A single, a video and record deal with one of rap's legends is a career starter most artists wouldn't mind. Quan anchored 2004's "Just a Moment", alongside Nas and made a splash into the hip-hop world only a year after finishing a seven-year jail bid. But despite the initial opportunity for exposure, the mass hip-hop audience hasn't seen much of the Virginian emcee since. With a new project through Amalgam Digital coming this summer entitled "Walking Testimony", Quan speaks with Urbanology about creativity, God and hip-hop fans today.

You said you wrote "Just a moment" for your hood but it was a worldly song. If you focus on the issues inside your hood can you be consistent in making people outside your hood interested?
Quan: I said I wrote that for my hood because the verse that they took off and put Nas on had my godmother in it, my baby brother ['s] name in it, some of my friends that got killed... A lot of dudes that I came up with in my hood that had died or had got a lot of time... And I guess that's why he felt compelled to shout out his homies and everybody that he had lost, which was a beautiful thing.

Outside of that it was a record that was a worldly song... You can't not listen to that record and not find a piece you can [relate] to. Somebody that you love or that you cherish that you wish was around you, but due to circumstances that are beyond your control you can't so the best thing you can do is from time-to-time to take 'just a moment' to reminisce on the beautiful things that they brought to your life...

You touch on both sides of conflict in your music. You'll talk about jail time and hard times, but then you'll turn around and get on gun talks. Are you still in that struggle where the streets keep calling?
Quan: I think the best way I can answer that question: One, I'm not exactly in the same struggle I was in. The streets are me, I am of the streets. That's what I know how to do best outside of music, get money in of the streets. But no, that ain't the case with me. But there are certain trained patterns of thinking that I struggle with. The streets gave me a yearn to survive beyond the average. That said, no I'm not out here robbing and doing all that crazy shit I used to do. But at the same time haters and snakes don't come over here fucking with me. I'm a grown man and I don't play them games... I been in every situation that you can probably come across... That puts me in a position to talk to a youngin'. Whether it's one that's trying to do right, one that don't wanna do right or one that just don't know... When they see me some days all... tatted out, with my jewels on, pants sagging a little bit maybe and they feel comfortable to come to me like "Quan I hit this chick." [I'm] like, "word you hit her?" "Yeah I had sex with her." "Well did you protect yourself?" "Nah." "Well let me tell you why you need to protect yourself." He's not gonna approach a dude in a suit but they gonna approach Quan because Quan's approachable.

When you talk to God, do you speak conversationally?
Quan: That's the same eye that's on me if I masturbate. I can't hide nothing from Him. And I said that in the sense that whatever we do as humans in our most private moments to think that He's not there [doesn't make sense]. Some people might read this article and be like 'Yo I don't know 'bout no God.' But let me tell you something. I done beat five life sentences, okay? Skipped past the death penalty, okay? Kissed death in the face more times than I can imagine. You talking about five car crashes man, with just a scratch on my Air Force Ones man. You talking 'bout doing seven years and coming home and in less than a year I had a record deal.

You have two projects coming soon, tell me about them.
Quan: Carrying the Tradition mixtape coming with DJ Vlad the Butcher. That's pretty much a collection of freestyles I've put out since my last mixtape as well as original joints and classic hip-hop beats that I personally fuck with. Not being so eager to just jump on somebody's shit that's hot. I just been on my lone and I love the music. And if you love it, you're going to fuck with it. So it's carrying the tradition, staying true to you and giving your best. Then after that I got a project coming out on Amalgam Digital end of June called Walking Testimony.

Where did that title come from?
Quan: Basically I'm a walking testimony. This project has a total of 12 tracks... It pretty much walks you through my life.... My momma talking about how I started wildin' the fuck out. A nice journey through my life and where I have arrived at... Eventually...I'll really be able to give people my life story... how a beautiful bright soul can go to being a cold ass person. How that beautiful child turns into a monster. But not just how that child turned into a monster, but how that monster grows into a man, a respectable man at that.

Words By: Jonathon Brown