When I think about artists that shaped my music taste and expanded my knowledge of this industry more than anyone else, I have to begin with the emcees in my home city of Chicago. Artists like Saba, Mick Jenkins, Noname, Supa Bwe, and so many others were people I found out after tapping in with larger artists at the time like Chance, Vic, and most of the other SAVEMONEY members.
One group that I have to give the most credit to, though, was Hurt Everybody because Supa, Qari, and Lotto just seemed to be this renaissance within the renaissance that was already underway in the Windy City, and they showed me that music didn’t need barriers to be great. In fact, music seemed to be better when those barriers were busted down, and these three talents knew exactly the right tools for tearing down those walls.
Since then, we all know that they have gone their separate ways and have thrived in their individual careers, and this fact is proven once again in Qari’s latest single “Skip To My Lou” featuring Chicago legend Twista. It was even produced by Lotto, who hasn’t been a stranger to Qari or Supa by any means since they went in different directions, and it is clear from his production skills that with time comes maturity and extremely enhanced levels of talent.
Over the serene yet poignant instrumental, Qari glides effortlessly through his various flows that seem to just roll off of his tongue naturally, and even though we all know what kind of rapping Twista is known for, Qari’s even-keeled disposition sets us up for Twista’s spitfire verse full of resounding deliveries and masterful cadences. No one can do it like Twista, and no one can do it like Qari or Lotto, which makes “Skip To My Lou” a one-of-a-kind song that is definitely not something you want to sleep on for much longer.