QuESt - Elevator Status

Don’t let the laid-back delivery and cool demeanor fool you – QuESt’s musical hustle has earned him his share of gray hairs. Nonetheless, on new mixtape freestyle Elevator Status, the Miami native succeeds in making his internal conflict sound almost… relaxing. That’s thanks in large part to Havoc‘s silky, Latin-informed boardwork (from Mobb Deep‘s Where Ya Heart At?), which QuESt makes sound even smoother than on the original, delivering winding rhymes packed with vivid imagery (“Try to pray to God to send you angels, but it’s hard to see the positive when glancing from an angle that shows pain.”) and even shifting into triple-time without missing a beat. He ends the cut with what can only be interpreted as a challenge; “[I] just hope you understand every word that I’m sayin’.” Needless to say, that’ll take quite a few repeat spins, but I have a feeling fans in the Booth will be more than happy to oblige. If you like what you’re hearing, you can find more on the artist’s How Thoughtful mixtape, released today and available now online. In addition, watch for QuESt’s contribution to our exclusive freestyle series to premiere later this month.