Quando Rondo is giving overlooked Chicago rappers like Lil Durk, Polo G, and Chief Keef their well-deserved recognition for all they've done for hip hop. Although the up-and-comer, who just dropped his debut album, QPac, back in January with features from Durk and Polo G, hails from Savannah, Georgia, he recognizes the contributions that tons of Chicago legends have made to the rap game. Quando names these Chi-Town rappers as sources of his own personal inspiration for his music, and insists that they deserve to be regarded as legends like so many of their peers are.
“Lil Durk is a legend, but it’s like he isn’t even recognized for that sh*t," Quando told HipHopDX. "Look at these rappers now who are weird and they become a legend in two months. It’s like there’s no hope for people like me. I used to listen to Lil Durk when I was 12, and he was on the XXL cover and sh*t like that. He’s the reason why young n*ggas say opps, and I feel like n*ggas don’t love Durk. That man has set a lot of trends and look at how long he’s been rapping.”
QR goes on to compare the disrespect put on Durk's name to that of Chief Keef, another Chicago native. “[Lil Durk] has music from 2012 that has over a million streams, but people like him don’t get recognized," he points out. "If a rapper my age says they don’t fuck with Lil Durk, I feel like they’re on some lame-ass sh*t. Chief Keef and Lil Durk are legends, but they’re not seen that way, and they’re not winning any Grammys.” He echoes the same sentiment when it comes to Polo G, whom he feels has been just as critical a player in the culture as Durk and Keef.
“[Polo G] comes from the slums, he takes care of all his partners and he can rap for real," he says. "He isn’t faking, and I know he’s living what he says because he grinds. I f*ck with him because I know he’s just like me, but I feel like he’s going to make it further than me at a faster pace because you can tell he has the mindset. He’s smart as f*ck, and I can tell he on some boss sh*t and not no dumb sh*t.”
