Quddus Kamanga Luenga (Q Master) was born on March 4th, 1997 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Growing up as the youngest of seven siblings – three brothers and four sisters – in one of the highest populated cities in Africa with over 17 million people, Q Master witnessed the vibrant city’s abundance of music, fashion, youth, and nightlife, but also saw how it suffers from significant inequality in the distribution of wealth, poverty, failed school system, drugs, violence, political conflicts, and hopelessness.
The artist grew up very poor, and like 70% of the population of his hometown, his family had to work multiple informal jobs just to get by. Despite the poverty they lived in, his parents supported Q Master’s education all the while relentlessly showing him the importance of serving God and humanity.
When Q Master reached college level, he was kicked out multiple times because his parents couldn’t afford the tuition and fees. He realized his only way out of this misery was to relocate, and luckily, the artist was able to immigrate to the United States for more opportunities.
While Q Master only has two official music releases, the artist is in no way new to the rap scene. The artist began writing songs at eight years old, eventually posting his first music video to YouTube in 2016. All of Q Master’s early work was written and performed in French, including “Banlieusard,” which translates to “an inhabitant of the poorest part of the city” “Du Mal A Comprendre,” or “having a hard time understanding,” and more. He has worked with several of his hometown artists and a group collaboration called “Outsiders'‘ in the city of Kinshasa, DRC.
The artist made the switch to English after he moved to Chicago, Illinois from his hometown Kinshasa, DRC. Presently, Q Master is based out of Cedar Rapids, IA. where he released his first official single, “Focus” (2021). In “Focus,” the artist recounts the adversities he faced growing up such as hunger, joblessness, reckless behavior, and betrayals he experienced from people he once knew. “Focus” was inspired by the remarkable changes the artist made in his life to overcome these hardships, and ultimately, his decision to ‘focus’ on the life he desires to build for himself.
In his second single, “Audemars” (2023), Q Master explores his fascination with living a luxurious lifestyle, envisioning himself acquiring high-end hand watches from brands like Audemars Piguet at the end of a long road of hard work and sacrifice.
On July 15, 2023, Q Master released his first studio EP entitled “Winter Flow” with 6 tracks total which were entirely inspired by personal life events.
~ Andy Kongolo, Elizabeth Fuentes, Meghan Zalewski