Q Tip Biography

The artist known as Q-Tip was born Jonathan Davis in 1970 in Harlem, New York. Long before Q-Tip rose to fame as an actor and member of the acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest, Davis converted to Islam and changed his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, before ultimately settling on his professional moniker, Q-Tip.

In 1985, Q-Tip founded the band A Tribe Called Quest with his high school friends Jarobi White, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, and Phife Dawg. After signing to Jive Records, A Tribe Called Quest rose to the top of the charts and enjoyed a critically acclaimed career up until 2006, when the group disbanded. But even before that time, Q-Tip had begun solo work, appearing on such hits as “Groove Is in the Heart” (by Deee-Lite), “Get It Together” (by Beastie Boys), and “Galvanize” (by the Chemical Brothers.) But after A Tribe Called Quest disbanded, Q-Tip embarked on a career as a solo artist, releasing a debut LP, Amplified, in 2007.  He followed with The Renaissance (2008) and Kamaal/The Abstract (2009), but began to establish his reputation as a producer even more so than a performer.

Q-Tip’s career as a producer began with A Tribe Called Quest, for which he produced the first three albums. He then went on to produce a number of notable singles and albums for other artists, including: “Gansta Bitch” (Apache); “One Love” ( Nas); “Give up the Goods” (Mobb Deep); “Honey” ( Mariah Carey); “Fine” (Whitney Houston); and “Got ‘til It’s Gone” ( Janet Jackson.) Q-Tip has also appeared in roles in the films: Poetic Justice (1993), Love Goggles (1999), Prison Song (2001), Brown Sugar (2002), She Hate Me (2004), Cadillac Records (2008), and Holy Rollers (2010.)

Q-Tip’s career as a performer and producer has earned him a Grammy Award for Best Dancing Recording (for “Galvanize,” with the Chemical Brothers) and four other Grammy nominations, for Best R&B Performance, Best Rap Album, and Best R&B Song. Q-Tip frequently places on lists for the Top 50 Hip-Hop producers and artists lists, and he continues to write, record, and produce. His latest album, The Last Zulu, was just released in 2014.