Meet Pell, an independent hip hop artist, in his early 20s, based out of New Orleans. Sounds almost cliché, but young Pell’s story isn’t what most would expect. No, Birdman is not his wealthy long lost illegitimate father, nor is he Gucci Mane’s 2nd half-cousin. Pell and his family were victims of Hurricane Katrina, in which, like most, their neighborhood was completely decimated. Relocating to Starkville, Mississippi, all of Pell’s past was left behind to drown in the disturbing aftermath of Katrina. Pell realized that all he had was the present moment in time and the future, and did what he had to do to make his fantasies a reality.
From mashing out homemade beats throughout middle school on a hand-me-down beatbox to producing his own mix tape, “That Feel Good” in 2010, Pell has been hard on the grindstone. Between the unforeseen circumstances of Pell’s life and shipping himself back and forth from Mississippi to New Orleans, he had no choice but to pick up copious amounts of musical and lyrical influence. While the cause may have been disastrous in the moment, the effect left him shifting between major musical hubs of the south.
Despite today’s pressure of the music world, particularly the business aspect, Pell announced in a previous interview that he’s perfectly content without a record label, that he enjoys working with close friends, and that’s the way it should be. He was quoted, “I was always taught that you eat with the people that you starve with.” Pell is more a philosopher with a quick tongue, as the term, “rapper” these days has become skewed. His lyrics hold meaning almost contrary to mainstream rap, such as in “Seasons” /The journey to the top is forever/ keep on winning, you’ll just lose sleep/ I keep on sinning, but I don’t preach/ Once you let the gold go, you can go and chase your goals/
Join us at Proud Larry’s, August 31, as Pell and Light Beam Rider will join forces, resulting in one Pell of a show. Come for “That Feel Good” and stay for “That Feel Good.”
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Learn more at pellyeah.com
