Q-Tip life and biography

Born Jonathan Davis on April 10, 1970 in Harlem, better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American entertainer, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. John Bush of Allmusic called him "the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history," while editors of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers, as well as placing him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), making him the only rapper/producer on the list.

While a student at the Murray Bergtraum High School for Business Careers, he co-founded A Tribe Called Quest with fellow students Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Phife (Malik Taylor) in 1988. The following year, Q-Tip guested on De La Soul's groundbreaking 3 Feet High and Rising LP, with the two groups forever linked through their association with the Native Tongues collective. Tribe's debut single, "Description of a Fool," appeared in the summer of 1989, and after signing to Jive Records, the trio issued its debut LP, People's 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 1991's The Low End Theory and 1993's Midnight Marauders before disbanding in 1998. Q-Tip then mounted a solo career with the 1999 release of Amplified. Although it was successful, he was in label limbo for many years afterward, continuing to record but rarely able to release any of his output. (One album, Kamaal the Abstract, was ready to roll into stores in 2002 when it was halted; it was finally released by Jive in 2009.)

A Tribe Called Quest reunited in 2006 and played a limited number of dates. The group was composed of its original lineup, including Q-Tip and occasional member Jarobi White. Early the next year, Q-Tip signed a new solo deal with Motown/Universal Records.

As of late, Q-Tip has been very active, once again happily reunited with the full line-up of A Tribe Called Quest on the 2K7 NBA Bounce Tour, Rock the Bells Tour '08, and regaining control of his previously label-owned MySpace page. He has announced that he is negotiating for the ownership of the masters of earlier material from his previous labels and plans to release them independently. His latest album The Renaissance was released on November 4, 2008, through Universal Motown and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2010 Grammys. Q-Tip is among a group of producers (also including RZA and Pete Rock) who were brought in by Kanye West to work on his fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. He also appeared on Mark Ronson's album, Record Collection, on the song entitled Bang Bang Bang with MNDR, for which a video was released.

Q-Tip provided the rap element of the highly successful 1990 track "Groove Is in the Heart" performed by Deee-Lite and rapped on the album version of the 1994 Beastie Boys track "Get It Together."He also appeared on DJ/Producer Statik Selektah's first album, Spell My Name Right, on "Stop, Look, & Listen" with Styles P & Termanology.Q-Tip was the headliner at the 2011 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival with a set called, 'Q-Tip and Friends'. Accompanying him on stage were Monie Love, Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, and Kanye West.

Awards/Nominations
Grammy Awards:
2010, Best Rap Album: (The Renaissance), Nominee
2006, Best Dance Recording: "Galvanize," Winner (shared with The Chemical Brothers)
2000, Best Rap Solo Performance: "Vivrant Thing", Nominee
1999, Best R&B Song: "Honey", Nominee

MTV Video Music Awards:
2000, Best Hip-Hop Video: "Vivrant Thing", Nominee

Discography:
1999: Amplified
2005: Abstract Skillz
2006: Live At The Renaissance
2008: The Renaissance
2009: Kamaal/The Abstract
2012: The Last Zulu

Read more