Born Lilliette LaShelle Reese 1980, Bronx, New York, the oldest of 8 children and the first of many grandchilden. "We always had fun together. We had lots of energy around, my grandmother would say we don't need friends there are enough of us. At different points everyone would live with my grandmother. My aunts, uncles, and sometimes thier partners and kids were there. There was never a dull moment."
Shelly grew looking up to her uncle Eric. He also rapped under the name Johnny Quest. "Unkdunk was really cool, he played basketball, he would make up short rhymes with our names in them, and he always wore cool clothes. I took the name Quest as Hommage to him." The Bronx in the 80s was the home of hiphop but also the home of crack cocaine. "I lost all of my heroes to that shit.my uncles, my mother my step father, all gone." In an interview Shelly said, "I grew up and learned to live for myself. My mom and step dad weren't there. My grandmother was sick. It was unfair.But that's life. It makes you grow up early." Growing up, though, Shelly lived fast and hard, and was no stranger to the streets. So fast that from the age of 15 to 17 Shelly spent time in reform school on a drug charge. "There were only a few jobs that a 13 year old could get.I had sisters and brothers; there were times where we had nothing to eat. I remember walking from Harlem to the Bronx carrying my brother on my back for free lunch. Babysitting made no money, I would never sell my body-so I sold drugs.At the time I had no options, no way to make money.There was no other choice."
While in reform school Shelly learned the power of word, the power of a pen, the power of a voice."We talked intensly everyday, and we explored our feelings and I learned alot about myself. Started to keep journals and put feelings on paper."A few years later Shelly was living and working in Pennslyvania. There she experienced the lost of her best friend and discovered music. Shelly took refuge in family. She went back to NY bought a kareokee machine and started freestyling for fun with her cousins. "We would just bug out, never really serious but it was the fire starter."
A few months later Shelly booked a flight out of thew country. "I just wanted to see something else.something new." Shelly landed in Frankfurt.
When Shelly arrived she was a visitor,I was visiting my girlfriend at the time. She worked so during the day I would hang out with our friend Rodger. He was a very focused writer and rapper, always trying to improve. "At first it was sheer pride,I saw that this boy was impressing so many girls with his rap.all I thought was I'M BETTER THAN HIM! It was very childish. But it gave me a chance to use the rhymes I had made up in the months before, wack but I had siomething. A few months later Shelly met a few boys from a near city and started a rap group called GTBX- Gütersloh/Bronx connection.
"Oh man, I had just started- I was very nervous. I took sometimes 1hour to rexord a 40sec verseTERRIBLE" "I was writing to get aggression out,to express pain,happiness,joy,sorrowthen I was flashed by the stage. I saw how energy moved, I pour my heart out at every show. It is/was my true therapy."
Shelly recorded her first songs and stepped on the music scene in Germany.
A few months later she was opening shows for acts such as AFROB, SPECIALIST, DFLAME and many more. She quickly rose to the cream of the crop.
"I love this, it's me. It's from my heart. I can rap myself to sleep. I really open up on stage,I feel like I am home."
But it's not all roses. "It's hard in Germany because I can only go but so far. Most of the stations want German music to be played, and the labels aren't sure what to do with me.and the artist that can really open the door for me are afraid that it will present competition.
Shelly then joined a Ragga group called Damara Crew. "I loved being with the guys. It was great; my best experience was in the airport in Portugal. We were all there; the whole band.walking with instruments.I was the shortest walking in the middle. I felt like a Beatle.lol. And all the girls stared the whole time."
It was a great challenge being a lesbian in a reggea band. I couldn't do it anymore, I didnt want to lie, and I wanted to also live 'tour life' and be myself. It was impossible.
One of the members of the group had a run in with the law and that was the end of the group.
After the split Shelly focused on her own music.She released a mixtape called -OFF THE BOOKS- Shelly sold a few hundred copies. "It was a great start, I would sell them at the parks or at shows, people loved them I worked some more with the boys from GTBX, and just lived my music. I was very lucky, I had a girl who supported me and helped me. I could truly focus. I never had that; there was always something in my liofe that prevented me from living a dreamfrom FINDING a dream. I had no idea that music was my dream. It was something that kept calling, but I never heard it until I had the chance to sit quietly. I can't see myself doing anything else, besides acting. I would enjoy that as well." Since 2004 Shelly has been in the music industry and has found her own sound. She calls it electric love. "Yea.I know that sounds weird but I'm soo serious. I don't want to be in a box, I don't want my music to be in a box either. I love hiphop, dancehall (BEATS), jazz, and electro, pop and folk. I want to combine music that I love with my words, my spirit, and my soul. No categories, no genre--just love coming from the speakers. Granted, some songs are straight hiphop, others electro, some drum and bass- it doesn't matter it's all love"Shelly had performed at hundreds of shows, been featured on many albums and is loved and respected by many musicians and artist.
"Being a repected artist and gaining response to my music will not be eclipsed by a public fascination of my sexual orientation, which she accepted early in 2001. I understand that I don't fit the horrible portait that they paint for lesbian womenbut who does?!"
Shelly's particular value as an "out" musician is, her mainstream audience: she could make lesbianism less weird to people who, otherwise, would believe they didn't know any lesbians. Most lesbian artist are not as mainstream as Shelly. Go to her shows and you'll see a combination of fans like any other artist.
Shelly is currently working on a project called -ILYKE- "A perfect mix of electric love. We are Matt Flores and Lee Bass, MC Chevy and I. I love the group; it's where my heart is. The music is wonderful and I am myslef! The guys would never care if I made a song about breast.LOL!"
Shelly is also finishing her solo debut. "It will be a bit of this a bit of that.but lots of cool flows and lyrics. I don't want to forget about my true hiphop fans. It will be something for everybody-beats from Metaphysic (Sohne Mannheim) DJChestnut, Falabeats and varius producers from all over the world. I am confident it will be a great release."
You can find more info on Shelly Quest on her websites.
As well as download free music.
www.shelly-quest.com
www.reverbnation.com/shellyquest
www.youtube.com/shellyquest
Witness the evolution.
More Quest Music!
