Q-Tip (musician)
Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born Jonathan William Davis; April 10, 1970), better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American rapper and record producer. 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).
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's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.
Q-Tip is one of the most acclaimed figures in hip hop.<ref name=qtipbio/> AllMusic states that he "led a jazz-based hip-hop revolution during the '90s", calling him "the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history".<ref name=qtipbio/><ref name="renaissance">Bush, John. (November 4, 2008) The Renaissance – Q-Tip Template:Webarchive. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2011-12-18.</ref> Several publications have ranked him as one of 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.<ref>Top 25 Hip-Hop Producers Template:Webarchive. Rap.about.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2011.</ref><ref>50 Greatest Rappers of All Time Template:Webarchive. Rap.about.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2011.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="top25">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2024, Q-Tip was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of A Tribe Called Quest.<ref name="rrhof24">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Early life
Q-Tip was born Jonathan William Davis on April 10, 1970, in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His father, Jonathan Davis II, emigrated from the Caribbean island of Montserrat and was raised in Cleveland.<ref name="thesource">Template:Cite journal</ref> His mother is an African American from Alabama.<ref name="roots">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> When he was a child, his family settled in St. Albans, Queens, New York City.<ref name= "redbull"/> He first met his friend Phife Dawg at church when they were both two years old.<ref name="beats"/> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name= "redbull"/>
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.<ref name= "beats"/> In high school, he participated in rap battles and went by the stage names J Nice and MC Love Child.<ref name="redbull"/><ref name="moovmnt1"/> In 1985, he and Muhammad formed an MC and DJ duo, and using recording equipment provided by Muhammad's uncle, they began making demos.<ref name="redbull"/> They were later joined by Phife Dawg, who also rapped, and neighborhood friend Jarobi White; collectively, they were known as Quest.<ref name="beats"/>
When Q-Tip was 16 years old, his father died of emphysema.<ref name="thesource"/>
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.<ref name="moovmnt1">Exclusive: Q-Tip Interview Template:Webarchive. MOOVMNT.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2011.</ref> In 1988, Q-Tip was featured on Jungle Brothers' songs "The Promo", which he helped produce,<ref name="redbull"/> and "Black Is Black", in which he renamed his group A Tribe Called Quest, a name that was given by Afrika Baby Bam.<ref name="beats"/> 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.<ref name="toure">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 1989, A Tribe Called Quest signed with Jive Records after being rejected by several labels, due to their unconventional image and sound.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> After recording several demos, they began working on their debut album, with Q-Tip serving as the group's main producer.<ref>People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm--A Tribe Called Quest (1990) Vibe. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> During this period, Q-Tip began using the E-mu SP-1200 and Akai S950 samplers.<ref name="moovmnt1"/><ref>Coleman (2007), p. 439.</ref> 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.<ref name="source">Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref name=qtipbio/>
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.<ref name="verses">Del F. Cowie {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} . exclaim.ca. February 2008</ref> The result was the "smoothest rapping of any rap record ever heard", due to the duo's strong chemistry.<ref name="allmusic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The group also garnered acclaim for Q-Tip's jazzy minimalist production.<ref name="source"/><ref name="allmusic"/>
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)".<ref name="verses"/> 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.<ref name="verses"/>
By 1993, Q-Tip became known for his outside production work, producing the hit single "Gangsta Bitch" by Apache, among other songs.<ref>"Gangsta Bitch"--Apache (1992) Template:Webarchive Vibe. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Later that year, A Tribe Called Quest released their third album, Midnight Marauders, which was hailed as the group's most complete work.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Along with his "practically telepathic" lyrical interplay with Phife Dawg, the album introduced Q-Tip's gritty style of production.<ref name="redbull"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1994–1995: Production work and formation of the Ummah
After two critically acclaimed platinum-selling albums with his group,<ref name="toure"/> 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.<ref name="verses"/> 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.<ref name=qtipbio/>
Film director Spike Lee asked Q-Tip to produce the single "Crooklyn" for the soundtrack to his 1994 film of the same name.<ref name="redbull2">The Crooklyn Dodgers: An Oral History Red Bull Music Academy. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> Q-Tip helped Lee recruit three Brooklyn MCs for the song: Special Ed, Masta Ace and Buckshot, who formed the group Crooklyn Dodgers.<ref name="redbull2"/>
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.<ref name="dilla">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After being impressed by Jay Dee's beats, Q-Tip suggested that the two work together.<ref name="redbull"/> 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.<ref name="moovmnt1"/><ref name="avclub">Beats, Rhymes And Life was A Tribe Called Quest's commercial peak—and first misstep Template:Webarchive . The A.V. Club. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> He and Muhammad also created a label, Museum Music, with Vinia Mojica becoming their first artist.<ref name="verses"/>
Queens duo Mobb Deep, whom Q-Tip discovered in the early 1990s,<ref name="djbooth">James, Andy. The Story of How Mobb Deep Met Q-Tip Is Amazing Template:Webarchive. DJBooth.net. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> enlisted him as a mixing engineer and producer for their 1995 album The Infamous.<ref name="complex">The Making of Mobb Deep's 'The Infamous' Template:Webarchive Complex. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref><ref>Coleman (2007), p. 269.</ref> He also contributed a verse to the song "Drink Away the Pain (Situations)".<ref>Coleman (2007), p. 272.</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> 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,<ref>Beats, Rhymes and Life--A Tribe Called Quest (1996) Template:Webarchive. Vibe. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> 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.<ref name="avclub"/> 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.<ref name="avclub"/> Q-Tip also became an A&R for Motown Records and signed Consequence to Museum Music.<ref name="verses"/>
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.<ref name=qtipbio/><ref name="verses"/> 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.<ref name="redbull">Q-Tip Template:Webarchive Red Bull Music Academy. Accessed on December 24, 2016.</ref><ref name="mtv">News Flash: Tribe's Q-Tip Loses LPs, Studio In Fire MTV. Accessed on December 20, 2016.</ref><ref>Tribe's Q-Tip Loses Unreleased Songs In Fire MTV. Accessed on December 20, 2016.</ref> 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.<ref name="mtv"/> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="tribebio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1999–2000: Amplified and solo success
After the breakup of his group, Q-Tip began pursuing a solo career in 1999.<ref name=qtipbio/> He collaborated with R&B singer Raphael Saadiq and released the hit single "Get Involved". Later that year, he signed with Arista Records and released his solo debut, Amplified, which he produced with Jay Dee.<ref name="dilla"/> 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.<ref name=qtipbio/><ref name="spin">Template:Cite journalTemplate:Dead link</ref> However, other songs on the album maintained the ethos of the group and it received mostly positive reviews from critics.<ref name="spin"/><ref>Amplified Template:Webarchive NME. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> In January 2000, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and "Vivrant Thing" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, presented a month later at the 42nd Grammy Awards.<ref name="weekly">Q-Tip on finally getting his second album out Template:Webarchive Entertainment Weekly. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref>
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.<ref name="moovmnt1"/> 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.<ref name="moovmnt1"/><ref name="verses"/> He also became a member of the Soulquarians collective during this period.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
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.<ref name="mtv2">Q-TIP SET TO STAR IN "PRISON SONG" WITH MARY J. BLIGE, FAT JOE, ELVIS COSTELLO MTV. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> He also contributed to the film score, producing four songs.<ref name="mtv2"/> 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.<ref>A TRIBE CALLED QUEST ARE BACK, BUT Q-TIP KEEPS DOING HIS OWN THING MTV. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> 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.<ref>Saraceno, Christina (August 29, 2001). Template:Cite magazine. Rolling Stone. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref><ref>Staff (January 29, 2007). "Inventory: 11 Intriguing Lost Albums". The A.V. Club. Accessed on October 18, 2018.</ref> Q-Tip explained his label situation during this period:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />
|}}{{#if:|
— {{#if:|, in }}Template:Comma separated entries
}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Blockquote with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | author | by | char | character | cite | class | content | multiline | personquoted | publication | quote | quotesource | quotetext | sign | source | style | text | title | ts }}
During this period, between album releases, Q-Tip recorded about 500 songs, about 300 of which were instrumentals.<ref name="spin"/> His 2002 guest appearance on Large Professor's song "In the Sun" earned him "Rhyme of the Month" in The Source.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2003, he co-produced Heartcore, an album by jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.<ref name="verses"/> In 2005, he released the single "For the Nasty" on the Motown label, featuring Busta Rhymes, and was featured on The Chemical Brothers' hit single "Galvanize", from their album Push the Button.<ref name=qtipbio/> The following year, "Galvanize" won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, earning Q-Tip his first Grammy Award.<ref name=qtipbio/>
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.<ref name="verses"/> The two had planned to work on a collaborative album, Buddy Lee, before his death.<ref name="redbull"/> That year, A Tribe Called Quest reunited for a tour across North America.<ref name="tribebio"/> In 2007, Q-Tip signed with Universal Motown Records and released the single "Work It Out".<ref name="moovmnt1"/><ref name="weekly"/>
2008–2009: The Renaissance and Kamaal the Abstract
.jpg)
His second official album, The Renaissance, was released in late 2008, through Universal Motown, and included reworked songs from his shelved Open album.<ref name="weekly"/> 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.<ref name="renaissance"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It became his highest-charting album on the Billboard 200, at number 11,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, presented at the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010.<ref>Nominees And Winners Template:Webarchive. GRAMMY.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2011.</ref>
After being shelved for seven years, Kamaal the Abstract was finally released in September 2009, through Battery Records.<ref name="meta">"Kamaal The Abstract" Template:Webarchive. Metacritic. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref> The album received mostly positive reviews from critics, including reviews from its initial press run in 2002.<ref name="meta"/>
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.<ref>'Good Ass Job' Marks Kanye West's Return to 'Real' Hip-Hop | Prefix Template:Webarchive. Prefixmag.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2011.</ref> In 2011, his production eventually appeared on West and Jay-Z's collaborative album Watch the Throne,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2013, Q-Tip announced that A Tribe Called Quest would perform their last show, as an opening act for West's Yeezus Tour,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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.<ref name="toure"/> 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."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In March 2016, Q-Tip was appointed as the Kennedy Center's first artistic director for hip-hop culture,<ref name="wjla.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> curating a series of hip-hop programs for the performing arts center.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Later that month, Phife Dawg died of complications relating to diabetes.<ref name="toure"/> 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.<ref name="toure"/> 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.<ref name=qtipbio/>
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.<ref name=qtipbio/> He also announced that his delayed album The Last Zulu would be released soon.<ref name="source2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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.<ref name="source2"/> In an October 2018 interview, he claimed that he would never retire or cease production work, stating, "I will do this to my death."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2019, Q-Tip revealed that he was working on three solo albums (The Last Zulu, AlGoRhythms, and Riotdiaries),<ref name="3albums">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as well as projects by Mary J. Blige and Danny Brown.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He served as executive producer of Brown's album U Know What I'm Sayin?, released in October 2019.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Later that year, he also appeared on the song "Hit Man" from Gang Starr's album One of the Best Yet.
Q-Tip performed the chorus on the song "Yah Yah" from Eminem's 2020 album, Music to Be Murdered By.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also performed the chorus on the track "More Life", which he co-produced, from Cordae's 2021 EP, Just Until...<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jack White's 2022 album Fear of the Dawn features Q-Tip on the single "Hi-De-Ho".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Q-Tip is the producer of LL Cool J's 2024 album, The FORCE.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
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".<ref name=qtipbio>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=lowendtheory>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=wegotit>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In particular, he is noted for his ability to layer programmed drums, giving the drums a grittier sound; his unconventional use of three-bar loops; and his frequent use of rests (or "space"), which was inspired by Miles Davis.<ref name="redbull"/><ref name="complex"/>
Pharrell Williams has stated that Q-Tip "picks the best loops ... he'd pick like the illest chord, bassline and all that."<ref name="beats">Template:Cite journal</ref> 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."<ref name="beats"/> 9th Wonder credits him for starting the trend of jazz sampling in hip hop:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />
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?"<ref>9th Wonder Explains How J Dilla Changed The Sound of Hip-Hop and Fathered "Neo Soul" In The Process (Interview) Template:Webarchive Ambrosia for Heads. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref>{{#if:|
|}}{{#if:|
— {{#if:|, in }}Template:Comma separated entries
}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Blockquote with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | author | by | char | character | cite | class | content | multiline | personquoted | publication | quote | quotesource | quotetext | sign | source | style | text | title | ts }}
Q-Tip's recent production is a mix of live instrumentation and sampled music.<ref name="renaissance"/><ref name=wegotit/> Two decades after his house fire, he has since rebuilt his record collection; as of 2016, it consists of about 9,000 vinyl records.<ref>Q-Tip Gives a Tour of His Home Studio and Record Collection Template:Webarchive XXL. Accessed on December 20, 2016.</ref>
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.<ref name="toure"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He writes his lyrics to the beat, allowing the music to help serve as inspiration for his songwriting.<ref name="howtorap">Edwards (2009), p. 168.</ref> Q-Tip's flow is commonly described as "mellow" and "smooth".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="tribune">Template:Cite news</ref> When rapping, he treats his voice "like an instrument" in the music and is noted for his "flexible" rhyme schemes.<ref name="howtorap"/><ref name="tribune"/>
Personal life
Q-Tip converted to Islam in the mid-1990s, changing his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He also follows a vegetarian diet and practices transcendental meditation.<ref name="redbull"/><ref>19 Black Celebrity Vegetarians Template:Webarchive BlackDoctor. Accessed on October 20, 2018.</ref>
He has been romantically linked to Janet Jackson, Angie Martinez and Nicole Kidman.<ref name="verses"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He is also a long-time friend of actor Leonardo DiCaprio and comedian Dave Chappelle.<ref name="verses"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
According to a DNA analysis he took in 2012, Q-Tip is descended mainly from the Jola people of Guinea-Bissau.<ref name="roots"/>
As of 2016, he has lived in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and in nearby Edgewater.<ref>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."</ref><ref>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."</ref>
Discography
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also
Studio albums
- Amplified (Arista, 1999)
- The Renaissance (Universal Motown, 2008)
- Kamaal the Abstract (Battery, 2009)
With A Tribe Called Quest
- People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Jive, 1990)
- The Low End Theory (Jive, 1991)
- Midnight Marauders (Jive, 1993)
- Beats, Rhymes and Life (Jive, 1996)
- The Love Movement (Jive, 1998)
- We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service (Epic, 2016)
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Who's the Man? | Malik Fair | |
| 1993 | Poetic Justice | Markell | |
| 1999 | Love Goggles | Complex / Narrator | |
| 2001 | Prison Song | Elijah Dixon | Lead actor, co-writer and executive producer |
| 2004 | She Hate Me | Vada Huff | |
| 2008 | Cadillac Records | Hip Hop Artist | |
| 2010 | Holy Rollers | Ephraim | |
| 2011 | Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest | Himself | Documentary; also producer (with A Tribe Called Quest) |
| 2014 | Nas: Time Is Illmatic | Documentary film |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Teddy Bear / Roach (voice) | Episode: "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" |
| 2000 | Disappearing Acts | Reggie Baptiste | Television movie |
| 2004 | Chappelle's Show | Himself | Episode #2.10 |
| 2022 | WeCrashed | Himself | Episode 5 |
Awards and nominations
Template:Awards table |- | rowspan="1"|2009 | The Renaissance | Album of the Year | Template:Nom |-
{{safesubst:#if:|||} }}{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:End with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| html | 1 }}
Template:Awards table |- | rowspan="2"|1997 | Beats, Rhymes and Life (A Tribe Called Quest) | Best Rap Album | Template:Nom |- | "1nce Again" (A Tribe Called Quest) | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Template:Nom |- | 1998 | "Honey" (as songwriter) | Best R&B Song | Template:Nom |- | 1999 | The Love Movement (A Tribe Called Quest) | Best Rap Album | Template:Nom |- | 2000 | "Vivrant Thing" | Best Rap Solo Performance | Template:Nom |- | 2006 | "Galvanize" (with The Chemical Brothers) | Best Dance Recording | Template:Won |- | 2010 | The Renaissance | Best Rap Album | Template:Nom |- | 2012 | Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (A Tribe Called Quest) | Best Long Form Music Video | Template:Nom |- | 2014 | "Nakamarra" (with Hiatus Kaiyote) | Best R&B Performance | Template:Nom |- | 2016 | "Go" (with The Chemical Brothers) | Best Dance Recording | Template:Nom
{{safesubst:#if:|||} }}{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:End with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| html | 1 }}
Template:Awards table |- | rowspan="1"|2000 | "Vivrant Thing" | Best Hip-Hop Video | Template:Nom |-
{{safesubst:#if:|||} }}{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:End with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| html | 1 }}
Template:Awards table |- | rowspan="2"|2000 | "Vivrant Thing" | rowspan="2"|Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video | Template:Nom |- | "Hot Boyz" (with Missy Elliott, Lil' Mo, Nas and Eve) | Template:Nom
{{safesubst:#if:|||} }}{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:End with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| html | 1 }}
References
Further reading
External links
- {{#if:Q-Tip|Q-Tip discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Q-Tip discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Q-Tip discography at Discogs}}}}
- [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0702580
| name/{{#if:{{#invoke:ustring|match|1=0702580|2=^nm}}
| Template:Trim/
| nm0702580/
}}
| {{#if: {{#property:P345}}
| name/Template:First word/
| find?q=%7B%7B%23if%3A+Q-Tip%0A++++++%7C+Q-Tip%0A++++++%7C+%5B%5B%3ATemplate%3APAGENAMEBASE%5D%5D%0A++++++%7D%7D&s=nm
}}
}}{{#if: 0702580 {{#property:P345}} | {{#switch:
| award | awards = awards Awards for | biography | bio = bio Biography for
}}}} {{#if: Q-Tip
| Q-Tip
| Template:PAGENAMEBASE
}}] at IMDb{{#if: 0702580{{#property:P345}}
| Template:EditAtWikidata
| Template:Main other
}}{{#switch:{{#invoke:string2|matchAny|^nm.........|^nm.......|nm|.........|source=0702580|plain=false}}
| 1 | 3 = Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning | 4 = Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning
}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:IMDb name with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|showblankpositional=1| 1 | 2 | id | name | section }}
Template:Q-Tip Template:Navboxes Template:A Tribe Called Quest Template:Soulquarians
- 1970 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American rappers
- A Tribe Called Quest members
- African-American DJs
- African-American male rappers
- 20th-century 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
- Converts to Islam from Christianity
- 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
- Alternative hip-hop musicians
- 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
- Muslims from New York (state)