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 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 group A Tribe Called Quest. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded the production team The Ummah, followed by the release of his gold-certified solo debut Amplified in 1999. In the following decade, he released the Grammy Award-nominated album The Renaissance (2008) and the experimental album Kamaal the Abstract (2009).
Q-Tip is one of the most acclaimed figures in hip hop.[4]AllMusic states that he "led a jazz-based hip-hop revolution during the '90s", calling him "the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history".[4][5] Several publications have ranked him as one the greatest rappers and hip hop producers of all time, with The Source ranking him the 20th greatest rap lyricist, and Billboard ranking him the sixth greatest hip hop producer.[6][7][8][9][10]
Early life
Q-Tip was born Jonathan William Davis on April 10, 1970, in Harlem, New York City.[11] His father, Jonathan Davis II, emigrated from the Caribbean island of Montserrat and was raised in Cleveland.[12] His mother is an African American from Alabama.[13] When he was a child, his family settled in St. Albans, Queens, New York City.[1] He first met his friend Phife Dawg at church when they were both two years old.[14] At age nine, he began rapping after being encouraged by Phife Dawg; shortly before that, they both heard "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang for the first time.[15] 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.[1]
Q-Tip attended Murry Bergtraum High School in Manhattan, where he first befriended Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Afrika Baby Bam and Mike Gee, with the latter two forming the hip-hop group Jungle Brothers.[14] In high school, he participated in rap battles and went by the stage names J Nice and MC Love Child.[1][16] In 1985, he and Muhammad formed an MC and DJ duo, and using recording equipment provided by Muhammad's uncle, they began making demos.[1] They were later joined by Phife Dawg, who also rapped, and neighborhood friend Jarobi White; collectively, they were known as Quest.[14]
When Q-Tip was 16 years old, his father died of emphysema.[12]
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.[16] In 1988, Q-Tip was featured on Jungle Brothers' songs "The Promo", which he helped produce,[1] and "Black Is Black", in which he renamed his group A Tribe Called Quest, a name that was given by Afrika Baby Bam.[14] 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, with the three groups forming the core of the Native Tongues collective, known for their Afrocentrism, positivity and eclectic sampling.[17]
In 1989, A Tribe Called Quest signed with Jive Records after being rejected by several labels, due to their unconventional image and sound.[18] After recording several demos, they began working on their debut album, with Q-Tip serving as the group's main producer.[19] During this period, Q-Tip began using the E-mu SP-1200 and Akai S950 samplers.[16][20] 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.[21] Later that year, he made a guest appearance on the house single "Groove Is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite, which became a worldwide hit.[4]
In 1991, A Tribe Called Quest released their second album, The Low End Theory. Wanting the group to "step it up in general", Q-Tip encouraged Phife Dawg, who had recently become diabetic, to stay with the group and increase his participation.[22] The result was the "smoothest" rapping "of any rap record ever heard", due to the duo's strong chemistry.[23] The group also garnered acclaim for Q-Tip's jazzy minimalist production.[21][23]
The following year, Q-Tip was involved in a fight with new jack swing group Wreckx-n-Effect, over Phife Dawg's lyrics on the single "Jazz (We've Got)".[22] 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.[22]
By 1993, Q-Tip became known for his outside production work, producing the hit single "Gangsta Bitch" by Apache, among other songs.[24] The song's chorus was performed by Tupac Shakur in the film Poetic Justice, in which Q-Tip made his acting debut as Janet Jackson's love interest.[25] Later that year, A Tribe Called Quest released their third album, Midnight Marauders, which was hailed as the group's most complete work.[26] Along with his "practically telepathic" lyrical interplay with Phife Dawg, the album introduced Q-Tip's gritty style of production.[1][27]
1994–1995: Production work and formation of the Ummah
After two critically acclaimed platinum-selling albums with his group,[17] Q-Tip began focusing on outside production. In 1994, he produced the single "One Love" from Nas's debut album Illmatic and performed the song's chorus.[22] 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, from their album Ill Communication.[4]
During that year's Lollapalooza, keyboardist Amp Fiddler introduced Q-Tip to young Detroit producer Jay Dee, who gave Q-Tip a demo tape of his group Slum Village.[29] After being impressed by Jay Dee's beats, Q-Tip suggested that the two work together.[1] 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.[16][2] He and Muhammad also created a label, Museum Music, with Vinia Mojica becoming their first artist.[22]
Queens duo Mobb Deep, whom Q-Tip discovered in the early 1990s,[30] enlisted him as a mixing engineer and producer for their 1995 album The Infamous.[31][32] He also contributed a verse to the song "Drink Away the Pain (Situations)".[33]
1996–1998: Declining group chemistry to breakup
In 1996, The Ummah's production first appeared on Busta Rhymes'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.[34] That summer, A Tribe Called Quest released their fourth album, Beats, Rhymes and Life, 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,[35] 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.[2] Much of the album's lyrical themes were inspired by Q-Tip's recent conversion to Islam; however, his relationship with Phife Dawg became strained, negatively affecting their lyrical chemistry.[2] Q-Tip also became an A&R for Motown Records and signed Consequence to Museum Music.[22]
The following year, he made a guest appearance on Janet Jackson's single "Got 'til It's Gone" and co-produced Mariah Carey's single "Honey", both of which became worldwide hits.[4][22] In early 1998, a fire completely destroyed Q-Tip's home recording studio; 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.[1][36][37] 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.[36] 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.[38][39]
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.[16] In late 1999, he began seeking musicians for a live band, taking drum lessons from Omar Hakim, studying bel canto, and taking piano lessons from Weldon Irvine, whom he sampled for A Tribe Called Quest's "Award Tour" single.[16][22] He also became a member of the Soulquarians collective during this period.[43]
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.[44] He also contributed to the film score, producing four songs.[44] 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.[45] 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.[46][47] Q-Tip explained his label situation during this period:
Well, after I put out Amplified, I was talking to Clive Davis [at Arista] about doing this album with the band. I started recording an album, which went on to become Kamaal the Abstract. And Clive's regime was up [in 2000], and [Def Jam heads] Lyor Cohen and Russell [Simmons] told me I should stay at Arista. So I did that, and I gave [the album] to L.A. Reid, who wound up taking over. And he heard the album, really liked it, whatever. We started servicing it to press — and then he just got cold feet about it. He was saying it was really left for him or something. So I then got a release from Arista, and I went over to DreamWorks and recorded an album called Open. And then DreamWorks got bought out [in 2003], so the whole label fell apart. Then I wound up on Interscope for like a month or two. I had like one conversation with Jimmy Iovine. It was a good conversation. And then I wound up at Geffen for like a year and a half.[42]
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.[22] The two had planned to work on a collaborative album, Buddy Lee, before his death.[1] That year, A Tribe Called Quest reunited for a tour across North America.[39] In 2007, Q-Tip signed with Universal Motown Records and released the single "Work It Out".[16][42]
2008–2009: The Renaissance and Kamaal the Abstract
Q-Tip and Amanda Diva at the "Manwomanboogie" video shoot in 2008
His second official album, The Renaissance, was released in late 2008, through Universal Motown, and included reworked songs from his shelved Open album.[42] It spawned the singles "Gettin' Up" 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.[5][49] It became his highest-charting album on the Billboard 200, at number 11,[50] and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, presented at the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010.[51]
After being shelved for seven years, Kamaal the Abstract was finally released in September 2009, through Battery Records.[52] The album received mostly positive reviews from critics, including reviews from its initial press run in 2002.[52]
2010–2016: Production work and final group album
Q-Tip was among a group of producers who were brought to work on Kanye West's 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.[53] In 2011, his production eventually appeared on West and Jay-Z's collaborative album Watch the Throne,[54] 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.[55]
In 2013, Q-Tip announced that A Tribe Called Quest would perform their last show, as an opening act for West's Yeezus Tour,[56] and the following year, he produced the song "Meteorite" for Mariah Carey and co-wrote "Ain't That Easy" and "Sugah Daddy" from D'Angelo's Black Messiah album. However, in 2015, the group performed live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to commemorate the 25th anniversary of People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.[17] 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 [instead] to figure out how to bridge many gaps and bring it all into one singular voice of good music."[57]
In March 2016, Q-Tip was appointed as the Kennedy Center's first artistic director for hip-hop culture,[58] curating a series of hip-hop programs for the performing arts center.[59] Later that month, Phife Dawg died of complications relating to diabetes.[17] 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.[17] 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.[4]
2017–present: The Last Zulu, AlGoRhythms, and Riotdiaries
In 2018, he recorded a cover version of Elton John and Kiki Dee's song "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Demi Lovato.[4] He also announced that his delayed album The Last Zulu would be released soon.[60] Later that year, he joined the faculty of New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, where he began teaching a course that explores the connection between jazz and hip hop.[60] In an October 2018 interview, he claimed that he would never retire or cease production work, stating, "I will do this to my death."[61]
Q-Tip performed the chorus on the song "Yah Yah" from Eminem's 2020 album, Music to Be Murdered By.[65] He also performed the chorus on the track "More Life", which he co-produced, from Cordae's 2021 EP, Just Until...[66] Q-Tip is the producer of LL Cool J's upcoming solo album.[67]
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".[4][69][70] In particular, he is noted for his ability to layer programmed drums, giving the drums a grittier sound; his unconventional use of three-barloops; and his frequent use of rests (or "space"), which was inspired by Miles Davis.[1][31]
Pharrell Williams has stated that Q-Tip "picks the best loops ... he'd pick like the illest chord, bassline and all that."[14] Williams asserted that "we're all [Q-Tip's] sons", referring to himself, J Dilla and Kanye West, further stating that "we wouldn't be here man, if it wasn't for Tribe albums."[14]9th Wonder credits him for starting the trend of jazz sampling in hip hop:
Q-Tip started the whole idea of "Okay, we beat up every James Brown record that we could. We exasperated every P-Funk record that we could." So Q-Tip took the idea of "some of this Cal Tjader record" or "what's up with Lou Donaldson?" or "What's up with Cannonball [Adderley]?" or "What's up with Grant Green?" or "What's up with Grover Washington? Why are we not using those?"[71]
Q-Tip's recent production is a mix of live instrumentation and sampled music.[5][70] Two decades after his house fire, he has since rebuilt his record collection; as of 2016, it consists of about 9,000 vinyl records.[72]
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.[17][73] He writes his lyrics to the beat, allowing the music to help serve as inspiration for his songwriting.[74] Q-Tip's flow is commonly described as "mellow" and "smooth".[75][76] When rapping, he treats his voice "like an instrument" in the music and is noted for his "flexible" rhyme schemes.[74][76]
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985, originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip, rapper Phife Dawg, DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White. The group is regarded as a pioneer of alternative hip hop and merging jazz with hip hop, influencing numerous hip hop and R&B musicians.
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 1991. The album was primarily produced by group member Q-Tip, with a minimalist sound that combines bass, drum breaks, and jazz samples, in a departure from the group's debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990). Lyrically, the album features social commentary, word play, humor, and interplay between Q-Tip and fellow member Phife Dawg.
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 members were the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love, and Queen Latifah. The collective was also closely tied to the Universal Zulu Nation. Rolling Stone cites the track "Doin' Our Own Dang" as "the definitive Native Tongues posse cut".
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 Sound in New York City. Its production was mainly handled by Q-Tip, with contributions from Skeff Anselm, Large Professor and the group's DJ, Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A culmination of the group's two previous albums, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and The Low End Theory, it features an eclectic, gritty sound based on jazz, funk, soul and R&B samples, in addition to socially conscious, positively-minded, and humorous lyrics.
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 The Ummah, the album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the group's earlier albums and is regarded as their darkest album in content. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 27, 1998.
Malik Izaak Taylor, known professionally as Phife Dawg, was an American rapper and a member of the group A Tribe Called Quest with Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. He was also known as the "Five-Foot Assassin" and the "Five-Footer," because he stood at 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m).
The Love Movement is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and their last album released during group member Phife Dawg's lifetime. Released on September 29, 1998, by Jive Records, it is a concept album, exploring the lyrical theme of love. Musically, it is a continuation of the group's previous album, Beats, Rhymes and Life, featuring minimalist R&B and jazz-oriented production by The Ummah. The lead single, "Find a Way", charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and was followed by a second single, "Like It Like That". The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 1, 1998. The group announced its disbandment a month before the album's release.
Amplified is the debut studio album of American rapper Q-Tip, released November 30, 1999, on Arista Records. It became his first solo release after the disbandment of his former group A Tribe Called Quest in 1998. The production was primarily handled by Q-Tip and Jay Dee of the Ummah. The album spawned the Billboard Hot 100 hits "Vivrant Thing" and "Breathe and Stop".
"One Love" is a song by American rapper Nas, released October 25, 1994 on Columbia Records. It was issued as the fifth and final radio single in promotion of his debut studio album Illmatic (1994). The song was produced by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, who also contributed vocals for the chorus line. According to Nas, the title of the song originates from Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician Bob Marley's song of the same name.
"Jazz (We've Got)" is the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. The original material sampled in the song was provided by Pete Rock, and was then recreated in a similar way by Q-Tip. Although Pete Rock is not officially credited, Q-Tip credits him in the outro of the track, rapping "Pete Rock for the beat, ya don't stop."
Jarobi White is an American hip hop artist, chef, and a founding member of alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, alongside members Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. He left the group after the release of their debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm in order to pursue culinary arts, before returning for their last album, 2016's We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service. In the early 2010s, Jarobi formed evitaN with Dres, formerly of Black Sheep. Their first album, Speed of Life, was released in October 2012.
"Find a Way" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest, the first single from their fifth album The Love Movement. The New York Times' Ben Ratliff wrote that "Find a Way" "innocently wonders about the point at which friendship spills over into sex."
"Scenario" is the third single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. The song features the rap group Leaders of the New School. Matt Cibula of PopMatters called the track hip-hop's greatest posse cut. The song is commonly considered a breakout moment for Leaders of the New School member Busta Rhymes, who was 19 when this song was released. Time included the song on its list of its All-TIME 100 Songs in 2017.
"Oh My God" is the third single from A Tribe Called Quest's third album Midnight Marauders. The song contains a sample of "Who's Gonna Take the Weight" by Kool & the Gang. It also features Busta Rhymes on the chorus. Rolling Stone magazine included "Oh My God" on their list of 20 essential A Tribe Called Quest songs, noting "It's not easy to listen to Phife boast 'When's the last time you heard a funky diabetic?' now that the disease has taken his life. But that line also sounds fiercer and more defiant than ever."
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group, formed in 1985. They released six studio albums, five compilations, sixteen singles and two extended plays. The group was made up of rapper/main producer Q-Tip, the late rapper Phife Dawg and DJ/co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Phife Dawg was only persuaded to join when a fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, joined the group. In 1989 they signed a demo deal with Geffen Records, but not given a full-fledged recording contract. After receiving many offers, they opted for the Jive Records label, an independent rap label. In under a year, they managed to produce People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm to critical acclaim, but lukewarm sales, reaching #91 on the Billboard 200, though it did eventually achieve gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service is the sixth and final studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. It was released on November 11, 2016, by Epic Records.
"We the People...." is a song by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and the first single from their sixth and final album, We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service. Produced by Q-Tip and co-produced by Blair Wells, the song contains a sample of the drum break of "Behind the Wall of Sleep" by Black Sabbath. The name of the track refers to the first three words of the Preamble to the United States Constitution. The chorus of the politically-charged song parodies Donald Trump's presidential campaign. "We the People...." was critically acclaimed and included on several year-end lists by publications.
A number of hip hop artists in the United States are followers of Islam. Although some Muslims believe some or most forms of music are haram, these artists do not necessarily consider themselves as practicing orthodox Muslims.
"The Space Program" is a song by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, from their sixth and final album, We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service. Produced by Q-Tip and co-produced by Blair Wells, it is the opening track on the album, and includes posthumous vocals by group member Phife Dawg, who recorded the song with the group before his death in March 2016. Praised as the "triumphant return of the Tribe", it is a political hip hop song that addresses gentrification and racism in the United States.
Forever is the posthumous second and final studio album by American rapper Phife Dawg. It was released on March 22, 2022, the sixth anniversary of his death, by Smokin' Needles Records and AWAL. It features guest appearances by his bandmate Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Maseo and Posdnuos of De La Soul, Dwele, Angela Winbush, Redman, Illa J, and Little Brother, among others. The album was mostly complete at the time of Phife Dawg's death, and was later completed by his business partner and collaborator, DJ Rasta Root.
↑ Colman, David. "Flat-Panel TVs Sure Look Cool, But They Pose Design Dilemmas", The Wall Street Journal, August 27, 1999. Accessed December 27, 2007. "The rapper Q-Tip has been at the cutting edge of the music world for the past decade. So it was only natural that he'd want the latest for his Englewood Cliffs, N.J., living room: a sleek, flat-panel TV set."
↑ 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."
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