Suntin' Xtra, definitely brings all that and more to the stage! Born and raised in Tampa, FL, David Hill knew that music was his passion. At 21, this young artist has grabbed and kept the attention of the south's hip-hop community. Seeing Suntin Xtra perform definitely gives you that "wow" factor. He has so much energy on stage; yet in person his humbled attitude is amazing. "I rather talk about what happened instead of what's going to happen!" Life experiences allows him to make hits such as "Cant stop fuckin wit ma nigga". His mixtape "Xtra Credit" gives you the very best of southern swag! Suntin Xtra is definitely a performer that is a MUST see! Be on the look for this young artist because he is closing in hard!

When did you first start rhyming?

What or who would you say is your biggest influence to date?

Where do you draw your inspiration for your songs?

In your song "I can't stop fuckin with my nigga" who was your inspiration?

What are some of your favorite artists?

What message are you putting out there with your music?

Who if any are you trying to collaborate with?

Are there any past experiences that you draw from for your songs?

What sets you apart from all the artists in Tampa? What do you bring to the table that you feel others can't?

When you get on stage to perform, what are you giving to the crowd? Tell me about all that energy!

When I first saw you I thought that you would be just another cocky ass rapper and as surprised as I am your very humble! Where does that come from?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Where do you WANT TO be… in 5 years?

How do you feel about the older heads and competition in the hip hop game?

So, we decided it would be in everyone's best interest to bring some exposure to R.A.P.P. Quelle and get some insight from this all-around artist. It became obvious for me that his passion for music was just one way of expressing his general views on life. With a talent to both move people yet still maintain a level of respectable content is matched by his ability to properly assess his own position in the industry and push forward towards his goals like any real artist should.

So, on a busy day of reinstalling machines in the studio, replying to various requests for reviews and nonstop text messages that for some reason wouldn't give me a moments rest, I was able to sit down for about an hour to ask some questions in a chat session with Quelle.

BSR: So, tell us about your background in music, and your parent's contribution to it. You mentioned that they were both music lovers on your website [http://www.rappquelle.com/].

RQ: Well, I've always loved music. It was a big part of my childhood. My dad was into Sam Cook and Stevie Wonder, and my mom was always playing music when she was cooking or cleaning. My dad is a great part of how I look at music and [how I listen] for great music. We took rides together when I was growing up. He would flip through the dials where we'd listen to tons of music on our rides, no real talking; it was kind of like the songs said everything we would want to say. :)

Christmas time was always great, because my dad would get all the tapes together and set the double deck machine to play tapes back to back, and he would get up in the middle of the night to put new tapes in. Christmas times were the best because I fell asleep to music and woke up to it. Nat King Cole, Mahalia Jackson, Ray Charles.... All the greats!

I remember one time in particular I became "aware" at Xmas that my dad was making something in the kitchen and Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas" was playing and I began to cry. That was one of the first times I felt the very real impact of music. I was about 9 [at that time].

BSR: So, would you say you try and make that same impact in your music?

RQ: Yes, my goal is to give you something important every time I write and entertain you. I want to leave an impact [on the listener].

BSR: Sounds good. That's important. Now, how is it being from the Bahamas and promoting music in the states?

RQ: Well, honestly, at first I used to say it was "doing the impossible;" but now with the internet market growing by the second, it's become a very real thing for me and that ironically changed and widened my focus.

I look at it like this - nothing in life that's really "worth it" is gonna come easy, so this is something I'm gonna have to work hard for and I am ready to do that. So now a great deal of my time goes to networking and making genuine connections with each body on the other side of the screen.

BSR: Now, you also mentioned being involved in photography. Does that experience shape your way of marketing your artist image at all?

RQ: Well I think it does in some way. When I was only doing photography, my favorite images were the really abstract and artistic ones... the ones that stood out. I think I try to do that in my own way with my image as a recording artist now :)

BSR: What do you consider as major influences of your music besides the old school music? What of the 80's and up era stood out to you?

RQ: One of my strongest influences as a writer comes from Brandon Boyd of Incubus.Around 13 or 14, I'd say was when the whole Hip Hop love came for me. The videos used to come on TV and I'd record them on a VHS tape and play them back [in order to] write out the lyrics of the songs so I could know them in and out. I started writing down lyrics from KRS-One, Rakim, and then later DMX and Busta Rhymes.

My biggest Hip Hop influence at that time was Tupac, and it wasn't the "gangsta" image that had me; it was WHAT he was saying. I felt connected like I could live every word of it and feel all of what he said. He helped me to understand the importance of the words behind the songs and why things should have a meaning in Hip Hop.

BSR: So do you feel your music has that movement of feeling personally, or do you see yourself as "getting there"?

RQ: I think it hits and misses. My goal now is to find the best way of getting people to understand the whole [concept] of the art. With so much music coming out, why should someone take time to understand the meaning behind every bar? So I guess am getting there. (HAHA)

BSR: So, how do you feel about being compared to other artists?

RQ: Well, I take it as a compliment...Ya know? I think it's good for people to be able to say "Hey , you remind me of ..Etc etc" and still be able to stand on your own with your own artistic dogma.

BSR: So, do you think that helps or hinders your overall image? Sometimes artists feel the need to break away from that.

RQ: I think if you don't feed into it and give the listeners as much of your "true self" as possible your individuality will shine through. But if you use that to gain more support it's a career killer.

BSR: What do you feel is one of the best things about doing music independently?

RQ: Besides freedom...LOL (jokes). Well, I think it's great to be able to say what you want to say, and how you want to say it. The ability to give your listeners the full expression of your art is priceless.

BSR: What are some of the challenges you encounter, and how do you address those?

RQ: Well, I think something that challenges a lot of Indie acts is money, and this is where the internet has become such an invaluable tool for my team. There is so many free ways to get the word out, and you can pick and choose for yourself what is worth paying [for].

You can create your core with virtually no start-up cash, and with the new age of DIRECT TO FAN networking, the fans now can support you in more ways than just going to your show and buying a CD. With online branding I've been able to meet one of my biggest challenges head on, and I feel consistency will only improve this.

BSR: Sounds like you know your marketing :) So, who all run's the R.A.P.P. Quelle brand from behind the scenes?

RQ: No disrespect to your job at hand, but I think there is strength in my team being "behind the scenes," so I think I'll just leave it as that. People like BootSlapRap.com help [us] push the brand :)

BSR: Fair enough! :) What's one lesson you would be willing to share with all our readers out there, artist or fan?

RQ: well, it's not really a lesson, but more of a quote I go by in a lot of situations that helps me to remember I can never learn enough.

"The man that knows something, knows that he knows nothing at all"

BSR: True indeed, one of my favorites as well. So, what's in your Media Player rotation these days?

RQ: Brand New Heavies, Joe Budden's "Mood Muzik 4", Funkadelic's "America Eats Its Young", Tony McKay's "Exuma", Jamiroquai, and some snippets of Jaco Pastorius' "Live Shows with Weather Report"

BSR: Any other words you have for our readers or shout outs?

RQ: Thank you for taking the time to read a little about me and i hope you enjoy the music. Shout out to everyone living their dreams and those trying to get there :)