Q-Tip (born Jonathan Davis, April 10, 1972, in Harlem, New York), is an American hip hop artist, singer, and occasional actor from Queens, New York City. He went to Murry Bergtraum High School in Manhattan, New York and was the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. He converted to Islam in the mid-1990s, and changed his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed.[1] The Q in Q-Tip's stage name stands for Queens, the borough of New York City from which he hails. It is also said to be a name that represents his ability to get into one?s ears
(as the Q-Tip cotton swab).
He also refers to himself as the Abstract' (originally the Abstract Poetic) and Kamaal the Abstract.
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." [3] His latest album The Renaissance was released on November 4, 2008 through Universal Motown.
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