The People's Champ

by Quinn XCII

Overview

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, The People's Champ 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 The People's Champ 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 Quinn 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 The People's Champ, 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

Product Details

Release Date:	04/07/2023
Label:	Republic
UPC:	0602448942197
Rank:	34068

Tracks

1. Bartender
2. Common
3. Black Porsche
4. FOMO (Don¿¿¿t Do Cool Shit)
5. Let Me Down
6. Good Either Way
7. Too Late
8. The Lows
9. Being Me
10. Why Do You Talk To Me?
11. Backpack
12. All That You Need

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Quinn XCII   Primary Artist
Big Sean   Primary Artist
AJR   Primary Artist
Chelsea Cutler   Primary Artist
Adrian Cota   Primary Artist
Adam Friedman   Bass,Percussion
Dr. Luke   Guitar
Jesse Blum   Horn
Noah Conrad   Guitar,Trumpet,Wurlitzer,Percussion
Jesse Fink   Guitar
Brandon Shoop   Drums,Guitar,Keyboards

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing
David Hodges   Composer
Pat McManus   Composer,Producer
Adam Friedman   Composer,Producer,Programming,Drum Programming
Dave Barnes   Composer
Marc Scibilia   Composer,Producer
Jonathan Castelli   Mixing Engineer
Rocco Valdes   Composer
Big Sean   Composer
Michael McCall   Composer
Dr. Luke   Producer,Programming
David Wilson   Composer
Jesse Blum   Composer
Dale Becker   Mastering Engineer
Clint Gibbs   Recording
Lukasz Gottwald   Composer
Jon Castelli   Mixing Engineer
Phil Cook   Composer,Producer
Noah Conrad   Composer,Producer
Whakaio Taahi   Composer,Producer
Serge Courtois   Mixing Engineer
Ryan Met   Composer,Producer
Dylan McDougle   Mixing Engineer
Jack Met   Composer
Oliver Feighan   Composer
Ayokay   Producer
Mike Temrowski   Composer
Kalani Thompson   Recording
Tyler Sheppard   Recording
Jake Torrey   Composer
Chelsea Cutler   Composer
Hazey Eyes   Producer
Dwilly   Producer
Jesse Fink   Composer,Producer
Alexander O’Neill   Composer
Bryce Bordone   Mixing Assistant
Adrian Cota   Composer
Brandon Shoop   Composer,Producer,Programming,Mixing Engineer,Musical Producer
Wes Donehower   A&R
Thomas Michel   Composer
Grant Horton   Assistant Engineer
Zeke Sacaridiz   Composer,Producer