DRAM and Ellis Quinn Talk Genre-Bending and Experimenting on Joint Project ‘Leorpio’
DRAM is a Leo, and Quinn is a Scorpio—hence—Leorpio.
Photography by B. Media
There are many legendary and powerful collaborations in music, and DRAM and Ellis Quinn are the embodiment of a dynamic duo. What once started as just friendship, DRAM and Quinn soon after discovered their musical chemistry, with their ability to marry experimental sounds and genre-bending dynamics.
In their recent collaborative album, Leorpio, DRAM and Quinn return to their Virginia roots, reclaiming their signature melodies. They marry the sounds of Southern soul, gospel, funk, and rap. The album features their longtime friends Khi Infinite, Guapdad4000, Chance the Rapper, A$AP Ferg, GROOVY, Lee Cash, DWN2EARTH, 3AG Pilot, and Buddy.
The 12-track project’s title pays homage to Outkast’s album, Aquemini. DRAM is a Leo, and Quinn is a Scorpio—hence—Leorpio. Beyond the deep-rooted Outkast inspiration, the astrological title seems as though this collaboration was written in the stars—and it definitely won’t be their last.
DRAM and Quinn spoke with 1202 MAGAZINE about how their friendship blossomed into a fated music collaboration, the vision behind Leorpio, and how they’re continuously evolving, as well as what’s next for the harmonious duo.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What’s been the feedback of Leorpio from listeners and artists so far?
DRAM: The reception I’ve gotten has been really positive across the board. I think the part that stands out to me the most is the introduction to Ellis Quinn. It’s a return to my roots with genre-bending and rap vibes, but it also sets the stage for Ellis. I feel that the response I get back from people is somewhat different from what I wanted people to take away from this project. It’s receiving the attention we wanted, and I couldn’t be happier.
Ellis Quinn: All of the responses have been good. I’ve been getting so much praise. People are calling it a classic and comparing it to their favorite artists and albums. I’m happy, and I’m getting a fair introduction. Five minutes ago, a dude said, ‘Hey, I didn’t know you were an artist.’ I’m locked in.
What’s the origin of the album’s title?
EQ: The title stands for Leo and Scorpio. We put those two together and came up with Leorpio. It’s an ode to Outkast’s Aquemini. We put our own spin on it and gave it both of our personalities as best as we could. Our full personalities are that me being a Scorpio and he’s a Leo. Those are the vibes we gave it.
DRAM: It’s really an ode to Aquemeni—not necessarily the sonics on that album—but the fact that these two people are undoubtedly the real duo. That’s what I really wanted to express with this title.
How did you two meet, and what led you to work on a project together?
DRAM: One of my brothers called me one day, maybe three or four years ago. He said, ‘There’s this artist you need to hear.’ I said, ‘Bro, I don’t want to hear a fucking artist.’ He said, ‘Come on, he’s from your side of the water. He sent me his music, and a couple of days later, I was randomly like, ‘Let me tap into this guy.’ When I played his music, I’ve deadass been a fan ever since I first pressed play. He recorded it very DIY, but I could hear everything I needed to in the first listen.
From then on, we really locked in. In these few years, there have been changes in dynamics and ups and downs with other people. But the musical bond and compatibility never changed between Ellis and me. It’s the way it’s supposed to be.
DRAM, what was it about Ellis’s sound that appealed to you so much?
DRAM: The distinctiveness in his voice and how he approached things very lyrically. It also has a catchiness to it. There are different strains of confidence. Some people have overcompensating confidence that bleeds through. But some niggas have that laid back, cool confidence…it’s his own thing, and he’s his own guy. When we work together, it’s effortless.
Ellis, what was it about DRAM’s sound that appealed to you?
EQ: He’s one of the greatest artists of all time. A lot of people can’t do what he does. I was so shook when he said, ‘I’m coming to Virginia to throw a verse on one of your songs.’ He’s one of the biggest to come from my area. He’s a timeless artist and a young legend. He’s the closest I’ll get to Teddy Pendergrass. He’s a Funkateer. He’s everything that my dad admired in music.
How did you guys choose the features on Leorpio?
DRAM: Everybody here is my friend. That’s how it starts. Not only are they my friends, but once they met Ellis, they became friends as well. The concept of the music began in the basement of my house in Atlanta, and we did a couple of collabs with my boy DWN2EARTH. That was organic because I was a fan of his, and Ellis had been listening to him. I had no idea he knew who he was. They’re locked in, he came through, and it was effortless. It was the same way with my boy, 3AG Pilot. He and Ellis have a record. It came about in a very organic way. We were in LA for about a week and a half last summer.
Guapdad4000 is my boy. We’re real friends. It’s a full-circle moment. When he sent the song back, it was a masterpiece. GROOVY is a young beast out of New Jersey with a Jersey Club and R&B sound. We merged worlds together. There’s also FERG. The very first record that came about was ‘Hotlanta.’ EK whipped up the beats on the computer, and within five minutes, FERG heard that shit and said, ‘Put me in the booth.’ All of this came with no hassle or strain—all organic.
How long did the album take? Walk me through the creation of Leorpio and a typical day at the studio.
EQ: A day in the life at the studio…We have a lot of bakery everywhere; premium flower, mushroom treats, and EK on the ones-and-twos. He’ll pull magical sounds out of the air. Most of the time, we smoke, vibe, and cut into the records. There isn’t much planning. It’s all about having fun and hanging out vibes. That’s why the music sounds like hanging out with your friends. You can create so much when you’re comfortable.
DRAM: The earliest record dates back about two years. That was when we didn’t exactly know how we were going about this shit. The bulk of the project happened over the span of about four months because we were always working on multiple things. I was working on my fourth studio album. In between that, we were working, staying busy, and having fun in the midst of things.
Ellis made a ton of solo music as well. We really just made music until it was certain. We locked in for three or four months. We never returned to a record; we made about 35 to 40 records and picked from that. We’re already plotting a part two.
EQ: Needless to say, it doesn’t take us any time to make records or albums together.
What can listeners expect to hear in terms of genre-bending and experimenting with sounds?
DRAM: It’s almost like a hypnotic approach towards the music. I’m singing in very different textures. I let the way my body felt dictate my approach to the records. We were faded majority of the time—intentionally so. But there were moments of hypnotic and drowsy-like lower-registered tones. There were also moments of faded rap bars. I kept a certain tone so that I didn’t raise my voice more than three or four times on the project.
It wasn’t necessarily that loud, trombone, brassy sound. It’s not the sentimental R&B vibe. It’s melodic but not in the way that I’m singing my ass off or sounding overly sexy. There are some elements to that, like in ‘Mars.’
So you want Leorpio to be an immersive experience?
DRAM: Exactly. Whatever your vice is, it’ll hit with that. If you fuck with shrooms, it’ll hit to that…also if f you’re straight-edge and want music that makes you feel like that.
You recently performed at the Blue Note Jazz Club together. Can we expect more performances like that?
DRAM: Yes. We’re going to put out a good, solid run around September and October.
How does this album represent you both individually and as collaborative artists?
EQ: Speaking for myself, I think it’s a great showcase of the way I can rap and be accepted as a true artist.
DRAM: It’s a revisitation of my early work, but more mature. My first project had a blend of melodic rap and R&B. It was a mesh of many things. It was a full-circle moment because I’ve been in the game for ten years, and this was the sound I’ve always been known for. It’s a je ne sais quoi. I felt very pleased to be in a position where I could release this. We had so much fun making this, and it was reminiscent of the fun I had making my very first project.
How will this album set the tone for both of your musical evolutions?
DRAM: Solo projects. We’ll always collaborate with one another. For the foreseeable future, every project will have an Ellis Quinn feature. We will always work together and lock in, but now it’s time for us to continue our paths of dropping solo efforts. Ellis has his own music out, but now with this added to it, many more people are aware of Ellis Quinn and what he has to offer. I’m excited for people to hear his solo work.
EQ: The stage is set pretty big, so now I’m going to acquire everything that I’ve learned from the process of making that last project and keep that energy going with the influence of the new music I’m making. I foresee more hot music.
