Revolutionary Mi’gmaq rapper and activist Q052 released his fourth album, Thunder Child, with its arresting focus track ‘Look It Up’ via the Musique Nomade imprint. ‘Loud Sunday’, the third single released ahead of the album, gained radio support from BBC Radio 6’s Don Letts’ Culture Clash Radio. Q052 – ‘Q’ for Quentin and 052 for the number assigned to his Indigenous First Nations community – is the stage name of Quentin Condo, whose music reverberates with a powerful social conscience.

Known for his gripping live performances, Q052 has been supported by the renowned Clash Magazine, landed numerous features on Radio-Canada, and shared the stage with iconic acts like Cypress Hill. He has also graced the stages of major festivals such as FEQ, La Noce, OFF Québec, Innu Nikamu, Festival Kwe!, FME, Festival Bleu Bleu, and Festival en chanson de Petite-Vallée. With over 140,000 streams on Spotify and counting, Q052 is captivating audiences with his unique voice and unapologetic message.

Born and raised in Gesgapegiag, Gaspésie, and now based in Sherbrooke, Canada, Q052 is a fierce advocate for Indigenous peoples, particularly the struggles faced by youth and the protection of Indigenous women and girls. Winner of Best Male Hip-Hop Artist at the 2023 International Indigenous Hip-Hop Awards, he has earned numerous prestigious nominations, including Indigenous Artist of the Year at the 2021 ADISQ Gala, and nods at the 2022 Teweikan Gala in both the Expressive Music Artist/Group and Blues/Rock Artist/Group categories. His album also earned a 2022 GAMIQ nomination in the Hip-Hop Album category.

Drawing from a kaleidoscope of influences – including Ty Segall, Immortal Technique, Cypress Hill, Black Sabbath, and Rage Against the Machine, amongst others – Q052 crafts a sound that is raw, searing and deeply political. On stage, Q052 channels this explosive energy into visceral performances that confront Indigenous identity, social justice, and personal struggle with unflinching honesty. His fusion of hip-hop, grunge, alternative rock, and spoken word, wrapped in sharp, uncompromising lyricism, is sure to resonate with fans of other inspirations of his: Public Enemy, Run DMC, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard.

Thunder Child is a powerful record that is served well by more than one listen, as each track is jam-packed with Q052’s potent lyricism that speaks truth to power atop gritty, old-school instrumentals. The focus track, ‘Look It Up’, sure to captivate fans of iconic political rappers such as Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Danny Brown, and KRS-One, is a fiery call to action to push back against the powers that be, featuring a stripped back instrumental that allows Q052’s confrontational lines to reverberate with impact. This track embodies the album’s spirit of consciousness, defiance, and revolution, featuring a timeless sound and a piercingly relevant message.

Q052 shared: “Hip Hop artists are considered to be street journalists who share stories from their environment. In this album, I’m taking listeners on a tour in my mind and expressing how I view the world right now. It’s gone to hell!! From world leaders to the environment, from television shows to the news, from law enforcement agencies invading homes to assassinations, from social media platform addictions to a cold beer!! I’m reporting on it…is this mic on?”

Featured image by Jean-Philippe Sansfaçon.

SOURCE: Official Bio

LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/quentincondo052/
https://www.facebook.com/Q.052.REZ/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDMXqFMR6h7VXTKWDgpSjXQ/videos
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2T6gwpmENgpNZTWLJ2bKVE