Q-Tip (rapper)
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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 referred to himself on The Low End Theory as "The Abstract".
Biography
Besides performing with his popular and successful jazz-influenced hip hop group, Tip also did production work (often as a part of The Ummah) 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.
Films
- 1993: Poetic Justice
- 2000: Disappearing Acts
- 2001: Prison Song
- 2004: She Hate Me
Discography
Albums
Solo Albums
- 1999: Amplified
- 2002: Kamaal the Abstract (Shelved)
- 2005: Open (Shelved)
- 2006: Live at the Renaissance (Yet to be Released)
- 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 Movement
Singles
- 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)
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