Quelle Chris

Born in Johnson City, New York, and associated with the Detroit scene, Quelle Chris, born Gavin Christopher Tennille, has since the early 2010s developed a career situated between indie rap, hip-hop production, and more oblique forms in which spoken word, sound collage and a punk sensibility surface. Having been part of the groups Wasted Youth and Crown Nation with Denmark Vessey, he first made a name as a writer and producer in Detroit rap circles, before releasing his solo discography with Shotgun & Sleek Rifle in 2011. Notable releases include Ghost at the Finish Line in 2013, Innocent Country with Chris Keys in 2015, the instrumental album Lullabies for the Broken Brain in 2016, followed by Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often in 2017. Quelle Chris then sharpens a dense, often satirical and introspective writing, carried by flexible, decentralized productions that mix soul loops, irregular rhythms and lo-fi textures. In 2018, he releases Everything’s Fine with Jean Grae, before continuing with Guns in 2019, Innocent Country 2 with Chris Keys in 2020 and Deathfame in 2022. Quelle Chris also regularly appears alongside artists such as Danny Brown, Homeboy Sandman, billy woods or Cavalier, in an American rap scene attentive to experimental forms without breaking with the boom bap heritage.