Rel The Chosen
Houston, Texas, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Back in late January, Rocks Off introduced you to Houston underground MC Rel The Chosen, a highly lyrical individual who favors soulful beats.
Here's the Reader's Digest version of what we wrote about his debut project, Beautiful Music, nearly seven months ago:
"Calling it Beautiful Music was accurate. This rock-solid 17-track display indeed samples beautiful, soulful music with the majority of the mixtape's beats driving jazzy, silky-smooth, sometimes melancholy melodies, which Rel uses as his backdrop to some restive and elbowing lyrical wordplay."
Saturday Rel supported Das EFX at the opening of Houston's newest venue, Underground Live, and a few weeks ago dropped his follow-up project, Beautiful Music 2.
Rocks Off's Shea Serrano once talked about listening to Preemo's Flight 713, which followed the heralded Concrete Dreams, with "squinted eyes and pursed lips," for the same reason football players fear sophomore slumps and movie enthusiasts dread sequels. We felt him - you almost tense up, because you have questions, but will you like the answers?
Rel's Beautiful Music was successful, not because Rel was the first to sample an Al Green cut and lace it with rap - because he's not - but his project was the first we'd heard that truly owned soul from an underground hip-hop standpoint and said, "This is my turf. This is where I'm going to operate. This is my house. I dare you to live here, like I can."
Eighty-five percent of Beautiful was soul, and Rel showed incredible substance and an ability to rap at a high level. We're going to say it: At times, he can rap as good as any underground Houston artist.
But how would Beautiful Music 2 differ? How would it evolve? How would Rel evolve?
- Houston Press
Discography
Beautiful Music 1
Beautiful Music 2
SunShine- Single
Takers Motion Picture Soundtrack Mixtape Hosted by Idris Elba
Photos
Bio
Many are called, but few are CHOSEN. Rel, the Chosen, or simply known as Chosen to some is a Houston underground lyricist who has performed with some with some of your favorite rappers such as Slim Thug, 8 Ball and MJG, Devin the Dude, and the list goes on. Rel has performed guest verses on numerous mixed-tapes and other artists albums for several years. Rel was recently featured as 1 of 4 unsign...ed artist on the Takers Motion Picture Mixtape hosted by Actor/DJ Idris Elba. He has opened for well know acts such as Common, Black Thoughts of the Roots, and DJ Premire of Gangstarr. He's most recently releases Beautiful Music 1 & 2 have been well received by fans both young and old.
To compare Rels style to any one particular person would be a difficult task. Each time you hear Rels flow, you hear something different. Just listening to his flow is an experience in itself.
Born and raised on the East side of Houston, Texas, Rel has seen the rise of some great rap legends come from his area. Destined for something greater, Rel has chosen a path that few would take. Past accomplishments mean nothing, as Rel set forth a new way of putting the lyric back into rap. With that said, are called or are you CHOSEN?
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