KoolQuise's new EP, Small Time Lo$er (The Dream Theory), is definitively his. No overabundance of guest spots, no swagger-jacking flow or a grandiose gamble on riding a trends coattails. At times self-deprecating and at others stream-of-conscious confessional, it wasn't until songwriting was complete did the lyricist realize he had written a record with shades of Jung and Lacan. The Dream Theory became a natural subtitle to the record.
For the EP's production, KoolQuise shot from the hip, scouring Bandcamp and using beats he found interesting. "The dream theme came from me being a dreamer," he says.
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It could have resulted in a mismatched scramble of sounds and samples, but the record's cohesiveness proves that there was something in the young MC's subconscious that was bound to shine through, tying the record together.
"We are all dreamers in this life," he says. "Who's to say what the difference between dreaming and reality is? This is that theory in audio form, so dream on dreamers and enjoy."
The result is a jazzy, down-tempo chill session, with KoolQuise's soft syncopated snarl, leveling out somewhere between whisper and warning. "PlayLi$t" was recently released as a single, along with a video, featuring the lyricist wandering around Dallas, in stark black and white, possibly in a dream.
Stepping out in the forefront is a new mission for KoolQuise, who can be found onstage with his Team From Nowhere crew, led by -topic.
"I hope to achieve a wider range of recognition outside of Dallas with his EP," he said. "I don't feel like I'm as well-known as I could be in Dallas right now, but that's what I'm working on."
KoolQuise plans on continuing shows with TFN, while booking himself as a solo artist as well. He also said Small Time Lo$er is a first in a series of musical series he calls, "TheStruggle."
The next time you can see KoolQuise is on My 30th at Club Dada with Jaeson Green, Braingang and Amber London of Raider Clan, produced by Top Shelf Shows.
