New & Smooth: Pell
November 20, 2014 | Blog, Music,
By: Elorm Nutakor
There comes a time when a person needs to share new discoveries with others, so I would like to cordially introduce the New Orleans hip hop artist Pell to anyone who has not already heard of him. At the moment, he’s not regarded as “The Next Big Thing,” but one thing that’s for sure is that Pell has raw talent.
Upon hearing the first track from his debut mixtape, Floating While Dreaming, listeners could easily peg him as “just another rapper that sounds like Chance the Rapper or Vic Mensa”–I know I originally did. In fact, Pell’s aesthetic is similar both of these rappers, but musically, he carries his own distinguishing qualities. His melodic vocals in particular communicate his soul influences in a clear way. In addition, much of the production on his songs gives listeners a jazzy tinge that makes them feel good even when the lyrics paint a sad picture, and Pell’s flow is smooth and unaggressive.
Though I wouldn’t consider him a pop artist, his music is very radio-friendly and could easily be loved by larger audiences. His songs “Runaway” and “The Never” are prime examples of his accessibility. I took a chance on this artist when I clicked the play button for his single “The Never” on Spotify; the song just so happened to be located next to a brand new Rick Ross song I was interested in. So, if you’re looking for music that draws from an eclectic range of influences but is grounded in hip-hop, check out Pell.
Elorm is an English major at Mizzou in his first year with KCOU. Born in Ghana and raised in Illinois, he enjoys listening to a range of different music, from popular to obscure, as well as making music productions of his own. He is also a drummer and an amateur dancer.