Music
Quelle Chris
born 1984 · rapper, record producer, songwriter
Detroit-bred rapper-producer known for wry, experimental albums such as Guns and Innocent Country, and an early collaborator of Danny Brown.
- Born
Johnson City, New York
age 41- Birth name
- Gavin Christopher Tennille
- Also known as
- Q-Life · Quelle
- Detroit years
- 1990s–2010s
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Gavin Tennille was born in Johnson City, New York, the son of a shoe designer, and began his music career in Detroit's hip-hop scene. As a member of the crew Wasted Youth he caught the attention of J Dilla and Proof, then formed Crown Nation with rapper Denmark Vessey, adopting the names Q-Life and Quelle, German for “source”. He co-wrote several songs on Danny Brown's early albums before launching a solo career with Shotgun & Sleek Rifle (2011), which featured Brown and Roc Marciano. With Detroit poet and activist John Sinclair he recorded as Racehorses Are Resources, then signed with Mello Music Group, releasing a string of albums marked by dry humor and off-kilter production: Innocent Country (2015), Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often (2017) and the acclaimed Guns (2019). He also produced for Pharoahe Monch and Open Mike Eagle, and made Everything's Fine (2018) with his wife, rapper Jean Grae.
Highlights
- Early collaborator and co-writer on Danny Brown's albums.
- Recorded with Detroit poet John Sinclair as Racehorses Are Resources.
- Guns (2019) was widely acclaimed.
- Everything's Fine (2018) with Jean Grae.