Mixtape of the Week: QuESt - How Thoughtful

QuEStHow Thoughtful (mixtape)QuESt is a conscious rapper with a little bit of an edge and a lot ofcharisma. The 19-year old hip-hop wonder from Miami sounds like a pro who's been doing it for years, when in reality, he didn't really start recording seriously till a little more than a...

By David "Dro" Rosario

March 3, 2010

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QuESt

How Thoughtful (mixtape)

QuESt is a conscious rapper with a little bit of an edge and a lot ofcharisma. The 19-year old hip-hop wonder from Miami sounds like a pro who's been doing it for years, when in reality, he didn't really start recording seriously till a little more than a year ago.

"2010 is not mine, I'm just growing," says QuESt, humbled in the first seconds of the first song on How Thoughtful, his sixth official mixtape. It was released this past February 11 and mixed by Chicago's DJ RTC.

The mixtape is comprised mostly of freestyles over an electric mix of industry beats and sprinkled with a few original tracks as well. Highlights include "Quest Is Active," "Swear I'm Putting On," and of course "Exhibit Q," QuESt's interpretation of Jay Electronica's "Exhibit C." Anybody who was anybody in hip-hop made their own version of "Exhibit C," but QuESt's version got a lot of praise in the hip-hop blogosphere and by coincidence had a little line where he shouts out all of his supporting bloggers:

I spit this my n****z that be hustlin' for shine
Getting ridiculed by bloggers for speaking from their minds
I do this for my bloggers that be spending all their time
Trying to keep their crowd informed and never get to just unwind

All in all, QuESt runs through How Thoughtful with style and ease. It's a worthy precursor to his next project, The Reason: A Defense Mechanism, which is sure to be a great release when it does come out. Given his age and what he's been able to accomplish in a small amount of time, QuESt will surely be among the notable names of the next generation of talent coming out of Miami's hip-hop scene.

Download the mixtape below.

Mixtape: QuESt - How Thoughtful

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