With an ear to the underground, rapper Que Cee delivers his rhymes over a curated selection of quirky beats, often reworking well known beats into tracks of his own. He prowls stages across the boroughs of New York from Astoria to Bushwick, having called the Big Apple home for over ten years after stints in cities along the east coast. Drawing inspiration from rappers like Lupe Fiasco and Eminem, he has released a plethora of output over the past five years from guest appearances on compilations to solo mix tapes and a brand new album, Quality Control, which came out earlier this month.

Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC

Homebase: New York, NY

How did you start making music?

My brother started rapping and it looked fun, so I gave it a shot. It ended up getting me through a lot of hard times.

How would you describe the music you make?

I would describe it as something that you can tell I just make to feel good and to connect with the people I care about..and not really to gain recognition from people. 

What's your writing process like?

I kind of freestyle to myself and often try to come up with stuff that make me laugh. When I come across a line that I like, I just keep it and move onto the next one. I’d sometimes use a voice recorder if I’m not in the studio. Or I’d wing a show/jam session and keep a song if I liked it.

If you could collaborate with any producer or rapper, who would it be and why? What would you make together?

I’d like to collab with Drake. He likes to make every bar count and I like his rhythm. I wouldn’t feel like I gotta hold back, plus he seems like a fun person to have a studio session with. If not him, then Swizz Beatz.

If you could provide the theme music for any TV show, which would it be and why?

If I were to make the soundtrack for any TV show, it would be for The Wire because I don’t know of many current shows and I’ve always wanted to make/choose background music for something regarding urban life.

How does living in New York impact you as an artist?

I think I’m exposed to a lot out here, so my mind has expanded to wanting to be more than a guy who knows how to make a rhyme. And with this being a crazy city, I like to make my music either danceable or at least engaging in some way

What have been your most memorable performances?

Two of my most memorable performances were at the Vudu Lounge in Manhattan and at the Sheraton Hotel with Borough Entertainment. The situations were just nuts and were at the start of a big shift in my career. Another would be at the first Brooklyn Wildlife Summer Festival [which] was the biggest event I've ever performed in at the time. Not only that, it was run by my friends, my friends were performing. I was performing with my brother for the first time, and I got to show him what I've been up to while he was away. Friends of the family got to see us do it for the first time also. I was just very proud that day and everything went shockingly smoothly.

What's next for Que Cee?

I've been messing around with art and entertainment production. I’ve been operating under the alias of WolfSet Productions. My interests are events, cinematography and anything art & culture related…basically anything that excites me whether I’m arranging it or am the artist.