Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born Jonathan William Davis, April 10, 1970), better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American rapper, record producer, singer, and DJ. Nicknamed The Abstract, he is noted for his innovative jazz-influenced style of

hip hop production Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and " ...

and his philosophical, esoteric and introspective lyrical themes. He embarked on his music career in the late 1980s, as an MC and main producer of the influential

alternative hip hop Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confo ...

group

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded the production team The Ummah, followed by the release of his

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

-certified solo debut '' Amplified'' in 1999. In the following decade, he released the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

-nominated album ''

The Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass idea ...

'' (2008) and the experimental album '' Kamaal the Abstract'' (2009). As an actor, Q-Tip has appeared in various films such as '' Poetic Justice'', '' She Hate Me'' and '' Prison Song'', the latter of which he co-wrote and played the lead role. As a DJ, he has hosted the Apple Music 1 radio show ''Abstract Radio'' since 2015. In 2016, Q-Tip was named the artistic director for hip hop culture at the Kennedy Center, and in 2018, he became the instructor of a jazz and hip hop course at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the ...

. Q-Tip is one of the most acclaimed figures in hip hop.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

states that he "led a jazz-based hip-hop revolution during the '90s", calling him "the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history".Bush, John. (November 4, 2008
The Renaissance – Q-Tip
AllMusic. Retrieved on 2011-12-18. About.com placed him #17 on their list of the Top 25 Hip-Hop Producers, and #38 on their list of the 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time. In 2012, ''

The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...

'' ranked him #20 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.

Early life

Q-Tip was born Jonathan William Davis on April 10, 1970, in

Harlem, New York City Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Har ...

. His father, Jonathan Davis II, emigrated from the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...

island of

Montserrat Montserrat ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, with roughly of coastline. It is n ...

and was raised in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

. His mother is an

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

. When he was a child, his family settled in St. Albans,

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, New York City. He first met his friend Phife Dawg at church when they were both two years old. At age nine, he began

rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

after being encouraged by Phife Dawg; shortly before that, they both heard " Rapper's Delight" by

The Sugarhill Gang The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio. Their 1979 hit " Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's o ...

for the first time. He was also inspired by his father's extensive jazz record collection, and at age 12, he began to DJ and make pause tape beats. Q-Tip attended Murry Bergtraum High School in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, where he first befriended Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Afrika Baby Bam and Mike Gee, with the latter two forming the hip-hop group Jungle Brothers. In high school, he participated in rap battles and went by the

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

s J Nice and MC Love Child. In 1985, he and Muhammad formed an MC and DJ duo, and using recording equipment provided by Muhammad's uncle, they began making

demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * plural for Demo (computer programming) ...

. They were later joined by Phife Dawg, who also rapped, and neighborhood friend Jarobi White; collectively, they were known as Quest. When Q-Tip was 16 years old, his father died of

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alv ...

Career

1988–1993: Early success with A Tribe Called Quest

Afrika Baby Bam gave him the nickname "Q-Tip", which became popular in high school, eventually becoming his stage name.Exclusive: Q-Tip Interview
MOOVMNT.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2011. In 1988, Q-Tip was featured on Jungle Brothers' songs "The Promo", which he helped produce, and "Black Is Black", in which he renamed his group

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

, a name that was given by Afrika Baby Bam. Both songs appeared on Jungle Brothers' debut album '' Straight out the Jungle''. That year, the two groups met the like-minded group

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternati ...

, with the three groups forming the core of the

Native Tongues The Native Tongues were a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and jazz-influenced beats. Its principal mem ...

collective, known for their

Afrocentrism Afrocentrism is an approach to the study of world history that focuses on the history of people of recent African descent. It is in some respects a response to Eurocentric attitudes about African people and their historical contributions. It ...

, positivity and eclectic sampling. In 1989, A Tribe Called Quest signed with

Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, ...

after being rejected by several labels, due to their unconventional image and sound. After recording several demos, they began working on their debut album, with Q-Tip serving as the group's main producer. The album, '' People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'', was released in early 1990 and established Q-Tip as a highly skilled lyricist. Later that year, he made a guest appearance on the

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...

single "

Groove Is in the Heart "Groove Is in the Heart" is a song by American dance band Deee-Lite, released in August 1990 as their debut and lead single from their first album, ''World Clique'' (1990). Written and produced by the band, it was a hit in many countries, reach ...

" by

Deee-Lite Deee-Lite was an American house and dance music group formed in New York City. The group's best-known single is "Groove Is in the Heart", which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album ''World Clique'' (1990), and was a top-ten hit i ...

, which became a worldwide hit. In 1991, A Tribe Called Quest released their second album ''

The Low End Theory ''The Low End Theory'' is the second studio album by American hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released on September 24, 1991, by Jive Records. Recording sessions for the album were held mostly at Battery Studios in New York City, from 1990 to ...

''. Wanting the group to "step it up in general", Q-Tip encouraged Phife Dawg, who had recently become

diabetic Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

, to stay with the group and increase his participation.Del F. Cowie . exclaim.ca. February 2008 The result was the "smoothest" rapping "of any rap record ever heard", due to the duo's strong chemistry. The group also garnered acclaim for Q-Tip's jazzy minimalist production. The following year, Q-Tip was involved in a fight with

new jack swing New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle, new jack swing wa ...

group Wreckx-n-Effect, over Phife Dawg's lyrics on the single " Jazz (We've Got)". As a result, it is believed that the ski mask that Q-Tip wore, in A Tribe Called Quest's video for the single " Hot Sex", was covering up his injuries. By 1993, Q-Tip became known for his outside production work, producing the hit single " Gangsta Bitch" by

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...

, among other songs. The song's chorus was performed by

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

in the film '' Poetic Justice'', in which Q-Tip made his acting debut as

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

's love interest. Later that year, A Tribe Called Quest released their third album ''

Midnight Marauders ''Midnight Marauders'' is the third studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released on November 9, 1993, by Jive Records. Recording sessions for the album occurred at Battery Studios, Platinum Island Studios and Scorcerer Sou ...

'', which was hailed as the group's most complete work. Along with his "practically telepathic" lyrical interplay with Phife Dawg, the album introduced Q-Tip's gritty style of production.

1994–1995: Production work and formation of the Ummah

After two critically acclaimed

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

-selling albums with his group, Q-Tip began focusing on outside production. In 1994, he produced the single " One Love" from

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ...

's debut album '' Illmatic'' and performed the song's chorus. He also remixed the Nas single " The World Is Yours", as well as Craig Mack's single " Get Down", in which he contributed a guest verse. He made an additional guest appearance on the song " Get It Together" by

Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar, programming) ...

, from their album '' Ill Communication''. Film director

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

asked Q-Tip to produce the single "

Crooklyn ''Crooklyn'' is a 1994 American semi-autobiographical film produced and directed by Spike Lee and co-written with his sister Joie and brother Cinqué. Occurring in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, during the summer ...

" for the soundtrack to his 1994 film of the same name.The Crooklyn Dodgers: An Oral History

Red Bull Music Academy The Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) is a world-traveling series of music workshops and festivals that was founded in 1998 by Red Bull GmbH. The main five-week event is held in a different city each year. The public portion of its program is a festiv ...

. Accessed on October 20, 2018. Q-Tip helped Lee recruit three

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

MCs for the song:

Special Ed Edward K. Archer (born May 16, 1972), known professionally as Special Ed, is an American rapper and producer. Ed is perhaps best known for the songs "I Got It Made", "Think About It" and "I'm the Magnificent" from his debut album ''Youngest in ...

Masta Ace Duval Clear (born December 4, 1966), known better by his stage name Masta Ace, is an American rapper and record producer from New York City. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut " The Symphony". He is noted for his distinct voice ...

and Buckshot, who formed the group

Crooklyn Dodgers The Crooklyn Dodgers were a hip-hop supergroup based in Brooklyn, New York City, consisting of rotating members. They appeared in three separate incarnations in 1994, 1995, and 2007. The first two incarnations recorded for the soundtracks for Sp ...

. During that year's

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...

, keyboardist Amp Fiddler introduced Q-Tip to young

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

producer Jay Dee, who gave Q-Tip a demo tape of his group Slum Village. After being impressed by Jay Dee's beats, Q-Tip suggested that the two should work together. By 1995, Q-Tip, Jay Dee and Muhammad formed a production team, known as The Ummah, in which each member produced songs individually and received a songwriting credit for their work.Beats, Rhymes And Life was A Tribe Called Quest's commercial peak—and first misstep
'' The A.V. Club''. Accessed on October 20, 2018. He and Muhammad also created a label, Museum Music, with Vinia Mojica becoming their first artist. Queens duo

Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American hip hop duo from New York City. The duo consisted of rappers Prodigy and Havoc. They are considered to be among the principal progenitors of hardcore East Coast hip hopEdwards, Paul, 2009, '' How to Rap: The Art & Sc ...

, whom Q-Tip discovered in the early 1990s,James, Andy
The Story of How Mobb Deep Met Q-Tip Is Amazing
DJBooth.net. Accessed on October 20, 2018. enlisted him as a mixing engineer and producer for their 1995 album ''

The Infamous ''The Infamous'' (stylized as ''The Infamous...'') is the second studio album by the American hip hop duo Mobb Deep. It was released on April 25, 1995, by RCA Records and Loud Records. The album features guest appearances by Nas, Raekwon, G ...

''.The Making of Mobb Deep's 'The Infamous'
'' Complex''. Accessed on October 20, 2018. He also contributed a verse to the song "Drink Away the Pain (Situations)".

1996–1998: Declining group chemistry to breakup

In 1996, The Ummah's production first appeared on

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

's debut album '' The Coming'', with Q-Tip producing and rapping on the song "Ill Vibe", while Jay Dee produced the other two Ummah productions on the album. That summer, A Tribe Called Quest released their fourth album ''

Beats, Rhymes and Life ''Beats, Rhymes and Life'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released on July 30, 1996, by Jive Records, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful ''Midnight Marauders''. Produced by ...

'', which was produced by The Ummah. Although Q-Tip was involved in the album's production, he considered the album a "showcase" for Jay Dee, who produced both of the singles, " 1nce Again" and " Stressed Out", along with three other songs. Q-Tip also added his younger cousin Consequence as a guest rapper on six songs. Much of the album's lyrical themes were inspired by Q-Tip's recent conversion to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

, however, his relationship with Phife Dawg became strained, negatively affecting their lyrical chemistry. Q-Tip also became an A&R for

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

and signed Consequence to Museum Music. The following year, he made a guest appearance on Janet Jackson's single " Got 'til It's Gone" and co-produced

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

's single "

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

", both of which became worldwide hits. In early 1998, a fire occurred at Q-Tip's home recording studio, completely destroying it; among the items destroyed in the blaze were his entire record collection, consisting of nearly 20,000 vinyl records, and a computer containing many unreleased songs.Q-Tip

. Accessed on December 24, 2016.News Flash: Tribe's Q-Tip Loses LPs, Studio In Fire

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. Accessed on December 20, 2016. The fire delayed the release of A Tribe Called Quest's fifth album, '' The Love Movement'', pushing the release date from May to September of that year. Produced by The Ummah, the album explored the lyrical theme of love, however, A Tribe Called Quest disbanded a month before the album's release.

1999–2000: ''Amplified'' and solo success

After the breakup of his group, Q-Tip began pursuing a solo career in 1999. He collaborated with R&B singer Raphael Saadiq and released the hit single " Get Involved". Later that year, he signed with

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertain ...

and released his solo debut '' Amplified'', which he produced with Jay Dee. The album was promoted by the hit singles " Vivrant Thing" and " Breathe and Stop", which were more pop-oriented than his previous work with A Tribe Called Quest. However, other songs on the album maintained the ethos of the group and it received mostly positive reviews from critics. In January 2000, it was certified

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

and "Vivrant Thing" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, presented a month later at the

42nd Grammy Awards The 42nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2000, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1999. Nominations were announced on January 4, 2000. Santana was the main ...

.Q-Tip on finally getting his second album out
''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

''. Accessed on October 20, 2018. Q-Tip described his house fire as "symbolic", because he was left with no records to sample, but still had the desire to make music. In late 1999, he began seeking musicians for a live band, taking drum lessons from Omar Hakim, studying

bel canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...

, and taking piano lessons from Weldon Irvine, whom he sampled for A Tribe Called Quest's "

Award Tour "Award Tour" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest, released as the first single from their third album ''Midnight Marauders''. The song features rapper Trugoy on the chorus, from the fellow Native Tongues group De La Soul. It contains a sample of " ...

" single. He also became a member of the

Soulquarians The Soulquarians were a rotating collective of experimental Black music artists active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Members of the collective included singer and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, drummer and producer Ahmir "Questlove" Th ...

collective during this period.

2001–2007: Label issues and collaborations

In 2001, Q-Tip starred in the film '' Prison Song'', which he co-wrote with the film's director, Darnell Martin.Q-TIP SET TO STAR IN "PRISON SONG" WITH MARY J. BLIGE, FAT JOE, ELVIS COSTELLO

. Accessed on October 20, 2018. He also contributed to the

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...

, producing four songs. That year, he completed his follow-up album '' Kamaal the Abstract'', which was recorded with a live band and featured Q-Tip singing the majority of its songs. Originally slated for release in October 2001, the release date was pushed to April 2002, before Arista record executives decided not to release it, doubting its commercial potential. Q-Tip explained his label situation during this period: During this period, between album releases, Q-Tip recorded about 500 songs, about 300 of which were

instrumentals A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live music ...

. His 2002 guest appearance on

Large Professor William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and record producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...

's song "In the Sun" earned him "Rhyme of the Month" in ''

''. In 2003, he co-produced '' Heartcore'', an album by jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. In 2005, he released the single "For the Nasty" on the Motown label, featuring Busta Rhymes, and was featured on

The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat gen ...

' hit single " Galvanize", from their album '' Push the Button''. The following year, "Galvanize" won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, earning Q-Tip his first Grammy Award. Jay Dee, who later went by the name J Dilla, died of the blood disease TTP in February 2006, with Q-Tip serving as a pallbearer at his funeral. The two had planned to work on a collaborative album, ''Buddy Lee'', before his death. That year, A Tribe Called Quest reunited for a tour across North America. In 2007, Q-Tip signed with Universal Motown Records and released the single "Work It Out".

2008–2009: ''The Renaissance'' and ''Kamaal the Abstract''

His second official album ''

'' was released in late 2008, through Universal Motown, and included reworked songs from his shelved ''Open'' album. It spawned the singles "

Gettin' Up 'Gettin' Up' is a song by American hip hop recording artist Q-Tip, released as the lead single from his album ''The Renaissance''. The music video was directed by Ben Dickinson, produced by Karen Lin and edited by D.J Sing. It was the free mus ...

" and " Move", which was produced by J Dilla. The album garnered widespread acclaim from critics, who praised it as a return to his A Tribe Called Quest roots. It became his highest-charting album on the ''Billboard'' 200, at number 11, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, presented at the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010. After being shelved for seven years, ''Kamaal the Abstract'' was finally released in September 2009, through Battery Records."Kamaal The Abstract"

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

. Accessed on October 20, 2018. The album received mostly positive reviews from critics, including reviews from its initial press run in 2002.

2010–2016: Production work and final group album

Q-Tip was among a group of producers who were brought to work on

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

's 2010 album, '' My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy''. In 2011, his production eventually appeared on West and

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...

's collaborative album ''

Watch the Throne ''Watch the Throne'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, collectively known as The Throne. It was released on August 8, 2011, through Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to t ...

'', contributing to the songs " Lift Off" and "That's My Bitch". The following year, Q-Tip signed to West's GOOD Music label, through Def Jam, and prepared the release of his new album, ''The Last Zulu''. In 2013, Q-Tip announced that A Tribe Called Quest would perform their last show, as an opening act for West's Yeezus Tour, and the following year, he produced the song "

Meteorite A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object ...

" for Mariah Carey and co-wrote "Ain't That Easy" and "Sugah Daddy" from

D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...

's '' Black Messiah'' album. However, in 2015, the group performed live on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...

'' to commemorate the 25th anniversary of ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm''. That year, Q-Tip began hosting the radio show ''Abstract Radio'' on Apple Music 1, explaining that his intent was "rather than just follow any sort of current, what's popular...to try nsteadto figure out how to bridge many gaps and bring it all into one singular voice of good music." In March 2016, Q-Tip was appointed as the Kennedy Center's first artistic director for hip-hop culture, curating a series of hip-hop programs for the performing arts center. Later that month, Phife Dawg died of complications relating to diabetes. That October, Q-Tip revealed that A Tribe Called Quest secretly began working on a new album shortly after their ''Tonight Show'' appearance, completing the album after Phife Dawg's death. The following month, the group released their final album, '' We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service'', which received widespread acclaim from critics.

2017–present: ''The Last Zulu'', ''AlGoRhythms'', and ''Riotdiaries''

In 2018, he recorded a cover version of

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

and Kiki Dee's song "

Don't Go Breaking My Heart "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a 1976 duet by English musician Elton John and English singer Kiki Dee. It was written by John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively, and intended as an affectiona ...

" with

Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series '' Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for p ...

. He also announced that his delayed album ''The Last Zulu'' would be released soon. Later that year, he joined the faculty of

, where he began teaching a course that explores the connection between jazz and hip hop. In an October 2018 interview, he claimed that he would never retire or cease production work, stating, "I will do this to my death." In 2019, Q-Tip revealed that he was working on three solo albums (''The Last Zulu'', ''AlGoRhythms'', and ''Riotdiaries''), as well as projects by Mary J. Blige and Danny Brown. He served as

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...

of Brown's album ''

U Know What I'm Sayin? ''U Know What I'm Sayin?'' (stylized as ''uknowhatimsayin¿'') is the fifth studio album by American rapper Danny Brown. It was released on October 4, 2019, by Warp Records. The album features guest appearances from Run the Jewels, Obongjayar, J ...

'', released in October 2019. Later that year, he also appeared on the song "Hit Man" from

Gang Starr Gang Starr was an American hip hop duo, consisting of Texas record producer DJ Premier and Massachusetts rapper Guru. For the entirety of their association, they were based out of Brooklyn, New York. Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2 ...

's album ''

One of the Best Yet ''One of the Best Yet'' is the seventh and final studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr, released on November 1, 2019. The album features previously unreleased and posthumous vocals from Guru, who died nine years prior to the album's rele ...

''. Q-Tip performed the chorus on the song "Yah Yah" from

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing Hip hop music, hip hop in Middle America (United Sta ...

's 2020 album, '' Music to Be Murdered By''. He also performed the chorus on the track "More Life", which he co-produced, from

Cordae Cordae Amari Dunston (born August 26, 1997) known mononymously as Cordae (formerly YBN Cordae and Entendre), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained popularity by releasing remixes of popular songs, such as "My Name Is" by Emine ...

's 2021 EP, '' Just Until...'' Q-Tip is the producer of

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

's upcoming solo album. Jack White's 2022 album '' Fear of the Dawn'' features Q-Tip on the single " Hi-De-Ho".

Musical style

Production

As a producer, Q-Tip is a self-proclaimed "perfectionist-at-work" and is known for his innovative and experimental production, which "led a jazz-based hip-hop revolution during the '90s". In particular, he is noted for his ability to layer programmed drums, giving the drums a grittier sound; his unconventional use of three-

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar ( ...

loops; and his frequent use of rests (or "space"), which was inspired by

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom h ...

has stated that Q-Tip "picks the best loops ... he'd pick like the illest chord,

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...

and all that." Williams asserted that "we're all -Tip'ssons", referring to himself, J Dilla and Kanye West, further stating that "we wouldn't be here man, if it wasn't for Tribe albums."

9th Wonder Patrick Denard Douthit (born January 15, 1975),
better known as 9th Wonder, is a Two decades after his house fire, he has since rebuilt his record collection; as of 2016, it consists of about 9,000 vinyl records.

Lyricism and rapping technique

As an MC, Q-Tip is noted for his philosophical, esoteric and introspective lyricism, often putting socially conscious messages in his lyrics. He writes his lyrics to the beat (music), beat, allowing the music to help serve as inspiration for his songwriting.Edwards (2009), p. 168. Q-Tip's

flow Flow may refer to: Science and technology * Fluid flow, the motion of a gas or liquid * Flow (geomorphology), a type of mass wasting or slope movement in geomorphology * Flow (mathematics), a group action of the real numbers on a set * Flow (psyc ...

is commonly described as "mellow" and "smooth". When rapping, he treats his voice "like an instrument" in the music and is noted for his "flexible" rhyme schemes.

Personal life

Q-Tip converted to

in the mid-1990s, changing his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed. He also follows a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

diet and practices

Transcendental Meditation Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes ...

. He has been romantically linked to

, Angie Martinez and Nicole Kidman. He is also a longtime friend of actor Leonardo DiCaprio and comedian

Dave Chappelle David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006), which he starred in until quitting in the middle of p ...

. According to a

DNA analysis Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

he took in 2012, Q-Tip is descended, mainly, from the

Jola people The Jola or Diola (endonym: Ajamat) are an ethnic group found in Senegal, the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. Most Jola live in small villages scattered throughout Senegal, especially in the Lower Casamance region. The main dialect of the Jola langu ...

Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...

. In recent years, he has lived in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and in nearby Edgewater.Briggs, Nicole
"Happy Birthday To Edgewater's Q-Tip"
Cliffside Park - Edgewater Daily Voice, April 10, 2016. Accessed September 17, 2017. "Happy birthday to Edgewater's Q-Tip! The rapper, record producer and DJ turns 46 today. He was born April 10, 1970."

Discography

;Studio albums * '' Amplified'' ( Arista, 1999) * ''

'' (

Universal Motown Universal Motown Records was an American record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company tha ...

, 2008) * '' Kamaal the Abstract'' (

Battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

, 2009) * ''The Last Zulu'' (TBA) * ''AlGoRhythms'' (TBA) * ''Riotdiaries'' (TBA) ;with A Tribe Called Quest * '' People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' ( Jive, 1990) * ''

'' (Jive, 1991) * ''

'' (Jive, 1993) * ''

'' (Jive, 1996) * '' The Love Movement'' (Jive, 1998) * '' We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service'' ( Epic, 2016)

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards and nominations

BET Hip Hop Awards

, - , rowspan="2",

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

, ''

'' ,

Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...

, , -

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s

, - , rowspan="2",

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, ''

'' (

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

) , Best Rap Album , , - , " 1nce Again" (A Tribe Called Quest) , Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group , , - , 1998 , "

" (as songwriter) , Best R&B Song , , - ,

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

, '' The Love Movement'' (A Tribe Called Quest) , Best Rap Album , , - , 2000 , " Vivrant Thing" , Best Rap Solo Performance , , - ,

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...

, " Galvanize" (with

) , Best Dance Recording , , - ,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, ''

'' , Best Rap Album , , - ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, '' Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest'' (A Tribe Called Quest) ,

Best Long Form Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Film is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality videos or musical programs. ...

, , - ,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

, "Nakamarra" (with Hiatus Kaiyote) , Best R&B Performance , , - , 2016 , " Go" (with The Chemical Brothers) , Best Dance Recording ,

MTV Video Music Awards

, - , rowspan="2", 2000 , "Vivrant Thing" ,

Best Hip-Hop Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip Hop Video was first given out at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. The award, according to MTV, was originally intended for hip hop-''inspired'' songs, not necessarily actual hip hop music videos (which were ...

, , -

Soul Train Music Awards

, - , rowspan="2", 2000 , "Vivrant Thing" , rowspan="2", Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video , , - , " Hot Boyz" (with

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

Lil' Mo Cynthia Karen Loving (born November 19, 1978), known professionally as Lil' Mo, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, television and radio personality. She is best known for her 2001 single " Superwoman Pt. II", featuring then-unknown rapper ...

and Eve) ,

References

External links

* *
Official A Tribe Called Quest Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Q-Tip 1970 births Living people 21st-century American rappers A Tribe Called Quest members African-American DJs African-American male rappers African-American Muslims African-American record producers African-American songwriters American hip hop DJs American hip hop record producers American people of Bissau-Guinean descent American people of Montserratian descent Arista Records artists Converts to Islam Def Jam Recordings artists East Coast hip hop musicians GOOD Music artists Grammy Award winners for dance and electronic music Motown artists Murry Bergtraum High School alumni People from Edgewater, New Jersey People from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey People from St. Albans, Queens Rappers from New York City Record producers from New York (state) Songwriters from New York (state) Universal Motown Records artists Soulquarians members Musicians from New York City African-American film score composers

Early life

Career

1988–1993: Early success with A Tribe Called Quest

1994–1995: Production work and formation of the Ummah

1996–1998: Declining group chemistry to breakup

1999–2000: ''Amplified'' and solo success

2001–2007: Label issues and collaborations

2008–2009: ''The Renaissance'' and ''Kamaal the Abstract''

2010–2016: Production work and final group album

2017–present: ''The Last Zulu'', ''AlGoRhythms'', and ''Riotdiaries''

Musical style

Production

Lyricism and rapping technique

Personal life

Discography

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards and nominations

BET Hip Hop Awards

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...s

MTV Video Music Awards

Soul Train Music Awards

References

Further reading

External links

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s