Johnny Quest the Rebel

Rebellion.

The mere mention of the term generates thoughts of destruction, anarchy, and even violence. A truer look into the word, however, reveals its true impact: Rebellion creates change. The same can and should be said about hip-hop artist Johnny Quest, the young rhymer who is intent on reestablishing the reputation of inner city black youth. To do so, the self-described rebel uses a fusion of east coast hip-hop storytelling skills and a smooth west coast cadence to speak to his listeners. It is more than just his rhymes, however, that make him unique; it is what he symbolizes. As a 22 year-old hip black male in pursuit of further education to supplement his street sense, he stands as an equalizer to several issues and stereotypes of the young black man in America. Young, black, and educated, Johnny Quest is everything that Tupac Shakur, a hip-hop legend and rebel in his own right, defined (in a positive way): The most dangerous man around.

This “danger” that Johnny Quest possesses is a spiritual and philosophical balance, evident in his lyrics and songs. While his youth and energy make him endearing to a younger crowd, Quest takes the time to highlight the hills and valleys of his own journey, a trait that older hip- hop heads appreciate. Quest’s journey started as a young boy in Trenton, NJ before being discovering rap in his grandmother’s basement in Washington, DC. That initial experience led to him developing his lyrical craft at 12 with his childhood friends, now known as “The Rat Packt.”

After graduating from Gettysburg College, Quest has shifted his attention to establishing himself as a superstar solo act. His first opportunity lies in the release of his debut project, Rebelz in the Hood, due out December 17th. The EP serves as a new soundtrack for the modern day inner city youth, highlighting the various personalities of these areas while integrating themes from the classic John Singleton film, Boyz n the Hood. Throughout Rebelz, Quest touches on issues such as economic disparity and police brutality in the urban community, but also emphasizes the inhabitants maintaining aspirations of bettering themselves and their environment. With guest features from fresh young stars like Michelle-Lee and Chill$im, Johnny has laid a solid foundation to build his budding rap career on for years to come.

While the name Johnny Quest may be familiar for a nostalgic cartoon character, the moniker now rests with a lyricist determined to reshape your favorite brand of music. Make no bones about it: the process may come with opposition. “John Q” would have it no other way; that’s how rebels roll. - Soul Train

As a former standout running back at The Pennington School, Malcolm Perry is used to pushing his skills to the limit.

Now 23 years old with his gridiron days at Gettysburg College behind him, the Trenton native is setting his sights on a new career in the music industry complete with a new moniker: Johnny Quest.

Quest, who now lives in California and is pursuing a master's degree at California State University, Fullerton, recently released his first ever EP, "Rebelz N The Hood," on the Renaissance Music Records label.

And on Tuesday, the rapper released a new song with Renaissance artist Ruff, called "Bottle Wraps," just in time for the winter thaw.

"It's a spring, party like song," Perry said.

Summer jams and slow riding music infuses much of Perry's music, as he is influenced by West Coast rappers like Snoop Dogg.

However, Perry is very much a literary soul whose "attention in my literature and English classes" has a way of painting a picture with words that tell elaborate stories with definite messages that will take listeners on much more than a slow car ride.

"It's kind of like a contrast of the slower more car ride music of the West Coast mixed with the wordplay and storytelling of the East Coast," he said. "I think I was a poet before I was a rapper."

Perry began rapping as a child visiting at his grandmother's house in Washington, D.C. Although he flourished as an athlete, music remained his passion.

"I have been recording since I was 13 and I have been rapping since I was about 9 years old," he said. Perry also soaked in many flavors of the music his parents enjoyed, as he described, "a lot of soul and funk music from the '70s."

His inspiration for "Rebelz N The Hood" came after watching John Singleton's classic film, Boyz n the Hood. "I was watching ... the movie and I was realizing there are a lot of stories that go untold about people from urban cities," he said.

Perry explained that his use of the word rebel is symbolic of those taking a more positive path to create a better life for themselves. "The rebels are people who are doing things a little bit differently. These are the kids who are getting an education and working hard," he said. "The rebellion is against what the environment is set up for."

Thus the selection of the name: Johnny Quest.

"Johnny Quest comes from my philosophy on life. Johnny is a child's name. Quest is that child's search to become a man — a journey and achieving something through a quest," Perry said. "The name comes from attacking life with a childlike quest to find myself."

The result is a positive album, with the lead track, "1992," giving a nod to his athleticism in the video.

"I definitely miss the game. It taught me how to infuse that into my music ... being competitive and working hard but also studying the art of competition," he said. Perry said he incorporates "all different types of music to help create and cultivate the sound and express myself better."

Follow Johnny Quest on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/jquesttherebel and at www.soundcloud.com/jquesttherebel or see him on YouTube. - NJ.com

Hip-hop artist Johnny Quest is an allegory, a rebellious figure delicately wrapped inside of a youthful hip young adult. While his look and style make him marketable and appealing to this generation’s rap fans, it is his inner radical that could re-ignite the social change and movement that was once led by the hip hop nation. Using both his street and book smarts, the young rhymer from Trenton, NJ is intent on reestablishing the reputation of inner city Black youth.

Quest continues his goal with “1992″, an insightful track in which the rapper revisits the journey to his present state of mind. On the track Johnny creatively fuses east coast hip hop storytelling skills with a smooth west coast cadence to rally his listeners. With a smooth sound and great wordplay, the song is perfect for time travel to a cool year and era. Check out the hip track “1992″ below & for more on Johnny Quest, visit his Facebook and Soundcloud. You can also follow him on Twitter and Instagram @jquesttherebel. - The Couch Potato

Listening to some of your songs, I notice you often reference your upbringing. How does this content find its way into your songs, what significance does it have for you?

I would say that I have a very strong family background. I come from large families (on both sides), but because of where I grew up, I wasn’t geographically close to either side of my family. So I relied on my siblings and my friends to really create a family that I could rely or depend on. So my music is pretty much those stories. Dealing with growing up, bearing witness to some really negative things and the decision making that comes with that; sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail, but you learn from it, and that’s what I write about. - Rae