Q&A with Quentin Branch and Brian Warren of Angry Blackmen
Photo taken by Joseph Torres
Chicago is notorious for producing stellar hip-hop artists. Kanye West and Chance the Rapper are just two of the artists who have come from the windy city and made it big. There are a lot of up and coming artists in Chicago who are seeking to make it big. One Chicago duo, Angry Blackmen, is definitely making waves.
Their most notable song, "Riot ", is an absolute hit. They only have three songs on Soundcloud but they are generating a ton of plays. With only 190 followers on Soundcloud, they are really marketing themselves well. Hell, Quentin Branch blessed my email with the link to their music and I owe him a huge thank you.
In a world where politics are apart of everything we see and do, it is surprising how few people actually handle it the right way in pop culture. Well, Quentin Branch and Brian Warren truly handle it the RIGHT way, and I think that is truly commendable. The bottom line is that these guys are original and fresh talents, and quite honestly they might be what hip-hop needs.
Get to know the Angry Blackmen a little better from the Q&A below.
Q. How did you two meet?
A. Angry Blackmen was formed in early 2017. We first met in 2014 on the set of a music video. We were introduced to each other by a mutual friend named Eric Durish. We instantly connected and worked on music together from 2014-2016. In 2017 we decided to combine forces. Originally we came up with the idea "Mad Blackmen" but eventually scrapped the idea and went with Angry Blackmen. The word "Angry" hits more of a nerve.
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Q. Chicago is known for producing well-known rappers like Chance the Rapper and Kanye West. Are you guys influenced by them at all?
A. Everyone loves Kanye. He's done so much for the culture it's hard not to be inspired by him. Kanye West is responsible for bringing back alternative hip-hop to the mainstream. If it wasn't for Kanye there would be no such thing as Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino, Travis Scott ect. Chance the rapper is important to not only Chicago music but independent music as a whole. He put the spotlight back on the city. We can't mention Chicago without mentioning almighty Sosa. Chief Keef put Chicago on the map. Rip Fredo Santana.
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Q. What is one thing you guys want to accomplish with your music?
A. We want to accomplish so much. When it's all said and done at the end of the day we want to create great art.
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Q. What do you guys think about Soundcloud?
A. SoundCloud is a great way to share music on the internet, nowadays the internet is the most important way to market your brand, it's a way to connect. Angry Blackmen exists because of the Internet. it's a great DIY. You can put music out for the world to hear.
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Q. Have you ever thought about performing in St. Louis?
A. Hopefully one day. Maybe soon. The future is full of possibilities.
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Q. Finally, what is one thing you guys want the world to know about Angry Blackmen?
A. We want the world to know our names. One day we are going to be fucking huge and people are going to look back at this moment and 0say, "this is where it all began".
I would like to thank Quentin Branch and Brian Warren, of Angry Blackmen, for taking the time to answer my questions.
Listen to Angry Blackmen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/angryblackmen/tracks
Check them out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ANGRYBLACKMEN
Check them out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angryblackmen/
Check me out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/King_James_G
Check out my About.Me: https://about.me/jamesgeraghty
Check out the official JayG Entertainment Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaygentertainment/
Check out the official JayG Entertainment Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jayghiphop
Check out the "JayG Entertainment Top 25" Soundcloud playlist: https://soundcloud.com/jayghiphop/sets/jayg-entertainment-top-25