding shadow on unworthy amateurs, and lets everyone know he is here to fill refuel the rap game: Hip Hop’s missin’ the big spot/ I’m here to fill a void.
Now onto the MC’s most common pool of topic ” social commentary. Music of this breed walks a fine line between imposing annoyance and inspiring activism. Thankfully, the unique perspectives KhanQuest uses to relay his insight are at worst eerily disturbing and at best shockingly eye opening. In a rare display of versatility for rappers these days, KhanQuest transitions out of the hard-nosed gangster role present in Quiet Storm into journalist mode, reporting on Sudanese genocide from the front lines. With a title like Real Street (Darfur Crisis), the MC seems to deliberately emasculate the pavement he roamed in pieces like Quiet Storm. The verses’ signature high-pitched synth organ doesn’t really match up with the content, and he has a little difficulty translating the facts he wants illuminate into rhythmic flow, but none of this prevents him from thoroughly scaring any unaware listener into action.
One could write about KhanQuest and his chameleon-like palette for pages and pages, but it’s best I stop here and let you do the analyzing for yourself! If you think you know who the real KhanQuest is, let us know in the comments!