Music Nation is a Music Video Competition for Independent Artists

Chicago, IL, the melting pot of musical styles, has produced some great hip hop artists that are considered mainstream. Even still, the everyday Chicago resident doesn’t embrace the up and coming or underground artist until they “make it big”. The road to local and national acceptance is long, but Qwestions is ready to take the trip. Quinton Westmoreland (born September 14, 1989) has been in love with music since he was little kid. Watching music videos and documentaries of music acts made him want what the greats have. Secretly writing rhymes, that were formally poems, he realized he may have some type of talent. But fearing that nobody would like the songs he abandoned his songwriting and poetry dreams. In 2005, he traveled to Milwaukee; where he saw the Hieroglyphics crew perform. The show was so crazy that from that day on he knew getting into the music industry is what he wanted to do. At 14, after free styling for a classmate; Quinton was asked what name he went by. Not having an actual name he used a shorten version of his real name “Q West.” But one day while having a conversation with his friends he was told he asked a lot questions, and that’s the day he was given his new name Qwestions. Although the days of auditioning for big name artists and sending demos to record labels are almost over, Qwestions is taking the DIY route. By uploading his material on websites like MySpace, he’s getting his music heard all around the world and clocking anywhere from 40-60 plays per day. In June 2008 Qwestions began entering music into internet radio playlists. One station in particular known as Westside Will Radio, located in Chicago, placed his song “All Eyes on Me” into their weekly countdown. On June 20th 2008 the song took the number 2 spot on the countdown in its second week of rotation. In its fourth,fifth,sixth and seventh week in rotation it has claimed the number 1 spot on the countdown. (http://www.westsidewill.com/archives/show.php?week=63) Today at 18, while looking toward a future of recording his first album, Qwestions is working on his mix tape titled “Qwestions Mark2: What You Been Askin For.” Currently working with unsigned California based Producer City(http://www.myspace.com/citythekid), who produced the MySpace hits “School Song” and “All Eyes on Me.” Wanting to make the best of the release, he is currently looking into different open mics and venues to perform. The journey is just beginning and Qwestions is going to make the best of this trip.