| Artist Profile: Q-Tip | | | | Q-tip has been involved in the production aspect of |
| First known for his performances with popular hip-hop | | | | chart-topping singles, but he's an emcee first and |
| group A Tribe Called Quest, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed | | | | foremost. He's also climbed the ladder of success, |
| (a.k.a Q-tip) has been innovating on the hip-hop scene | | | | starting with his work in A Tribe Called Quest. The |
| for twenty-two years. Born Jonathan Davis, and | | | | Tribe's second full-length album, Low End Theory, was |
| changing to the above mentioned name after his | | | | certified gold. |
| conversion to Islam in the 90's, Q-tip is known as a | | | | The blasting of it's hit track, Scenario, in clubs and at |
| rapper, an actor, a gifted producer, and also a DJ. | | | | parties across the world propelled the album to both |
| Q-tip has appeared in acclaimed hip-hop feature Poetic | | | | critical and popular acclaim. On his own, Q continued to |
| Justice, as a guest on the very popular Chappelle's | | | | achieve popular success with songs like Vivarant |
| Show, and more recently in the independent drama | | | | Thing and Breath and Stop. The album which housed |
| Holy Roller. His production credits span from Nas (One | | | | these hits, Amplified was often criticized for it's popular |
| Love), to Mobb Deep (multiple tracks on The | | | | leanings and Q was accused of pandering to the |
| Infamous), to popular R&B songstress Mariah Carey | | | | masses. |
| (producing the hit single Honey). | | | | Later, the backlash would seem ridiculous, as Q-tip |
| Q-tip, who claims he got his stage name from a | | | | recorded two different records which were both |
| childhood moniker depicting his thin form and poofy hair, | | | | deemed too difficult to market by Arista Records, his |
| claims that the Q in his name also stands for Queens, | | | | label at the time. These two albums, Kamaal the |
| New York; his home town. Born in 1970 to a Caribbean | | | | Abstract and Open, found Q delving into singing and |
| native and a young black woman from Alabama, the | | | | the conducting of a live band. These albums proved |
| time and place which Q-tip found himself as a young | | | | that Q-tip follows his artistic vision unhampered by the |
| man left him primed for exposure to hip-hop. | | | | threat of popular failure or industry criticism. |
| He is so indelibly marked with the genre that it's | | | | Despite all the struggles with his label and criticism from |
| become a family affair! His cousins, Consequence and | | | | Quest fans, in 2008 Q released The Renaissance |
| Dres, are well known for their work in hip-hop group | | | | through Motown/Universal and was nominated for |
| Black Sheep. | | | | Best Rap Artist at the 2010 Grammys. |