“Chelly Chell”
Chenelle Marshall
Emcee, Poet, Author, Little Record Mart
Chenelle was a pioneering voice in Seattle’s 90s music scene.
As a member of the groundbreaking hip-hop group The Incredicrew, she helped carve out space for rap in a city more commonly associated with grunge. Their track “He’s Incredible” became a local hit and marked an important moment in the evolution of Seattle’s sound.
Emerging during the same era that bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam were drawing global attention to the Pacific Northwest, Chelly Chell represented another side of the city’s cultural identity, one rooted in lyricism, rhythm, and community.
Her work helped lay the foundation for Seattle’s hip-hop movement and expanded the narrative of what 90s Seattle music truly was.
Photo by Lance Mercer at Franklin High School
Transcript
It happened in the early 90s. I was working at a record store called The Little Record Mart on Madison Street in the Seattle neighborhood known as The Valley.
I got a call from a vendor asking if I would like to attend the music convention Jack the Rapper in Atlanta. I put my hand over my mouth and silently screamed. Then, using my inside voice, I responded, "What the hell yeah."
When I got off the plane in Atlanta, the heat smacked me in my face, but it didn't matter because I was ready. I got to the hotel where the convention was being held and as soon as I sat down, Snoop Dogg passed by with the line of ladies following behind him. A friend of mine from Rap-A-Lot Records waved me over saying he had a few boxes of cassette tapes of the new Scarface. He asked if I could do something with them. I grabbed the boxes, turned around, and bumped into Tupac.
My friend motioned to Pac and told him he needed a picture with us, explaining that I managed a few record stores in the Seattle/Tacoma area. This was epic because music was my thing and I loved being in the thick of it. To top it off, I got a picture with one of the most influential and successful rappers of all time.
When I returned home, I accidentally threw the picture in the trash. I couldn't believe it. When Tupac died, I mentioned to my baby sister that I wish I still had that picture of me and Pac. She said, "I have it." She had grabbed it out of the trash can but didn't tell me. She used to put it in the front of her binder when she was in middle school. I was like, "You lie." She said, "Nope," and handed it to me.
I was blown away.