T.Q.D: Response

Back in late January, Background Noise Crew rapper The Quiet Dude released his album Taketh Away. Despite dropping at a time when most music fans are caught up in holiday hoopla or yearly recap lists, Taketh Away managed to generate plenty of positive press, a testament to the strength of the music on the project. If you haven't listened to the album yet, check out the music video for "Belonging" above, and then hit the jump to stream/download the album.

Off of T.Q.D‘s latest project, Taketh Away, comes the video for “Belonging.” The Background Noise Crew member delivers some serious and artistic rhymes with this single and fits in nicely with the rest of his third album. Stream and purchase Taketh Away now via Bandcamp.

After taking some time away from music last year, T.Q.D. of the Background Noise Crew sat down and wrote his latest album Taketh Away in under a month. "I don't like to work on things slowly. My attitude is, let's get it done," says The Quiet Dude. "I've never made an album this fast. I know what I need to say,". Listening to the record gives the impression the topics have been stewed over and are finally seeing full expression.

Lyrically and sonically, this is a dark album, with themes of death and loss circling throughout. A self-described reserved speaker (Reserved was also his first rap name), T.Q.D. has a lot to say when prompted properly, and he is most comfortable delving into the dark side of life. "That's all I really want to talk about. That's all I can think about is serious stuff. I love focusing on the negative. That sounds weird, but I just do. I'm always looking at that negative angle. There are people who make music where I'm like, you know what? That's just too happy for me. It's making me depressed with how happy it is,". Ironically, though, the songs come off as somewhat upbeat in that the rapper clearly enjoys inhabiting the difficult space he's created. 

"I've always wanted to make De La Soul's Stakes Is High. There's maybe one song on there that's light-hearted, the rest of it is pretty serious. But it's presented in such a way that it's a very light-hearted feel. That's something I'm striving for," His third official album since beginning to rap in the late '90s (not including a slew of "Appetizer" records which serve as mixtapes of sorts), this album is T.Q.D.'s most direct and cohesive project since 2006's Not Yet. The album's production, handled entirely by Salt Lake City's Vividend, manages to find a musical vibe that's an appropriate backbone, as likely to incorporate plodding drums and sorrowful pianos as it is twangy banjos and whistling. The album was fully selected and sequenced before one word was written, and T.Q.D. sinks right into each beat naturally with some powerful and heavy subject matter.

But this is definitely not downer music, and T.Q.D. aims to prove how hard his introspective sensibilities hit in a live setting at his CD release tonight. The night is packed with solid performers, including The Tribe and Big Cats!, Analyrical, 925ve, and Rich Garvey, all of whom share the headliner's penchant for real and personal lyricism and his quality stage show.

I’ve hear of emo-hip hop, but this is the real freaking deal, a painful, album-length exploration of mortality, loss, and introspective sadness. Yet the beats and rhymes are still cool, bringing back the best of the backpack era.

There's something about the quiet ones; when they do open their mouths, they always seem to have the most poignant ways of assessing the situation. T.Q.D., aka Bloomington rapper The Quiet Dude, has never shied away from serious songwriting topics, but his new album in particular, Taketh Away, centers around some particularly dark themes and works through feelings like grief and remaining empathetic during tough times quite poetically.

Taketh Away, T.Q.D.'s first album in three years, drops tonight with a CD-release show at Hell's Kitchen. In honor of the album release (and the fact that we just added his track "Infancy" to the rotation of our Local Current stream), we thought it'd be a good time to find out more about The Quiet Dude.

Local Current: I know you are a Minnesota native. Where specifically were you born and raised?

T.Q.D.: I was born in Bemidji, but other than year number one: raised in Bloomington.

When were the songs on Taketh Away written? Were there any particular themes or ideas that you wanted to focus on for this effort?

The entire album was written in one month: December of 2010. I told Vividend, who produced the whole album, that I wanted to select the beats and have them completely sequenced before I did any writing. I think doing that made me more comfortable with the beats and shortened the writing process.

I always like making downer/introspective material, but on this one I wanted to focus specifically on death, loss, and grief, because I've experienced a lot of it in recent years.  More importantly, I wanted to be less personal and more direct. For example, on the song "Liverpool's Last Stand," rather than the standard "I miss you/looking down on me from above," I focus on the fact that my friend who was killed, left behind a wife, rather than harp on how I felt. Grief and loss aren't the only topics I address on the album, but that is the overall theme. Oddly enough, my favorite song on the album, "Audio Problem," doesn't explore death. It's the story of a friend of mine who almost died (thankfully didn't) dealing with anorexia.

Tell me about your involvement in the Background Noise Crew. For those unfamiliar, what do you feel that the artists have in common?

Background Noise Crew is a label formed four and a half years ago consisting of myself, Analyrical, ToneKrusher Smith, Phingaz, Status Reign, and Egypto Knuckles. Egypto is the only one who doesn't rap. I rap, occasionally produce, and handle grunt duties like website maintenance, writing newsletters, and so on.  We've had our ups and downs over the years, but remain a family and I couldn't ask for a better group of friends...plus, I'd like to think we're all talented too.

What we have in common is a love for hip-hop and an appreciation for different styles.  At times we might overlap, but in general we have very different ideas in terms of the kind of music we like to make. I'm glad to say that has never been an issue among us.

One track that stands out for me on Taketh Away is "Insomnia." What was the inspiration for that track?

The song title is pretty direct. I've been an insomniac for as long as I can remember. It's pretty rare that I have a good night sleep, so as you might imagine, that effects everything else in my life. When I got the beat, the only thing that popped in my head for a few hours was the phrase "pretend until I'm awake," which ultimately became part of the hook.

I almost didn't get the beat at all. Vividend announced online that he was selling off old beats that had been sitting on his hard drive for years. Thankfully, I saw the post immediately and called him asking why he was selling "my" beat: the rest is history.

How did you get the name The Quiet Dude?

I'm a quiet person in general.  I'm not shy, but I don't have a ton of interest in small talk, which is often mistaken for shy. My first name when I started rapping in high school was Reserved, but I decided to change it when I was working on my first full length. I just wanted to think of something that stayed in the same territory of being quiet, but less lame. It was either T.Q.D or Silence...I'd like to think I made the right choice.

As someone who has been rapping and participating in the Twin Cities hip-hop community for many years now, what are your thoughts on the health of our scene? Are there any areas where you think we could use some improvement, or where we are particularly strong?

I think the scene has come back from a lull.  The closing of The Dinkytowner had a bigger impact than many people would like to admit. For a lot of artists in town, that was the place you could go and maybe you didn't get the exact date you wanted, but you could always get a slot.  I noticed a lot of people disappeared for a while, but now new venues have popped up and some older venues book hip-hop that didn't previously, so I think the live scene has come back.  Also, people are making better albums too.

The only area of improvement I'd suggest, probably effects a lot of other scenes.  Sometimes there can be too much jealousy and too many self-appointed victims.  When I say victims, I mean people who get salty about this person or that person getting shine that they think should be reserved for them.  Hard work and putting your heart is to your music is noble, but the doesn't mean you're better than the big names and even if you are, the fans don't have to like your music. Sometimes folks forget that being a popular rapper is not a right.

"I'm generally a pretty quiet person."

Coming from David Johnson, 28, who has battled through speech issues since childhood and goes by the name the Quiet Dude (T.Q.D.), this isn't the most surprising self-description. However, add in the fact that T.Q.D. is a local MC set to release his third studio album, "Taketh Away," this week, and suddenly the dots become a little harder to connect.

Hailing from Bloomington, where he began rapping in the late '90s, T.Q.D. was fascinated by hip-hop lyricists and was inspired to give rap a shot after hearing gangsta rap pioneer Kool G Rap. It wasn't G Rap's jarring street image or "mafioso rap" that drew T.Q.D., but a connection he heard through the rapper's enunciation.

"I don't know how familiar you are with his catalog, but he definitely has a pretty noticeable lisp," he said. "I grew up with a bunch of speech problems."

Those issues were tied to a heavy lisp Johnson spoke with as a child. Although he worked on and gradually overcame the impediment, he didn't consider getting rid of it a necessary step when he began to rap. "Everyone has to become comfortable with their own voice," he said.

The speech problem is hinted at in T.Q.D.'s stage name (which replaced the equally sheepish Reserved, his first rap alias), but it doesn't distract from his music and is rarely noticeable in his delivery.

While the impetus to step behind the mike came from G Rap, T.Q.D. said he identifies more with the direct lyrical style of De La Soul. Although T.Q.D.'s recent songs have lightened up a bit compared with older lyrics that he described as "cryptic," almost all of "Taketh Away" addresses topics from love to day-to-day struggles in a serious tone. Lines such as "Plain to me, we all can see/ Pretty exterior within she bleeds," from his favorite new track, "Audio Problems," capture the candid attitude present throughout the album.

For his first album, "Not Yet," T.Q.D. recorded with Doomtree members P.O.S. and Cecil Otter, an experience that continues to affect his work. Otter "probably gave me my best advice," he said, recounting how the local star suggested that as a relative unknown, T.Q.D. should shorten his tracks to get his message across more quickly. "I've kind of taken that to heart." He has been encouraged by the success of his former collaborators and hopes to build on that with his newest effort.

The CD release party for "Taketh Away" takes place Friday at Hell's Kitchen. "I'm probably more excited than I've ever been," T.Q.D. said, largely because it's been three years since his last album. Assuming his enthusiasm translates to his performance, T.Q.D. is becoming anything but a quiet dude.

Proving that hip hop and rap doesn’t have to be ear busting loud, T.Q.D.’s (short for The Quiet Dude) new album “Clench, Grit, Breathe” is full of subtle sounds and smooth rhymes. But don’t listen to it without a decent sound system or you might miss some of the catchier beats and background melodies.

When I first listened to this disk, it was on my cheap PC speakers, and I didn’t really hear much beyond some of the higher melodies and the lyrics. This album didn’t come alive until I played it in the car or with my headphones. There the restrained beats and finer elements came to life. Many of the tracks have a much deeper sound and in some cases revealed an emotional edge that wasn’t there before. Once the finer points present themselves, the album becomes a pleasant surprise.

Without judging T.Q.D. by his previous albums, his vocals on “Clench, Grit, Breathe” are solid and consistent. For much of the album his vocals are fairly smooth and laid back, which complements the music. His voice also has intensity on a few songs when it needs to. T.Q.D. has a good voice that rhymes with authority and offers no apologies. It is what it is, and it fits the music more often than not.

Looking at some of the tracks more closely, “Baby Boy” and “Fall Asleep” offer up smooth vocals while “Fall Asleep” has a lonely melody that is quite catchy. “Contradiction” later in the album has a similar feeling while staying fresh. Continuing with the more emotional tracks, “Second Fiddle” carries on the emotional tone with lyrics rather than music, being about a misfit son surviving while the favored son has passed on. It evokes the tragic feelings of Anthony Hamilton’s “Georgie Parker” while doing something new.

Bringing on the intensity, “Hide & Seek” has a tough beat with haunting background vocals, while bringing out a touch of Dr. Octagon in the last part of the of the song. Followed by the song “Speed Bump” probably the rawest track. The vocals have plenty of pain and anger while the music is reminiscent of Ennio Morricone at times. “Pity” also has strong vocals with another excellent melody. By far though, “Saunter” is the most memorable track. The mournful cry of the cello provides a great contrast with the vocals and adds to the gravity of the song.

“Clench, Grit, Breathe” brings out some strong emotions for those who listen deep. A decent sound system is a must for this album, or you’ll miss the good parts of this album. T.Q.D.’s style is unique and befits the moniker of “The Quiet Dude.” Quiet dudes may be hard to hear at times, but when you hear what they have to say it’s usually worth listening to.

Listen to the podcast interview below.

http://minneapoliscast.com/2009/04/27/tqd/

3.5 (out of 5)

The flirty keys on “Let The Funeral Begin” beckons the listener to accept an audible odyssey into the realm of David Lee Johnson, Jr., known as, T.Q.D. to his loyal legion. T.Q.D.’s , Clench, Grit, Breathe will be appreciated. The Quiet Dude is Minnesota’s poetic MC; he’s integral to its expanding soundscape. As the musical journey proceeds, an oxymoronic presence is felt, this closed-mouthed individual is a natural storyteller.

T.Q.D.’s use of his endless vocabulary is laudable. The effortless way the lyrics tumble from his lips creates inviting vignettes for the listener. Yet when it’s forced like on, “Baby Boy” or “Hide And Seek” the track suffers. These are two instances of acrimony; the lyrics and the production duel for the spotlight.

Overall, Clench, Grit, Breathe, is a satisfactory sophomore effort. “Ask Me In A Few Months” and “Red Black And Blue White” ft Phingaz are enjoyable examples of the undeniable talent that T.Q.D. possesses. The subtle production on “Contradiction” is heaven, simplistic manipulation of sounds, combined with complex lyrics, elevates the track. “Saunter” reflects the feelings of loneliness. An isolated, old-Western, lullaby is the backdrop to this stream-of-consciousness, lyrical delivery.

Harnessing an ambiguous sound, T.Q.D. is a mixture of a creative Fiona Apple, an early, melancholy Tech N9ne, and an expressive Cee-Lo Green. “Speed Bump” is the highlight of the entire album. The cunning ability that T.Q.D. uses as he attacks the subject of rape is genius. The repetitive “NO” is futile as the victim tries to cope with situation and the ramification that follows. Clench, Grit, Breathe displays the evolving lyrical maturity and the potential of T.Q.D

Following the release of the Background Noise Crew’s Everybody Does This, the group’s T.Q.D. dropped an extremely limited release of The Appetizer EP as a supplemental CD in preparation for the emcee’s sophomore album, Clench, Grit, Breathe. Speaking of the EP T.Q.D. explained, “When I was making my full length Clench, Grit, Breathe, I wanted to have a certain number of songs that I was proud of, but decided to leave off the album. These are the six songs.” And the emotional tone of the songs is a dark one, one that strays thematically into the world of addiction and inner conflict, T.Q.D. writing from experience and as a storyteller. “I tend to draw from my own life or other people’s lives. However, there are a couple songs on this EP I decided to take some creative liberty with, for the sake of trying something new.”

And with that, here is The Appetizer EP, accompanied by a track-by-track explanation from T.Q.D. himself.

“Destroy the Cure”

T.Q.D.: I got this beat from Chickenbone and it it blew me away from the moment I heard it and it still does. I made this song in the fall of 2007. At the time, there was a two and a half month period where I can honestly say I had a drinking problem. The plot of the song is a relationship gone wrong due to a drinking problem. The dirty little secret is that while the drinking issue was very real, there was no actual woman. I thought it might be fun to stop being autobiographical for a moment and just make a “what if” song from a first person point of view. It’s not my story, but I’m sure it’s someone’s story.

“I Want It All Back”

T.Q.D.: This is the song that I had the hardest time leaving off of Clench, Grit, Breathe. It just didn’t fit as well as it could’ve. I received this beat from Poorboy and the sitar hooked me. This song was created last summer. It addressed being new to the dating world, which I was at the time and struggling with devoting time to a relationship and my music, which both require lots of time, and when you add in a day job, it gets more complicated. It’s about wishing I had a much less complicated busy schedule, but knowing that if things are important, then being busy is just a part of the deal.

“Broken Vase”

T.Q.D.: This song was created in the Summer of 2008 for and about one of my ex-girlfriends. It was originally going to be a gift just for her and not go on any CD. However, she ended things before that could happen, but I wasn’t going to scrap a perfectly good song.

In terms of the song itself, she was going through some things when we met and this was basically me letting her know that, while I couldn’t change what happened before, I can be something different and for her to realize that. That is best exemplified in the “Recycle her tears plant a new tree” line. The part where I say “Follow the words and the path to sun rays/Maybe temporary but at least a new phase/A phase that you’ll always know/The kind you’ll regret if let go/Let hope set sail let the rest prevail” further drives the point home.

My favorite part of the song is right after that when I start singing after the “follow the words” portion, “Take my hand now, you won’t be sorry.” I still get chills when I hear that, because even though my singing is talent is whatever, it’s just me showing my raw emotion for someone I had fallen for. The “in love” feeling I expressed at the time is long gone, but at one point it was true and I still think the song is very good. Not to mention, my amigo Vividend gave me quite a nice beat.

“Ponder Reasons”

T.Q.D.: I remember writing this song like it was yesterday. This, like “Destroy The Cure” is me deciding to forget about my life and play a character. I got this beat from Poorboy in February of 2008. At the time, I had never been in a relationship, so I never had a reason to make a love song. There wasn’t anyone at the time for me make this song about, but I just wanted to give it try and see what happened. I think the song turned out well. I think this was more about me building up my skill as a writer rather than anything else.

“Growing Up Part 2″

T.Q.D.: I got this beat from Bam Bam Beatz. I totally fell for the aquatic sample. This was created in the winter of 2007. This song is about shedding the past and starting over. The song basically addresses what we all do when stuff goes wrong, which is sulk. However, at some point you have to move on. We decide when we’re done with things. The line “Rebirth is’ coming it’s already here” has to do with working toward the point where you’re no longer “wanting” to feel better and get to the point when you do feel better. I made other a couple other songs for Clench, Grit, Breathe along the same lines that I thought were better, so I left this one off. However, I still like the song.

The song “Growing Up Part 1″ actually doesn’t exist anymore. I used some lines from there and threw away the rest to make a whole new tune that will see the light of day in the future. I’m sure a demo still exists of part one somewhere on my hard drive, but I’m not a huge fan of it.

"Time Travel"

T.Q.D.: This is one of the first beats I got from Phingaz when I met him a little over three years ago. I was going through the “find myself” portion of my life and this is all about moving through time aimlessly and one day waking up to realize that even if things haven’t changed, they needed to. I love the song, but always had a hard time finding a home for it. I’m glad it’s on this EP.

3 (out of 5)
Rappers who come from Minnesota, home to the now well known hip-hop labels/collectives Rhymesayers and Doomtree, are often subjected to elevated expectations – and rightly so. The area is rich with creative talent, often blending various musical styles with ridiculously intricate wordplay and storytelling to craft some of the most intriguing American hip-hop albums of the decade. 2009’s Clench, Grit, Breathe marks T.Q.D’s sophomore solo project, coming after a solid debut and a collaborative EP. 

At times working with members from the Doomtree collective, T.Q.D raps with a raspy voice, delivering well thought-out rhymes in a similar style to Doomtree’s own P.O.S., who has recorded with T.Q.D in the past. The lyrical style on Clench, Grit, Breathe shows a creative growth that has taken place since his first two projects. T.Q.D has adopted a story-telling rap scheme that works to his favor, although it remains unclear to what extent his stories represent personal experiences (after all, he is known for personal recordings). Furthermore, his story-telling creates a somewhat neo-noir-ish feeling full of dark chills, and suspect situations, which is especially evident on “Fall Asleep.”

The album has its share of lighter moments too, which provide interesting distinctions from track to track, showing that T.Q.D clearly has a versatility to create different atmospheres with his lyrics. And it is in this manner that T.Q.D’s Clench, Grit, Breathe is a rollercoaster of an album, leaving the listener with highs and lows of sharp contrast. From a production standpoint, the beats move the stories along at a quick pace to ensure interest throughout, and even incorporate various unexpected instruments in order to craft unique soundscapes which complement

T.Q.D’s rhymes and ideas very nicely. Sure to be a mainstay in the Minnesota hip-hop scene for years to come, T.Q.D’s sophomore album is a well-placed step in the right direction, and leaves space for him to build upon for future projects.

Not even four months into the year, and we've already got two solid-to-great CDs from introspective local underground MCs whose aliases look like arcade game high-score entries. Not that P.O.S. and T.Q.D. are jostling for supremacy on some King of Kong business; they're similar enough to invite fan-base crossover yet different enough to stake out their own corners of the scene. T.Q.D. stands for "The Quiet Dude," but his new CD,

Clench, Grit, Breathe, reveals his as an increasingly misleading name: The record is filled with the kind of suppressed frustration and anxiety that its title hints at, bristling with a snarling tension and lyrical insight that falls halfway between long-simmering, detailed ruminations and stream-of-consciousness abstraction. With its backdrop of brooding, soul-jazz-inflected, golden-age sounds, it's an ideal late-night soundtrack for driving with nowhere to go—though its meditative atmosphere might sound a bit more intense with a room full of other listeners to take it all in. With Trama, Mally, and Halfway.