Attempt to have a conversation with Beville Quintal
and you'll get a soft-spoken 20-year-old who looks like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo
meets Steven Hyde from That '70s Show. Put a mic in front of him and you'll get Beville. A
purp-smoking drinker who isn't afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve in a
non-emo fashion while still being able to unleash a tongue-lashing that would
leave those standing in his way regret that decision.
The Broward County MC has had his hand on hip-hop since he was a child, writing his first song at 10 years old and started rapping his junior year of high school after meeting his producer, Farlane.
Unable to think of a stage name, the rapper opted to stick to his first name.
"Thinking of a name is a whole process," said Beville. "I'd rather just go with being original, keeping it real."
Those seeking another South Florida rapper boasting about pushing weight, driving the finest cars, trips to exclusive islands, and popping bottles will be disappointed. That is not his life.
His days consist of waking up to take care of his 1-year-old daughter until she falls asleep around 7 p.m. and finding time to record and write rhymes in between. His relationship with the mother of his daughter is complicated. His music is a reflection of it.
Beville's "Fight for the Dream," from his mixtape Kemoth3rapy, serves as the perfect intro, letting the listener get to know the rapper on some personal level by giving him insight into his relationship with his baby's mother:
"The both of us so in love for nothing/We was rushing/It was more than just fucking/You was the only one I trusted/Now show me where the love went/Now you tell me you don't know me/I'm your husband."
Just as some may expect, life for an up-and-coming rapper with a daughter is a difficult one, especially when a 9-to-5 and street hustling aren't options.
"Really, it's a struggle. I'm just doing what I can to get a little money," said Beville. "Like little odd jobs or whatever. Helping people move."
With the release of Kemoth3rapy in August 2010, Beville gained the attention of his now manager and business partner, Magic Jaq, after listening to the mixtape on ashleyoutrageous.com.
"He heard that one, and he had told the blogger that he wanted to get in contact with me," said Beville. "She told me, and I reached out to him. He flew down here, and I met him, and ever since then, it's been making music."
His latest mixtape, Sincere Vandal, was released in January, led by several freestyles over industry beats for promotion and put out by local hip-hop blog site dailychiefers.com. The mixtape included no features, a decision made to give listeners an opportunity to focus on his abilities. And not to leave listeners wondering, Beville defined a sincere vandal as one who relates to the masses through his art.
"Like a vandal is someone who spray-paints something on a wall so people could just walk by and see it," said Beville. "Instead, I'm just giving the web free music that you could just walk by and listen to. I'm vandalizing. I'm not selling it to you. I'm just working up to my bigger piece of art."
While not as emotional as Kemoth3rapy, it's just as personal. Sincere Vandal showcases Beville's growth as a lyricist and in his ability to deliver messages, lessons, and stories that distinguish him from the South Florida pack.
"Message in a Rx Bottle," for example, speaks about drug and alcohol addiction from a first-person perspective but was inspired by someone he knew.
"I had this friend and his little brother ended up being way cooler than him," said Beville. "But his little brother was on mad drugs and shit. When I was writing that, he was on my mind. I just brought the message across like that."
Focused on putting out music on a regular basis,
Beville expects to release a new mixtape within the next month and another
shortly after. He says shows and videos will be coming as well, but not before the
web is flooded with his music and his buzz is big enough to not be worried
about working a day job.
"I'm not trying to get a regular job out here on some average Joe shit," said Beville. "And I figured if I'm going to work hard all of my life, I might as well do it doing something I like to do."
