In the ever-evolving world of music production, finding that unique sound to set your tracks apart is more crucial than ever. That's why OkayFuture Labs is thrilled to announce the release of a groundbreaking beat pack that promises to redefine your creative process: The Quelle Chris & Chris Keys Beat Pack and Sample Pack

A Fusion of Talent and Innovation

This exclusive beat pack is the result of a unique collaboration between two of hip-hop's most innovative minds. Quelle Chris, known for his thought-provoking lyrics and boundary-pushing beats, and Chris Keys, a master of soulful melodies and intricate compositions, have come together to create a collection that is nothing short of revolutionary.

What's Inside?

Each track in the Quelle Chris & Chris Keys Beat Pack has been meticulously crafted, blending elements of hip-hop, soul, and experimental sounds to deliver a palette of beats that are both versatile and distinctive. From the gritty drums to the atmospheric textures, every sample invites you to explore new territories in your music production.

• Drum Loops & One-Shots: Lay down the perfect rhythm with a selection of punchy kicks, snares, and hi-hats.
• Melodic Samples: Enrich your tracks with a range of chord progressions and melodic loops that span from ethereal to earthy.
• Unique Sound Effects: Add depth and dimension to your productions with carefully curated FX that can transform any track.

Photo by Saskia Khan. Photo illustration by Srikar Poruri

We sat down with Quelle and asked him some questions about his life, process, and the beat pack.

Which version of you is more entertaining to hang out with: Quelle the producer or Quelle the emcee?

“I've been executive producing a lot lately, just purely hands-on work with other artists. With Quelle Chris the producer, I'll be like, “Yo, let's do this, let's add this, I hear this, I hear that, I see that, I see that.” So to answer the question, it’s probably way better hanging with Quelle the producer - it’s more fun. With Quelle Chris the rapper, you're on rapper time. As the years have gone by, I’ve really started to appreciate the process of taking a lot more time to write, so it’s a more serious side of me.”

Who are your all-time top five favorite music producers?

"That’s also impossible to narrow down, because there are just so many. I mean clearly, there are names like Organized Noise, fuckin’ RZA, Dilla — you can't talk about production without talking about Dilla. As far as overall impact, you have to mention Prince Paul.

I could list names forever because we're talking about generations now. The "top five" question made more sense in the ‘90s maybe, because you were talking about maybe one to one and a half generations separated from the beginning of hip-hop. Over the last 10-20 years, it’s really hard to narrow down to my favorite three, five, 15, 20, 100, or 300, because everybody plays their part very heavily."

What influenced the unique sound of your collaborative beat sample pack with Chris Keys, now launching on Okayplayer?

"So going into the beat pack, Chris Keys and I were kind of joshing around — we wanted to do something that kind of felt like a ‘90s gangsta movie, like a New Jack City or something like that. Ultimately, we ended up leaning more towards Asian crime films from that same era, but mixed with American urban films too. Chris and I had talked a lot about doing some sound packs and when the opportunity came to do one with Okayplayer, we were like, “I guess it's time to do it.”

We sat together in the room for a good while, exchanged ideas, and tried to really come up with something that felt unique and different. With a lot of sound packs, there are these particular drums and breaks that are always so simple — it's just so easy to piece them together like a Lego.

What we really wanted to do was have a sound pack that felt like digging. With ours, you get to the composition folder and it just kind of feels like you're digging through some really good rare samples. I want the people who get the pack to feel that same joy of a good digging session.

I didn’t want it to be, “I'm just taking this, dropping this break over it, and now I have a song.” I want to allow people to be a little challenged and have that sense of joy of figuring it out. That's always been where I find the most joy in producing.”