The People's Champ in Bloomington, MN

On his fifth full-length album, 2023's
The People's Champ
,
Quinn XCII
balances a soulful hip-hop vibe with lyrical pop introspection. It's a combination the Michigan-born singer/rapper (aka
Mikael Temrowski
) has been exploring since at least 2017's
The Story of Us
and which he brought to further fruition on 2021's
Change of Scenery II
. Where that album found him exploring undercurrents of guitar-centric indie rock,
leans more toward muted hip-hop beats and R&B-inspired melodies. He embraces that sound on the opening "Bartender," a funky anthem about working hard and drinking even harder to self-medicate your worries about failure.
Quinn
has never shied away from revealing his own personal anxieties in what feels like a good-faith attempt to relate to his audience, and
is no exception. It's a sentiment he explicitly addresses on the piano and handclap-driven "Being Me," singing "I've always been told/When you're feelin' low, don't let it show/But as I'm gettin' older/I'm lettin' go what I used to know." That kind of self-examined philosophy underscores much of the album as
ruminates on feelings of guilt over his success on "Black Porsche," feeling disconnected from his family (and perhaps vice versa) on "FOMO (Don't Do Cool Shit)," and the ironic need to really feel your low moments to truly appreciate your highs on "The Lows." There are hooky tracks on
, including the organ-accented "Common" featuring
Big Sean
, the Latin-jazz tinged "Good Either Way" with
Adrian Cota
, and his uplifting collaboration with
AJR
"Too Late." ~ Matt Collar