Q-Tip (rapper)
Q-Tip (born
Jonathan Davis on
April 10,
1970 in
New York City), is an
American rapper,
actor, and
hip hop producer, and is the former leader of the group
A Tribe Called Quest. He converted to
Islam in the mid-
1990s, and changed his name to
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed. The
Q in Q-Tip's
stage name stands for
Queens, the
borough he hails from. He has also refers to himself on as "The Abstract".
Besides performing with his popular and successful
jazz-influenced hip hop group, Tip also did production work (often as a part of
The Ummah or under his production alias
The Abstract) for artists such as
Nas ("One Love",
Illmatic,
1994),
Mobb Deep ("Give Up the Goods" (Just Step),
The Infamous,
1995) and even super divas
Mariah Carey ("
Honey", "
Butterfly"
1997) and
Whitney Houston ("Fine", "Greatest Hits"). He has also made countless guest appearances, including spots on songs by Nas, Mobb Deep,
Janet Jackson,
Missy Elliott,
The Roots,
Busta Rhymes,
Mos Def,
De La Soul,
Big Daddy Kane,
Black Eyed Peas,
DJ Shadow,
Raphael Saadiq,
The Chemical Brothers,
R.E.M.,
Deee-Lite, and the
Beastie Boys.
A Tribe Called Quest disbanded in
1998, after which Q-Tip pursued a solo career. His first solo singles, the pop-friendly "Vivrant Thing" and "Breathe and Stop", were far-left of anything he'd done in A Tribe Called Quest, as was his solo debut LP for
Arista Records,
Amplified. His
2002 follow-up,
Kamaal the Abstract, although critically-acclaimed, never received official release which was cited because it did not have a commercial appeal. Now, in 2006, Q-Tip is set to release a new album titled
"Live at the Renaissance", featuring the Neptunes-produced track "For the Nasty" with a guest appearance by
Busta Rhymes. "Live at the Renaissance" is due out sometime in summer/fall 2006. "For The Nasty" can be heard all over the internet and is beginning to be broadcast on the radio. The song was also featured on the soundtrack of NBA Live 06.
A Tribe Called Quest reunited in
2004 and played a limited number of dates. The band was comprised of the original lineup, including Tip and occasional member
Jarobi White. Early the next year, Tip signed a new solo deal with
Motown Records.
Q-Tip's most recent collaborations have been those with DJ Shadow ("Enuff" from the 2006 album
The Outsider, featuring
Lateef the Truthspeaker); R.E.M. ("The Outsiders" from
2004's
Around the Sun); and The Chemical Brothers (the single "Galvanize", from
2005's
Push the Button).
He has also pursued an acting career, appearing in films such as
Prison Song,
Poetic Justice, and
She Hate Me, as well on television as a guest on
Chappelle's Show.
He currently resides in
Englewood Cliffs, a
suburb in northern New Jersey.
* 1993:
Poetic Justice* 2000:
Disappearing Acts* 2001:
Prison Song* 2004:
She Hate MeAlbums
Solo Albums
* 1999:
Amplified* 2002:
Kamaal the Abstract (Shelved)
* 2005:
Open (Shelved)
* 2006:
Live at the Renaissance (Yet to be Released)
W/ A Tribe Called Quest
* 1990:
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm* 1991:
The Low End Theory* 1992:
Revised Quest for the Seasoned Traveller* 1993:
Midnight Marauders* 1996:
Beats, Rhymes and Life* 1998:
The Love MovementSingles
* 1997: "Got 'til It's Gone" (
Janet Jackson featuring Q-Tip and
Joni Mitchell) (UK #6)
* 1999: "Get Involved" (
Raphael Saadiq and Q-Tip) (UK #36)
* 2000: "Breathe and Stop" (US #71, UK #12)
* 2000: "Vivrant Thing" (US #26, UK #39)
* 2000: "Let's Ride" (US)
* 2005: "Galvanize" (
The Chemical Brothers featuring Q-Tip) (UK #3)
* 2005: "For The Nasty" (Q-Tip featuring
Busta Rhymes)
* 2006: "Like That" (
Black Eyed Peas featuring Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Cee-Lo, & John Legend)
* 2006: "The Frog" (
Sergio Mendes featuring Q-Tip and Will.I.Am)
