Q‐Tip | ||
| Allmusic Biography : American rapper, producer, and actor Q-Tip is one of the most acclaimed figures in hip-hop, a solo artist and the longtime MC with pioneering alternative hip-hop trio A Tribe Called Quest. Born Jonathan William Davis in New York City on November 20, 1970, Q-Tip co-founded A Tribe Called Quest in 1988 with schoolmates Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor while they were students at the Murray Bergtraum High School for Business Careers. Tribes debut single, "Description of a Fool," appeared in the summer of 1989, and after signing to Jive Records, the trio issued its debut LP, Peoples Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, a year later. With its fiercely intelligent, socially progressive lyrics and brilliant fusion of rap and jazz, the group emerged as one of the most popular and influential in all of hip-hop, producing such classic LPs as 1991s The Low End Theory and 1993s Midnight Marauders before disbanding in 1998. Q-Tip mounted a solo career with the 1999 release of Amplified. Home to the hit singles "Vivrant Thing" and "Breathe and Stop," Amplified rose to the Top 30 on the Billboard 200. Although it was certified gold, Q-Tip plunged into label limbo for many years afterward. His Amplified follow-up, Kamaal the Abstract, was completed in 2002 but halted by Arista; it would not receive an official release until 2009 on Jive Records. Before that, his de facto sophomore set appeared in late 2008, earning its title, The Renaissance (Universal Motown). The Grammy-nominated album included the single "Gettin Up," as well as appearances by Raphael Saadiq ("WeFight/WeLove"), Amanda Diva ("ManWomanBoogie"), Norah Jones ("Life Is Better"), and DAngelo ("Believe"). In addition to his solo material, Q-Tip also guested on a number of notable tracks for other artists. Starting with De La Souls 1989 single "Buddy," he has also appeared on Deee-Lites "Groove Is in the Heart," Beastie Boys "Get It Together," the Chemical Brothers Grammy-winning "Galvanize" and "Go," R.E.M.s "The Outsiders," Mark Ronsons "Bang Bang Bang," Janet Jacksons "Got Til Its Gone," Jay-Zs "Girls, Girls, Girls," Hiatus Kaiyotes Grammy-nominated "Nakamarra," and DAngelos "Aint That Easy." He has also produced for Kanye West, Jay-Z, Run-D.M.C., Nas, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, and many more. In 2016, Q-Tip and Tribe reunited and recorded their sixth album, just before the untimely passing of Phife Dawg. Q-Tip and the surviving members toured behind We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, which topped the Billboard 200 and went on to become one of the most critically acclaimed releases of the year. A Tribe Called Quest performed their final concert together in late 2017 in Dorset, England. The next year, Q-Tip added another notable collaboration to his catalog with a cover of Elton Johns "Dont Go Breaking My Heart," a duet with Demi Lovato that featured on Johns reimagined covers album, Revamp. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 5 Title: Amplified Released: 1999-11-30 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wait Up (03:43) 2 Higher (03:30) 3 Breathe and Stop (04:04) 4 Moving With U (03:22) 5 Let’s Ride (04:08) 6 Things U Do (04:06) 7 All In (03:09) 8 Go Hard (03:03) 9 Do It (02:51) 10 Vivrant Thing (03:11) 11 N.T. (03:55) 12 End of Time / Do It, See It, Be It (08:33) |
| Amplified : Allmusic album Review : Just over a year after A Tribe Called Quest issued its final album, the groups nominal frontman Q-Tip issued his debut solo album, Amplified. For Tribe fans able to get over the fact that Q-Tip isnt trading off on rhymes with Phife Dog and Ali as usual, Amplified is an excellent work, almost up to the same level as the groups underrated final Jive album, The Love Movement. The sound here is very similar to The Love Movement, obviously no coincidence since production credits throughout go to Jay Dee and Q-Tip for the Ummah, the same combo that produced most of A Tribe Called Quests material. Its a style that emphasizes deep grooves and clipped beats with a polished sheen that takes Tribes jazz-rap into the age of quiet storm and fusion. Q-Tips rapping is as smooth and inventive as ever, though its a mild surprise that he doesnt include any message tracks (most Tribe albums have at least one or two). The bands breakup was a blow to hip-hop fans all over the world, but Amplified will make everyone feel much better. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 5 Title: Kamaal the Abstract Released: 2002 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Feelin’ (04:32) 2 Do You Dig U? (07:19) 3 A Million Times (04:16) 4 Blue Girl (05:20) 5 Barely in Love (04:00) 6 Heels (03:07) 7 Abstractionisms (05:19) 8 Caring (01:40) 9 Even If It Is So (05:30) 10 Make It Work (03:59) |
| Kamaal the Abstract : Allmusic album Review : A personal, unique project compared to Amplified (Q-Tips first under his own name), Kamaal the Abstract fittingly sounds more like a solo album; whereas Amplified merely built on the digital soul of the last Tribe Called Quest album (The Love Movement), this one is wide-ranging and diverse, a relaxed, loose-limbed date. Q-Tip lays way back on these cuts, rapping in a quick, low monotone for the opener, "Feelin," even while the song breaks into some restrained guitar grind on the choruses. Guitars, in fact, crop up all over this record. Setting aside comparisons to the contemporary record by N.E.R.D. (the rock side project of hip-hop super-producers Neptunes), Q-Tip crafted a record that pays homage to the last gasp of organically produced mainstream pop in the 70s and 80s, paying a large compliment to Prince and Stevie Wonder, even as he proves himself far more talented than DAngelo (if not quite as soulful). The beats are pointed and clipped, to be expected on a Q-Tip record, but he allows plenty of space for the arrangements to speak, like the trim trumpet lines pacing "Even if It Is So" or allowing plenty of room for extended blowing from a flute on the warm, pastoral "Do You Dig You." The former is one of the best tracks here, Q-Tip introducing his story song with a fluid, ten-second speed-rap that says more about the plight of the single mother he adores than any other rapper could with an entire album. This wasnt the kind of record that lights up the charts -- which could account for the reason it didnt appear on the shelves in late April 2002, as expected, and only earned an official release in 2009 -- but in many ways its superior to the released Amplified. [The 2009 release via Jive included a bonus track, "Make It Work."] | ||
 | Album: 3 of 5 Title: The Renaissance Released: 2008-10-31 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Johnny Is Dead (03:01) 2 Won’t Trade (02:41) 3 Gettin’ Up (03:18) 4 Official (03:19) 5 You (03:02) 6 We Fight/We Love (04:47) 7 Manwomanboogie (03:06) 8 Move (05:49) 9 Dance on Glass (03:01) 10 Life Is Better (04:41) 11 Believe (02:57) 12 Shaka (03:33) |
| The Renaissance : Allmusic album Review : When the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history spends almost a decade without a record on the shelves (despite his best efforts), it has to be considered a crime -- if not a tragedy. Difficult to tell, though, is why Q-Tip was bounced to five different labels within six years. He never pronounced himself angry about the situation, saying only that he continued to work, reportedly recording three full albums that were never released. (At least one of those, 2003s Kamaal the Abstract, was a reality, since it was only denied a release after promos were sent out.) His long-awaited return on The Renaissance is no disappointment, offering more of the same understated, aqueous grooves and fluid rapping that the Abstract Poetic has built his peerless career on. Although it has a few more message songs than his dance-heavy debut from 1999 (Amplified), many of these tracks are club grooves painted with the same production touches as ten years earlier; his work is still excellent 20 years after his career began, but he seems less interested in spinning four minutes of fluent rap for each track. (Granted, hes carrying this show alone, with no Phife Dawg to take every other verse.) Some of the songs are built with a live group (including guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel), although they usually sound programmed. One thing is for sure: Q-Tip is still a master of pacing and atmosphere, structuring the first half of the record so smoothly that listeners may not notice a transition until the sixth track, "We Fight/We Love," which contrasts the perspective of a man in the middle of war with a woman left alone. The closer, "Shaka," got the most attention leading up to release, since an early version sampled Barack Obama (perhaps coincidentally, The Renaissance was originally scheduled to be released on Election Day). Sounding like a latter-day Midnight Marauders and The Love Movement, and very similar to the unreleased Kamaal the Abstract, The Renaissance is a worthy comeback for the man whos arguably done more to make hip-hop enjoyable than any other figure. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 5 Title: The [Abstract] Best Vol 1 Released: 2009 Tracks: 49 Duration: 1:19:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rhythm (Scratch intro) (01:39) 2 Excursions (intro) (00:51) 3 Excursions (Tribute remix) (03:55) 4 Welcome (00:21) 5 Getting Up (DJ Scratch remix) (02:13) 6 Behind the Scenes: Ghetto Origins (01:24) 7 What the Fuss (Shook remix) (02:40) 8 Queens Represent (interlude) (00:33) 9 Give Up the Goods (J.Period remix) (03:32) 10 Gangsta Bitch (00:44) 11 If the Papes Come (intro) (00:30) 12 Check the Rhime (02:19) 13 Behind the Scenes: Dont Walk Away (01:14) 14 Award Tour (01:40) 15 Behind the Scenes: Award Tour (00:39) 16 Hot Butter (interlude) (00:25) 17 Jazz Pt. 2 (Tribute remix) (03:06) 18 Behind the Scenes: We Got the Jazz (01:22) 19 Jazz (Tribute remix) (01:54) 20 Skypager: Bob Power & Big Daddy Kane (00:42) 21 Lets Ride (03:26) 22 Behind the Scenes: Bob Power You There? (01:21) 23 Vivrant Thing (remix) (02:30) 24 Move (The Renaissance) (02:22) 25 Breathe & Stop (J.Period remix) (02:41) 26 Respect to Phife Dawg (interlude) (00:29) 27 Buggin Out 2009 (Tribute remix) (01:56) 28 Atcq Consists Of... (00:52) 29 Behind the Scenes: The Native Tongues (01:06) 30 Buddy (remix) (02:07) 31 Respect to Ali Shaheed Muhammed (interlude) (00:46) 32 N.T. (03:16) 33 A Message From Talib Kweli (00:19) 34 Youthful (Tribute remix) (02:30) 35 Manwomanboogie (02:32) 36 Men Vs. Women (interlude) (00:17) 37 Saturdays (01:27) 38 Saturdays (remix) (01:04) 39 She Likes to Move (J.Period remix) (01:29) 40 Groove Is in the Heart (01:25) 41 Get It Together (02:57) 42 Behind the Scenes: What Is Kapelka? (00:43) 43 What? (Tribute remix) (02:27) 44 Behind the Scenes: Busta Rhymes/Scenario (01:18) 45 Scenario (demo tape) (00:55) 46 Behind the Scenes: Hood R.I.P. (00:51) 47 Scenario (remix) (00:58) 48 Aquarius Outtro (00:46) 49 Behind the Scenes: Reinvention (02:27) |
| The [Abstract] Best Vol 1 : Allmusic album Review : J. Period offers another one of his creative career-overview mixtapes, a part-anthology, part-documentary look at Q-Tip that emphasizes the MC’s years with A Tribe Called Quest, weaving Tribe tracks and productions, featured verses, rarities, sample sources, and interview material. The presentation is clever and knowledgeable enough to reel in hardcore fans and younger neophytes alike. The most amusing interview bit comes with “Kapelka,” where Q-Tip confesses that his “Yiddish isn’t that good,” explaining how he meant to say “Gefilte makes you vomit” in “What?” | ||
 | Album: 5 of 5 Title: The Abstract & The Dragon Released: 2013-12-12 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:16:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Intro (02:05) 2 God Lives Through (06:15) 3 Gettin Up (DJ Scratch remix) (02:09) 4 Steppin It Up (03:19) 5 Thank You (Kid Capri remix) (04:35) 6 Always Add On (interlude) (00:30) 7 The Abstract & The Dragon (02:11) 8 Wild Hot (03:00) 9 Speaks (skit) (00:11) 10 One Two Shit (04:34) 11 We Taking Off (02:44) 12 Renaissance Rap (remix) (03:37) 13 Get Down (03:54) 14 Butch & Sundance (02:51) 15 Speaks (skit) (00:23) 16 Pardon My Ways (ELE 2 Exclusive) (01:07) 17 Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming (skit) (00:21) 18 For the Nasty (03:12) 19 Come on Down (skit) (01:29) 20 Come on Down (03:55) 21 J Dilla (skit) (00:15) 22 You Cant Hold the Torch (03:40) 23 Lightworks (03:23) 24 Chris Lighty (skit) (00:58) 25 Vivrant Thing (03:10) 26 Ill Vibe (03:29) 27 Scenario (04:10) 28 Scenario (remix) (05:16) |