HOLLA For Real's Summer Heat Showcase Winner with 135 votes

Ques Fire

Contrary to popular belief, hip hop is not dead. As Ques' newest hit Whiskey and Beer proclaims, "Hip hop's been hiding out at my house." With the roots of underground hip hop music suffocating under mainstream conquests it's refreshing to find out an artist like Ques found a hole for air. This Bronx native delivers his music with the same lyrical capabilities of any of hip hop's founding fathers, the humor of a class clown, and the knowledge of a street Socrates. His mix of creative talent and wit is reminiscent of a lost time in hip hop music when it was about the conscious message, as much as it was about having fun. Yet, according to Ques, his music is just a mirror into his world. What a view. Ques' revolutionary roots stem back to his childhood. After the murder of his father, a political dissident, Ques knew it was no longer a dream, but a responsibility to pursue his ultimate love, music. Growing up in the Bronx, New York during the emergence of hip hop was exactly the fuel needed for this young artists' fire. Ques became a local hit, performing throughout the tri-state area in venues such as Pyramid, Speed, West End Lounge, and Nuyorican Poet's Café. Soon, he was opening shows for the late and greats like Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, and collaborations with reggae sensation Elephant Man. Ques' style is versatile. Outside of the fact that his bilingual background allows him to rap in English and French, his music has made it into television, radio, and Broadway theatre. You can hear his work on the movie soundtrack for Sucker Punch, Reebok commercials, and more recently the Mountain Dew MDX radio remix. The man behind the music is currently working on his follow-up album to his 2005 debut, Open Book, which has sold over 5,000 copies and counting. Ques is rated No.1 in the unsigned hip hop genre of numerous mp3 websites, including Garageband.com, and ISOUND.com. Brace yourselves for the fall 2007 new album release. So the following is there. The talent is there. Where's the record deal? Ques doesn't preoccupy himself with talks of signing n the dotted line. Though it is his ultimate goal, his immediate concern is bringing his life, love, and music to the masses by any means necessary. You can catch this laid back rapper rocking a Sweet 16, at a beat battle hunting for producers, or right next door cracking jokes making sure everybody's having a good time.