Pell

Allow us to introduce Pell. The New Orleans-bred and Starksville, Mississippi-based rapper (he was forced to relocate in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina) is quickly making his mark with a distinctive mixture of rap and southern singjaying–over an equally distinctive mixture of trap and dubby trip-pop that forms the rhythmic bed for his post-Drake flow. Call it the Future Sound Sound of NOLA, or call it–as a recent FADER premiere of his track “Eleven:11″ did–‘dream rap’, the ambient soundscapes he’s been dropping on us lately are just a taste of the somnambulatory beats and rhymes on Pell’s forthcoming release Floating While Dreaming which features more collaborations with Danish electronika producers Tomas Barfod and Jeppe Kjellberg. In keeping with his loose and ecclectic approach to the sonics of rap, the Pell is about to embark on two simultaneous tours–one with fellow MC Yonas and another supporting Nashville electro-pop duo Cherub on their Blow’d tour. Okayplayer caught up with Pell on the eve of a series of showcases at the SXSW music conference in Austin–many an aspiring artist’s point of arrival at stardom–to get his thoughts on his hometown, his far-flung influences and his dreams for the future. Scroll down for Pell’s answers and Southby dates as well as some key tracks from his growing discog.