| Q-Tip | |
| Img Capt: | Q-Tip at the Commonwealth in Washington, D.C. in 2008. |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Jonathan Davis |
| Alias: | Kamaal Ibn John Fareed |
| Born: | 10 April 1970 |
| Origin: | Queens, New York, |
| Genre: | East Coast Hip Hop |
| Occupation: | Rapper, producer, singer |
| Years Active: | 1988 - present |
| Label: | Jive/BMG Arista/BMG, Violator Motown/Universal |
| Associated Acts: | A Tribe Called Quest Kanye West The Ummah Soulquarians Busta Rhymes Common J Dilla |
Q-Tip (born April 10, 1970), is an American hip hop artist, singer, and occasional actor from Queens, New York City, perhaps best known as the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest.
Besides performing with his popular and successful jazz-influenced hip hop group, Tip also did production work (under his production alias the Abstract or often—along with fellow Tribe member Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the late Slum Village member Jay Dee—as part of the Ummah) for artists such as Nas ("One Love," from Illmatic, 1994), Mobb Deep (co-producer on "Give up the Goods (Just Step)," "Temperature's Rising," and "Drink Away the Pain," from The Infamous, 1995) and even R&B divas Mariah Carey ("Honey," from Butterfly, 1997) and Whitney Houston ("Fine," from Greatest Hits).
A Tribe Called Quest disbanded in 1998, after which Q-Tip pursued a solo career. His first solo singles, "Vivrant Thing" and "Breathe & Stop," were far more pop-oriented than anything he had 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 and issued a catalog number, was never released because the label believed that it did not have commercial appeal.
A Tribe Called Quest reunited in 2006 and played a limited number of dates. The group was composed of its original lineup, including Tip and occasional member Jarobi White. Early the next year, 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.
Q-Tip has recently stated that he will be forming a hip hop group with fellow rapper Common, called "The Standard."[1] His latest album The Renaissance was released on November 4, 2008 through Universal Motown.
See main article: Q-Tip discography.
Q-Tip was born Jonathan Davis in Harlem, New York. He attended Murry Bergtraum High School in Manhattan, New York. He converted to Islam in the mid-1990s, and changed his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed.[2] The Q in Q-Tip's stage name stands for Queens, the borough of New York City from which he hails. On Martha Stewart he said his name Q-tip was his childhood nickname because he was skinny and had big hair. March 6th, 2009.
Q-Tip has been a resident of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.[3]