“See the thing that pisses me off about rappers most of all in their endeavors and journeys to ‘keep it real’ is these motherfuckers lie so much that the average audience thinks that we’re all liars.”

    These words voiced by Qwel on “The ‘IT’ in ‘Keeping IT Real’” are hard to argue with. But even as hip-hop may be saturated with pseudo-thug and image-obsessed rappers trying to ‘keep it real,’ Qwel is still going to have a hard time trying to convince the average listener that hip-hop can indeed be honest and profound. Why? Simply because his new album, The Harvest, with fellow Chicagoan and up-and-coming producer Maker, is likely to go over the heads of casual fans of rap who may not be interested in trying to keep up with Qwel’s multi-layered lyricism. Not everyone wants to constantly have to read between the lines. Fans of progressive underground hip-hop, on the other hand, will be eating this album up.     

     Maker, who first made national noise on his 2003 solo album, Honestly, lays down an impressive blend of tight drum patterns and vocal/ instrument samples here for Qwel to flex his verbal skills over. The banging intro, “Begin” may leave many of us craving another Maker solo album, but when Qwel enters the album on “The ‘IT’ in ‘Keeping IT Real’” (See the opening quote), he makes it be known that his lyricism and breath control is getting even better. The funk-filled cuts “Chicago ’66″ and “The Network” further prove this. On “Chicago ’66″ Qwel spits his symbolic raps double-time over Maker’s old-school guitar licks with ease; “The Network” sees Q join forces with Mestizo as they poke fun at the bling-bling era over more Maker-driven funk. While Qwel’s subtle mockeries of rappers consumed by the spotlight may turn off some listeners, there are introspective numbers like, “A Little Something”, which are likely to attract many. Those familiar with Qwel’s group, The Typical Cats, will especially appreciate the laid-back good vibe of tracks like this. Over Maker’s soothing, guitar-laced production Q raps, “For all the times and the love that I’ve neglected to show/ I’ve grown better through the stress and the regret that I’ve known.”     

    Considering that Qwel and Maker are not an official duo, this album is an impressive meeting of musical minds–a refined mix of soulful boom-bap and intricate wordplay. The lyrical density of The Harvest, however, may turn off fans of more clear-cut hip-hop. The fact is some people just want to nod their head. But for those who want to nod their head and think beyond the surface of what’s being said, The Harvest is an album to be heard.