| discography =
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| years_active = 1985–present Several publications have ranked him as one of the greatest rappers and hip hop producers of all time, with The Source ranking him the 20th greatest rap lyricist, and Billboard ranking him the sixth greatest hip hop producer. In 2024, Q-Tip was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of A Tribe Called Quest.
Early life
Q-Tip was born Jonathan William Davis on April 10, 1970, in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. His father, Jonathan Davis II, emigrated from the Caribbean island of Montserrat and was raised in Cleveland. His mother is an African American from Alabama. When he was a child, his family settled in St. Albans, Queens, New York City. He was also inspired by his father's extensive jazz record collection, and at age 12, he began to DJ and make pause tape beats. In 1988, Q-Tip was featured on Jungle Brothers' songs "The Promo", which he helped produce,
In 1989, A Tribe Called Quest signed with Jive Records after being rejected by several labels, due to their unconventional image and sound. After recording several demos, they began working on their debut album, with Q-Tip serving as the group's main producer. During this period, Q-Tip began using the E-mu SP-1200 and Akai S950 samplers. 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. Later that year, he made a guest appearance on the house single "Groove Is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite, which became a worldwide hit. The result was the "smoothest rapping of any rap record ever heard", due to the duo's strong chemistry. The group also garnered acclaim for Q-Tip's jazzy minimalist production. The song's chorus was performed by Tupac Shakur in the film Poetic Justice, in which Q-Tip made his acting debut as Janet Jackson's love interest. Later that year, A Tribe Called Quest released their third album, Midnight Marauders, which was hailed as the group's most complete work. Along with his "practically telepathic" lyrical interplay with Phife Dawg, the album introduced Q-Tip's gritty style of production.
1994–1995: Production work and formation of the Ummah
After two critically acclaimed platinum-selling albums with his group, Q-Tip helped Lee recruit three Brooklyn MCs for the song: Special Ed, Masta Ace and Buckshot, who formed the group Crooklyn Dodgers. After being impressed by Jay Dee's beats, Q-Tip suggested that the two work together. He and Muhammad also created a label, Museum Music, with Vinia Mojica becoming their first artist. enlisted him as a mixing engineer and producer for their 1995 album The Infamous. He also contributed a verse to the song "Drink Away the Pain (Situations)".
1996–1998: Declining group chemistry to breakup
In 1996, The Ummah's production first appeared on Busta 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. 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, who produced both of the singles, "1nce Again" and "Stressed Out", along with three other songs. Q-Tip also added his younger cousin Consequence as a guest rapper on six songs. 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.
1999–2000: Amplified and solo success
thumb|left|200px|Q-Tip at Fat Beats NYC 1999
After the breakup of his group, Q-Tip began pursuing a solo career in 1999. However, other songs on the album maintained the ethos of the group and it received mostly positive reviews from critics. In January 2000, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and "Vivrant Thing" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, presented a month later at the 42nd Grammy Awards.
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.
2001–2007: Label issues and collaborations
In 2001, Q-Tip starred in the film Prison Song, which he co-wrote with the film's director, Darnell Martin. He also contributed to the film score, producing four songs. Originally slated for release in October 2001, the release date was pushed to April 2002, before Arista record executives decided not to release it, doubting its commercial potential. Q-Tip explained his label situation during this period:
Q-Tip's recent production is a mix of live instrumentation and sampled music.
Lyricism and rapping technique
As an MC, Q-Tip is noted for his philosophical, esoteric and introspective lyricism, often putting socially conscious messages in his lyrics. He writes his lyrics to the beat, allowing the music to help serve as inspiration for his songwriting. Q-Tip's flow is commonly described as "mellow" and "smooth". When rapping, he treats his voice "like an instrument" in the music and is noted for his "flexible" rhyme schemes. He also follows a vegetarian diet and practices transcendental meditation.
He has been romantically linked to Janet Jackson, Angie Martinez and Nicole Kidman. He is also a long-time friend of actor Leonardo DiCaprio and comedian Dave Chappelle.
According to a DNA analysis he took in 2012, Q-Tip is descended mainly from the Jola people, who primarily are from Guinea-Bissau.
Discography
Studio albums
- Amplified (Arista, 1999)
- The Renaissance (Universal Motown, 2008)
- Kamaal the Abstract (Battery, 2009)
With A Tribe Called Quest
- People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Jive, 1990)
- The Low End Theory (Jive, 1991)
- Midnight Marauders (Jive, 1993)
- Beats, Rhymes and Life (Jive, 1996)
- The Love Movement (Jive, 1998)
- We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service (Epic, 2016)
Filmography
Films
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | 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
| rowspan="2" | Himself
| Documentary; also producer (with A Tribe Called Quest)
|-
|2014
|Nas: Time Is Illmatic
|Documentary film
|-
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | 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
|}
Awards and nominations
BET Hip Hop Awards
|-
| rowspan="1"|2009
| The Renaissance
| Album of the Year
|
|-
Grammy Awards
|-
| rowspan="2"|1997
| Beats, Rhymes and Life <small>(A Tribe Called Quest)</small>
| Best Rap Album
|
|-
| "1nce Again" <small>(A Tribe Called Quest)</small>
| Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
|
|-
| 1998
| "Honey" <small>(as songwriter)</small>
| Best R&B Song
|
|-
| 1999
| The Love Movement <small>(A Tribe Called Quest)</small>
| Best Rap Album
|
|-
| 2000
| "Vivrant Thing"
| Best Rap Solo Performance
|
|-
| 2006
| "Galvanize" <small>(with The Chemical Brothers)</small>
| Best Dance Recording
|
|-
| 2010
| The Renaissance
| Best Rap Album
|
|-
| 2012
| Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest <small>(A Tribe Called Quest)</small>
| Best Long Form Music Video
|
|-
| 2014
| "Nakamarra" <small>(with Hiatus Kaiyote)</small>
| Best R&B Performance
|
|-
| 2016
| "Go" <small>(with The Chemical Brothers)</small>
| Best Dance Recording
|
MTV Video Music Awards
|-
| rowspan="1"|2000
| "Vivrant Thing"
| Best Hip-Hop Video
|
|-
Soul Train Music Awards
|-
| rowspan="2"|2000
| "Vivrant Thing"
| rowspan="2"|Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video
|
|-
| "Hot Boyz" <small>(with Missy Elliott, Lil' Mo, Nas and Eve)</small>
|
References
Further reading
External links
- Official A Tribe Called Quest Website