Q-Tip (musician)

"The Abstract" redirects here. For other uses, see Abstract (disambiguation).

Q-Tip
Q-Tip in Washington, D.C.; 2008
Born
Jonathan William Davis

(1970-04-10) April 10, 1970 (age 54)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Other names
  • The Abstract
  • Tip
  • The Lone Ranger
  • The Last Zulu
  • Qualiall
EducationMurry Bergtraum High School
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • record producer
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • disc jockey
Years active1985–present[1]
RelativesConsequence (cousin)[2]
AwardsFull list
Musical career
OriginQueens, New York City, U.S.
Genres
Discography
Labels
Formerly of

Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born Jonathan William Davis, April 10, 1970), better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American rapper, record producer, singer, and DJ. Nicknamed the Abstract, he is noted for his innovative jazz-influenced style of hip hop production and his philosophical, esoteric and introspective lyrical themes. He embarked on his music career in the late 1980s, as an MC and main producer of the influential alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded the production team The Ummah, followed by the release of his gold-certified solo debut Amplified in 1999. In the following decade, he released the Grammy Award-nominated album The Renaissance (2008) and the experimental album Kamaal the Abstract (2009).

As an actor, Q-Tip has appeared in various films, such as Poetic Justice, She Hate Me, and Prison Song, the latter of which he co-wrote and played the lead role. As a DJ, he has hosted the Apple Music 1 radio show Abstract Radio since 2015. In 2016, Q-Tip was named the artistic director for hip hop culture at the Kennedy Center, and in 2018, he became the instructor of a jazz and hip hop course at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.

Q-Tip is one of the most acclaimed figures in hip hop.[4] AllMusic states that he "led a jazz-based hip-hop revolution during the '90s", calling him "the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history".[4][5] Several publications have ranked him as one 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.[6][7][8][9][10] In 2024, Q-Tip was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of A Tribe Called Quest.[11]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference redbull was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference avclub was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cochrane, Naima (March 26, 2020). "2000: A Soul Odyssey". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference qtipbio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Bush, John. (November 4, 2008) The Renaissance – Q-Tip. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2011-12-18.
  6. ^ Top 25 Hip-Hop Producers Archived January 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Rap.about.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2011.
  7. ^ 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time Archived March 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Rap.about.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2011.
  8. ^ "The Source's Top 50 Lyricists Of All Time **Complete List Inside**". thisis50.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014.
  9. ^ "25 Greatest Rap Producers of All Time: Staff List". Billboard. December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  10. ^ "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time". Billboard. August 2, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  11. ^ "2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.