By young h  |  Send to Friend

Today’s younger Hip-Hop artists amount to little more than carbon copies of already established acts, as business models have diluted the culture’s former purity. The present lack of artistic ingenuity comes as a result of the desires for financial success that take precedence over producing output of substance and meaning. In turn, those primarily focused on selling records have a general shelf life of about three to five years within the mainstream, as industry trends are always changing. Since the late '80s, Q-Tip has stood for musical evolution as a leader and icon, having remained true to his visions with a catalog encompassing all facets of urban life.

The humble beginnings of A Tribe Quest started as Q-Tip attended high school with Phife Dawg and  Ali Shaheed Muhammad, unaware that their foundation would set the standard to which any and all left of center groups have been compared. Along with The Jungle Brothers, De La Soul and other golden age artists of note, Tribe was a cornerstone of the Native Tongues posse that thrived off of Afrocentricity and unity. While Q-Tip rendered himself an immediate heartthrob with “Bonita Applebaum” and “Electric Relaxation” would go on to become the quintessential bohemian courting anthem, the group had universal appeal that captivated the hearts of women, b-boys, street dwellers and intellectuals alike. Originally hailing from an era where beefs weren’t fabricated as ploys for attention, Q-Tip was an ambassador for Hip-Hop who wasn’t preachy, always seeking to do his best without lashing out at other acts. “Keep It Movin” from Tribe’s Beats, Rhymes & Life was the most widespread attempt at unification during the tumultuous coastal beefs of the mid to late '90s.

As Tribe’s career flourished raising the bar by fusing soul, jazz, and funk into hard hitting hip-hop, Q-Tip went on to become an in demand east coast producer, as he was responsible for classics such as Nas’ “One Love,” Mobb Deep’s “Give Up The Goods” and Apache’s “Gangsta Bitch.” He also played a pivotal role in Busta Rhymes going solo from Leaders Of The New School; to this day the two are brothers from another mother, though Tip remained avant-garde while Busta became the commercial animated sensation that he is. As the Tribe entity stood on its last legs, Tip not only helped usher in the careers of Jay Dee (Dilla), Slum Village and Consequence, but remained an eager student of music working alongside Raphael Saadiq, D’Angelo, The Roots, Janet Jackson and Mos Def to name a few.

To paint an accurate picture of Q-Tip’s longevity is to consider that Tribe’s seminal third release Midnight Marauders, came out the same day as Wu-Tang’s 36 Chambers debut, two weeks before Snoop Dogg’s formal full length introduction with Doggystyle. While the Wu-Tang Clan and Snoop have struggled to maintain relevance in more recent times , Q-Tip’s dominance and reception have remained effortless throughout time.

Q-Tip’s solo career after Tribe produced a slew of music that has pushed the envelope, some of which hasn’t been released for public consumption.  As the title of his first effort suggests, 1999’s Amplified pushed him in a direction that was edgier and more energetic than what fans were used to. The videos for “Vivrant Thing” and “Breathe & Stop” featured scantily clad models, demonstrating that Tip had officially come into his own and that he was fearless in embracing the idea of being a sex symbol. Glamorous visuals aside, the album hit as hard as all of his previous work due to the left of center versatility of Jay Dee who handled the bulk of the production. Originally slated for 2002, the just released Kamal The Abstract circulated as an online bootleg for years and was upheld as an eclectic masterpiece with elements of jazz, rock, R&B, soul that was completed before Andre3000’s The Love Below went on to make its mark. Years later, Live At The Renaissance was another experimental project that found Tip going back to his rapping roots, it too was lost and scrapped due to industry politics before a revamped project The Renaissance was finally released on Election Day of last year.

Nine years since his last official release and 19 years since his introduction to the world, The Renaissance proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Q-Tip was a musical mainstay, boosted by the feel good adult contemporary sound of “Gettin Up.” Better late than never, his legacy was recently celebrated with J. Period’s The (Abstract) Best mixtape, paying homage to the multitude of Tip’s contributions, and even the honorable P. Diddy came out on stage this summer in support as Q-Tip performed at Central Park.

With a boundless vision and a thriving passion for keeping people’s minds working, heads nodding and bodies moving, Q-Tip has managed to transcend every musical trend and phase to come and go for two decades now. Quietly, he can possibly be considered hip-hop’s most all encompassing figure, with mega stars such as Kanye West, Pharrell, Outkast and Dr. Dre all having gone on record stating his influence on their work. His character has long reflected maturity, a progressive mind and a humble spirit (all alternatives to the nature of the commonplace MC), while his body of work has remained a testament to the power of dedication. May Q-Tip continue pushing his agendas of love, peace, pride, soul, and self-respect to a troubled world in dire need of his influence.