Q-Tip | |
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 Q-Tip inWashington, D.C.; 2008 | |
| Born | Jonathan William Davis (1970-04-10)April 10, 1970 (age 55) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Education | Murry Bergtraum High School |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1985–present[1] |
| Relatives | Consequence (cousin)[2] |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Queens, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Works | |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
Musical artist | |
| Signature | |
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Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (bornJonathan William Davis; April 10, 1970), better known by his stage nameQ-Tip, is an American rapper and record producer. Nicknamedthe Abstract, he is noted for his innovativejazz-influenced style ofhip hop production and his philosophical, esoteric and introspective lyrical themes. He embarked on his music career in the late 1980s, as anMC and main producer of the influentialalternative hip hop groupA Tribe Called Quest. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded the production teamThe Ummah, followed by the release of hisgold-certified solo debutAmplified in 1999. In the following decade, he released theGrammy Award-nominated albumThe Renaissance (2008) and the experimental albumKamaal the Abstract (2009).
As an actor, Q-Tip has appeared in various films, such asPoetic Justice,She Hate Me, andPrison Song, the latter of which he co-wrote and played the lead role. As a DJ, he has hosted theApple Music 1 radio showAbstract Radio since 2015. In 2016, Q-Tip was named the artistic director forhip hop culture at theKennedy Center, and in 2018, he became the instructor of a jazz and hip hop course atNew York University'sClive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.
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 of the greatest rappers and hip hop producers of all time, withThe Source ranking him the 20th greatest rap lyricist, andBillboard ranking him the sixth greatest hip hop producer.[6][7][8][9][10] In 2024, Q-Tip was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of A Tribe Called Quest.[11]
Q-Tip was born Jonathan William Davis on April 10, 1970, inHarlem,Manhattan, New York City.[12] His father, Jonathan Davis II, emigrated from theCaribbean island ofMontserrat and was raised inCleveland.[13] His mother is anAfrican American fromAlabama.[14] When he was a child, his family settled inSt. Albans,Queens, New York City.[1] He first met his friendPhife Dawg at church when they were both two years old.[15] At age nine, he beganrapping after being encouraged by Phife Dawg; shortly before that, they both heard "Rapper's Delight" byThe Sugarhill Gang for the first time.[16] He was also inspired by his father's extensive jazz record collection, and at age 12, he began toDJ and make pausetape beats.[1]
Q-Tip attendedMurry Bergtraum High School inManhattan, where he first befriendedAli Shaheed Muhammad,Afrika Baby Bam and Mike Gee, with the latter two forming the hip-hop groupJungle Brothers.[15] In high school, he participated inrap battles and went by thestage names J Nice and MC Love Child.[1][17] In 1985, he and Muhammad formed an MC and DJ duo, and using recording equipment provided by Muhammad's uncle, they began makingdemos.[1] They were later joined by Phife Dawg, who also rapped, and neighborhood friendJarobi White; collectively, they were known as Quest.[15]
When Q-Tip was 16 years old, his father died ofemphysema.[13]
Afrika Baby Bam gave him the nickname "Q-Tip", which became popular in high school, eventually becoming his stage name.[17] In 1988, Q-Tip was featured onJungle Brothers' songs "The Promo", which he helped produce,[1] and "Black Is Black", in which he renamed his groupA Tribe Called Quest, a name that was given by Afrika Baby Bam.[15] Both songs appeared on Jungle Brothers' debut album,Straight out the Jungle. That year, the two groups met the like-minded groupDe La Soul, with the three groups forming the core of theNative Tongues collective, known for theirAfrocentrism, positivity and eclecticsampling.[18]
In 1989, A Tribe Called Quest signed withJive Records after being rejected by several labels, due to their unconventional image and sound.[19] After recording several demos, they began working on their debut album, with Q-Tip serving as the group's main producer.[20] During this period, Q-Tip began using theE-mu SP-1200 andAkai S950 samplers.[17][21] 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.[22] Later that year, he made a guest appearance on thehouse single "Groove Is in the Heart" byDeee-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 becomediabetic, to stay with the group and increase his participation.[23] The result was the "smoothest rapping of any rap record ever heard", due to the duo's strong chemistry.[24] The group also garnered acclaim for Q-Tip's jazzy minimalist production.[22][24]
The following year, Q-Tip was involved in a fight withnew jack swing groupWreckx-n-Effect, over Phife Dawg's lyrics on the single "Jazz (We've Got)".[23] 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.[23]
By 1993, Q-Tip became known for his outside production work, producing the hit single "Gangsta Bitch" byApache, among other songs.[25] The song's chorus was performed byTupac Shakur in the filmPoetic Justice, in which Q-Tip made his acting debut asJanet Jackson's love interest.[26] Later that year, A Tribe Called Quest released their third album,Midnight Marauders, which was hailed as the group's most complete work.[27] Along with his "practically telepathic" lyrical interplay with Phife Dawg, the album introduced Q-Tip's gritty style of production.[1][28]
After two critically acclaimedplatinum-selling albums with his group,[18] Q-Tip began focusing on outside production. In 1994, he produced the single "One Love" fromNas's debut albumIllmatic and performed the song's chorus.[23] He also remixed the Nas single "The World Is Yours", as well asCraig Mack's single "Get Down", in which he contributed a guest verse. He made an additional guest appearance on the song "Get It Together" byBeastie Boys, from their albumIll Communication.[4]
Film directorSpike Lee asked Q-Tip to produce the single "Crooklyn" forthe soundtrack to his 1994film of the same name.[29] Q-Tip helped Lee recruit threeBrooklyn MCs for the song:Special Ed,Masta Ace andBuckshot, who formed the groupCrooklyn Dodgers.[29]
During that year'sLollapalooza, keyboardistAmp Fiddler introduced Q-Tip to youngDetroit producerJay Dee, who gave Q-Tip a demo tape of his groupSlum Village.[30] 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 asThe Ummah, in which each member produced songs individually and received a songwriting credit for their work.[17][2] He and Muhammad also created a label, Museum Music, withVinia Mojica becoming their first artist.[23]
Queens duoMobb Deep, whom Q-Tip discovered in the early 1990s,[31] enlisted him as amixing engineer and producer for their 1995 albumThe Infamous.[32][33] He also contributed a verse to the song "Drink Away the Pain (Situations)".[34]
In 1996, The Ummah's production first appeared onBusta 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.[35] 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,[36] who produced both of the singles, "1nce Again" and "Stressed Out", along with three other songs. Q-Tip also added his younger cousinConsequence as a guest rapper on six songs.[2] Much of the album's lyrical themes were inspired by Q-Tip's recent conversion toIslam; however, his relationship with Phife Dawg became strained, negatively affecting their lyrical chemistry.[2] Q-Tip also became anA&R forMotown Records and signed Consequence to Museum Music.[23]
The following year, he made a guest appearance on Janet Jackson's single "Got 'til It's Gone" and co-producedMariah Carey's single "Honey", both of which became worldwide hits.[4][23] 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][37][38] 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.[37] 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.[39][40]
After the breakup of his group, Q-Tip began pursuing a solo career in 1999.[4] He collaborated withR&B singerRaphael Saadiq and released the hit single "Get Involved". Later that year, he signed withArista Records and released his solo debut,Amplified, which he produced with Jay Dee.[30] The album was promoted by the hit singles "Vivrant Thing" and "Breathe and Stop", which were morepop-oriented than his previous work with A Tribe Called Quest.[4][41] However, other songs on the album maintained the ethos of the group and it received mostly positive reviews from critics.[41][42] In January 2000, it was certifiedgold by theRecording Industry Association of America and "Vivrant Thing" was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, presented a month later at the42nd Grammy Awards.[43]
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.[17] In late 1999, he began seeking musicians for a live band, taking drum lessons fromOmar Hakim, studyingbel canto, and taking piano lessons fromWeldon Irvine, whom he sampled for A Tribe Called Quest's "Award Tour" single.[17][23] He also became a member of theSoulquarians collective during this period.[44]
In 2001, Q-Tip starred in the filmPrison Song, which he co-wrote with the film's director,Darnell Martin.[45] He also contributed to thefilm score, producing four songs.[45] That year, he completed his follow-up albumKamaal the Abstract, which was recorded with a live band and featured Q-Tip singing the majority of its songs.[46] Originally slated for release in October 2001, the release date was pushed to April 2002, before Aristarecord executives decided not to release it, doubting its commercial potential.[47][48] Q-Tip explained his label situation during this period:
Well, after I put outAmplified, I was talking toClive Davis [at Arista] about doing this album with the band. I started recording an album, which went on to becomeKamaal the Abstract. And Clive's regime was up [in 2000], and[Def Jam heads]Lyor Cohen andRussell [Simmons] told me I should stay at Arista. So I did that, and I gave [the album] toL.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 reallyleft for him or something. So I then got a release from Arista, and I went over toDreamWorks and recorded an album calledOpen. And then DreamWorks got bought out [in 2003], so the whole label fell apart. Then I wound up onInterscope for like a month or two. I had like one conversation withJimmy Iovine. It was a good conversation. And then I wound up atGeffen for like a year and a half.[43]
During this period, between album releases, Q-Tip recorded about 500 songs, about 300 of which wereinstrumentals.[41] His 2002 guest appearance onLarge Professor's song "In the Sun" earned him "Rhyme of the Month" inThe Source.[49] In 2003, he co-producedHeartcore, an album by jazz guitaristKurt Rosenwinkel.[23] In 2005, he released the single "For the Nasty" on the Motown label, featuring Busta Rhymes, and was featured onThe Chemical Brothers' hit single "Galvanize", from their albumPush the Button.[4] The following year, "Galvanize" won theGrammy Award for Best Dance Recording, earning Q-Tip his first Grammy Award.[4]
Jay Dee, who later went by the name J Dilla, died of the blood diseaseTTP in February 2006, with Q-Tip serving as a pallbearer at his funeral.[23] 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.[40] In 2007, Q-Tip signed withUniversal Motown Records and released the single "Work It Out".[17][43]
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His second official album,The Renaissance, was released in late 2008, through Universal Motown, and included reworked songs from his shelvedOpen album.[43] 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][50] It became his highest-charting album on theBillboard 200, at number 11,[51] and was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Rap Album, presented at the52nd Grammy Awards in 2010.[52]
After being shelved for seven years,Kamaal the Abstract was finally released in September 2009, throughBattery Records.[53] The album received mostly positive reviews from critics, including reviews from its initial press run in 2002.[53]
Q-Tip was among a group of producers who were brought to work onKanye West's 2010 album,My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.[54] In 2011, his production eventually appeared on West andJay-Z's collaborative albumWatch the Throne,[55] contributing to the songs "Lift Off" and "That's My Bitch". The following year, Q-Tip signed to West'sGOOD Music label, through Def Jam, and prepared the release of his new album,The Last Zulu.[56]
In 2013, Q-Tip announced that A Tribe Called Quest would perform their last show, as an opening act for West'sYeezus Tour,[57] and the following year, he produced the song "Meteorite" for Mariah Carey and co-wrote "Ain't That Easy" and "Sugah Daddy" fromD'Angelo'sBlack Messiah album. However, in 2015, the group performed live onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to commemorate the 25th anniversary ofPeople's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.[18] That year, Q-Tip began hosting the radio showAbstract Radio onApple 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."[58]
In March 2016, Q-Tip was appointed as theKennedy Center's first artistic director for hip-hop culture,[59] curating a series of hip-hop programs for the performing arts center.[60] Later that month, Phife Dawg died of complications relating to diabetes.[18] That October, Q-Tip revealed that A Tribe Called Quest secretly began working on a new album shortly after theirTonight Show appearance, completing the album after Phife Dawg's death.[18] 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]
In 2018, he recorded a cover version ofElton John andKiki Dee's song "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" withDemi Lovato.[4] He also announced that his delayed albumThe Last Zulu would be released soon.[61] Later that year, he joined the faculty ofNew York University'sClive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, where he began teaching a course that explores the connection between jazz and hip hop.[61] In an October 2018 interview, he claimed that he would never retire or cease production work, stating, "I will do this to my death."[62]
In 2019, Q-Tip revealed that he was working on three solo albums (The Last Zulu,AlGoRhythms, andRiotdiaries),[63] as well as projects byMary J. Blige andDanny Brown.[64] He served asexecutive producer of Brown's albumU Know What I'm Sayin?, released in October 2019.[65] Later that year, he also appeared on the song "Hit Man" fromGang Starr's albumOne of the Best Yet.
Q-Tip performed the chorus on the song "Yah Yah" fromEminem's 2020 album,Music to Be Murdered By.[66] He also performed the chorus on the track "More Life", which he co-produced, fromCordae's 2021 EP,Just Until...[67]Jack White's 2022 albumFear of the Dawn features Q-Tip on the single "Hi-De-Ho".[68]
Q-Tip is the producer ofLL Cool J's 2024 album,The FORCE.[69]
As a producer, Q-Tip is a self-proclaimed "perfectionist-at-work" and is known for his innovative andexperimental production, which "led ajazz-based hip-hop revolution during the '90s".[4][70][71] In particular, he is noted for his ability to layerprogrammed drums, giving the drums a grittier sound; his unconventional use of three-barloops; and his frequent use ofrests (or "space"), which was inspired byMiles Davis.[1][32]
Pharrell Williams has stated that Q-Tip "picks the best loops ... he'd pick like the illestchord,bassline and all that."[15] 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."[15]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 everyJames Brown record that we could. We exasperated everyP-Funk record that we could." So Q-Tip took the idea of "some of thisCal Tjader record" or "what's up withLou Donaldson?" or "What's up withCannonball [Adderley]?" or "What's up withGrant Green?" or "What's up withGrover Washington? Why are we not using those?"[72]
Q-Tip's recent production is a mix of live instrumentation and sampled music.[5][71] Two decades after his house fire, he has since rebuilt his record collection; as of 2016, it consists of about 9,000 vinyl records.[73]
As an MC, Q-Tip is noted for his philosophical,esoteric and introspective lyricism, often putting socially conscious messages in his lyrics.[18][74] He writes his lyrics to thebeat, allowing the music to help serve as inspiration for his songwriting.[75] Q-Tip'sflow is commonly described as "mellow" and "smooth".[76][77] When rapping, he treats his voice "like an instrument" in the music and is noted for his "flexible"rhyme schemes.[75][77]
Q-Tip converted toIslam in the mid-1990s, changing his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed.[78] He also follows avegetarian diet and practicestranscendental meditation.[1][79]
He has been romantically linked toJanet Jackson,Angie Martinez andNicole Kidman.[23][80] He is also a long-time friend of actorLeonardo DiCaprio and comedianDave Chappelle.[23][81]
According to aDNA analysis he took in 2012, Q-Tip is descended mainly from theJola people ofGuinea-Bissau.[14]
As of 2016, he has lived inEnglewood Cliffs, New Jersey and in nearbyEdgewater.[82][83]
Studio albums
With A Tribe Called Quest
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Renaissance | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Beats, Rhymes and Life(A Tribe Called Quest) | Best Rap Album | Nominated |
| "1nce Again"(A Tribe Called Quest) | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated | |
| 1998 | "Honey"(as songwriter) | Best R&B Song | Nominated |
| 1999 | The Love Movement(A Tribe Called Quest) | Best Rap Album | Nominated |
| 2000 | "Vivrant Thing" | Best Rap Solo Performance | Nominated |
| 2006 | "Galvanize"(withThe Chemical Brothers) | Best Dance Recording | Won |
| 2010 | The Renaissance | Best Rap Album | Nominated |
| 2012 | Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest(A Tribe Called Quest) | Best Long Form Music Video | Nominated |
| 2014 | "Nakamarra"(withHiatus Kaiyote) | Best R&B Performance | Nominated |
| 2016 | "Go"(with The Chemical Brothers) | Best Dance Recording | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Vivrant Thing" | Best Hip-Hop Video | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Vivrant Thing" | Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video | Nominated |
| "Hot Boyz"(withMissy Elliott,Lil' Mo,Nas andEve) | Nominated |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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