{"id":14916,"date":"2016-01-05T16:09:58","date_gmt":"2016-01-05T23:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bandwagmag.com\/?p=14916"},"modified":"2017-04-27T12:49:46","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T18:49:46","slug":"album-review-qbala-battle-cries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bandwagmag.com\/2016\/01\/album-review-qbala-battle-cries\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Qbala \u2013 Battle Cries"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"qbalaWhen Fort Collins superstar emcee Kahlie \u201cQbala\u201d Quinones was 27, she finally had the courage to verbalize she preferred females over males. Little by little, she started becoming more comfortable with who she was and discovered, through music, she was able to divulge the truth. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I hit the stage, I realized a little bit more of me was opening up,\u201d Qbala says. \u201cI was realizing the power behind the words I\u2019m putting out. There\u2019s an empowerment from it. The more honest I am, the closer I am to this utopia in my head.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She also came to terms with the huge responsibility she had with such a public platform. She was able to channel the discipline from her background in college basketball and pour it into her music. Writing became her catharsis and finally she was able to say everything she had kept locked up inside for so long. Now 33-years-old, the proud Sagittarius has released her most genuine album to day, the <\/span>Battle Cries <\/span><\/em>EP, a five-track continuation of 2014\u2019s <\/span>Dark Side of the Rain<\/span><\/em>. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like people may not have captured what I was talking about on the last one,\u201d she says. \u201cI might have just scraped the surface level. I started thinking more critically about the writing and the lyricism, and realized I could take the story a lot further with the same amount of tracks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The ominous opening track, \u201cSo Alone\u201d begins the process of psychoanalyzing nearly everything about her, including her struggles with being multiracial, learning to survive on minimum wage and gender equality issues. \u201cPRIDE\u201d dives into her childhood and growing up with a white step-father with another dark, haunting beat. The conviction in her voice is comforting, almost like a best friend finally opening up. The title track and \u201cMusic Language\u201d are more playful, but still deliver a glimpse into her ever-evolving psyche. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to teach kids a message of character then hopefully the music they want to listen to will change,\u201d she says. \u201cI want people to know that I\u2019m genuine about the music I make and that I\u2019m living my word in real life.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Album closer, \u201cThe Archer and The Crab,\u201d is clearly an ode to her partner. It further humanizes the emcee behind the tough exterior and paints a picture of domestic bliss. The positivity she radiates is even more impressive when she reveals she has multiple sclerosis (MS), works three jobs, barely sleeps and puts any extra energy she has into her music. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think I have this insane amount of energy and health, but no,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve just trained myself to believe time is a man-made thing. You can set yourself free in your mind. The energy I put out there, I\u2019m going to get that energy back. All I can do is continue to be a leader by my actions.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\"QBALA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Fort Collins superstar emcee Kahlie \u201cQbala\u201d Quinones was 27, she finally had the courage to verbalize she preferred females over males. Little by little, she started becoming more comfortable with who she was and discovered, through music, she was able to divulge the truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":14925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":""},"categories":[10,14,12],"tags":[20,49,1860,1861],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nAlbum Review: Qbala \u2013 Battle Cries - BandWagon Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bandwagmag.com\/2016\/01\/album-review-qbala-battle-cries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Album Review: Qbala \u2013 Battle Cries - BandWagon Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When Fort Collins superstar emcee Kahlie \u201cQbala\u201d Quinones was 27, she finally had the courage to verbalize she preferred females over males. 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