The Story of Quantum C

Cam Maples — better known by his stage name, Quantum C, is a rapper aspiring to make it big in the music industry. Hailing from Peachtree City, GA, Quantum C has released three projects in under a year since commencing his rap journey.

His first venture into the rap game came somewhat unexpectedly when Maples and some friends spontaneously decided to write, record, and upload a rap song to SoundCloud. What initially began as an entertaining experience with friends saw Maples receive positive feedback for his contribution to the song. Using that feedback, Maples made another song, received more interaction, and decided to produce his first project, the Mad Nrg EP.

Using cheap equipment and lacking the connections to find help to mix and master the EP, Maples used his previous musical experience to bridge the gap. Maples participated in marching band throughout middle and high school, an experience that ultimately provided him with a springboard to pursue his musical aspirations. 

 Largely drawing influence from DaBaby, Maples released Pre-Czn, his first album. However, Maples would later break away from that mold and imprint his own style and flow on his newest album, Quantum-Czn.

“On the Pre-Czn album I tried to do a DaBaby flow because that’s what was popping then,” Maples said. “[Quantum-Czn] was much more doing what I felt sounded the best.”

Like most artists do, Maples continued to draw influence from the artists that inspire him the most, including Post Malone, Roddy Rich, and the late Juice Wrld.

“[Juice Wrld] was not all about rap,” Maples said. “It was rap, but he wasn’t in your face spitting really fast bars. It was a vibe, and that’s how I want my music to be. I want to be able to mix it up.”

Maples shares those same sentiments for Roddy Rich’s ability to jump around a beat and mix up his style. Post Malone is on another tier for Maples. The top tier, in fact. He cited the superstar as his music favorite artist of all time.

“I’ve watched so many interviews… and I just love his personality, how he handles himself,” Maples said. “[Post Malone] is an inspiration to me because he’s a white guy out here doing it.”

Maples has firsthand experience when it comes to race playing a factor in how others perceive him and his music. He participated in Coast 2 Coast Live, a competition that sees local, underground artists perform and compete for a chance to travel to Miami for a chance to make a big name for themselves at the Coast 2 Coast Live World Championship. 

Seeing so many other aspiring rappers competing for the same goal was a challenge for Maples, and being the only white performer made it even harder. 

The crowd cheered for Maples after his performance, and he was greeted with a wave of handshakes, high fives, and praise. He thought he secured a spot in the top five, but he was left out to dry after the judges never called his name. 

“That was probably the most challenging experience,” Maples said. “I recognized that I have a lot harder [of] a road than I think I do.”

Maples knew the journey wouldn’t be a walk in the park, but that hasn’t deterred him. Some of the most challenging days were near the beginning of his journey when he dropped out of Columbus State University to pursue a rap career full time. Leaving his friends and fraternal brotherhood behind to focus on producing music while working 40 hours a week at Chick-fil-A was a challenging experience, especially for an extremely sociable person, but one that shines his dedication to his craft.

Maples had a plan for his career from the beginning. He initially wanted to give himself a year to see how far he could go with his music, and with so many moving parts in the current coronavirus climate, the future is nebulous. For now, Maples is still 100% behind the Quantum C project and still has aspirations for a successful career in rap.

Maples now attends school at Full Sail University, a school with specialized majors in music and entertainment, among other fields. He’s also writing a book, The Quantum Experiment, about his journey into the music industry. 

Quantum C plans on releasing one more album, taking a look at what he’s accomplished to that point, and then making a calculated decision on what his next steps should be. 

“This experience is unforgettable even if it doesn’t take me to the next level,” Maples said. “It’s definitely going to be the best year of my life.”