When the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history spends almost a decade without a record on the shelves (despite his best efforts), it has to be considered a crime -- if not a tragedy. Difficult to tell, though, is why Q-Tip was bounced to five different labels within six years. He never pronounced himself angry about the situation, saying only that he continued to work, reportedly recording three full albums that were never released. (At least one of those, 2003's Kamaal the Abstract, was a reality, since it was only denied a release after promos were sent out.) His long-awaited return on The Renaissance is no disappointment, offering more of the same understated, aqueous grooves and fluid rapping that the Abstract Poetic has built his peerless career on. Although it has a few more message songs than his dance-heavy debut from 1999 (Amplified), many of these tracks are club grooves painted with the same production touches as ten years earlier; his work is still excellent 20 years after his career began, but he seems less interested in spinning four minutes of fluent rap for each track. (Granted, he's carrying this show alone, with no Phife Dawg to take every other verse.) Some of the songs are built with a live group (including guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel), although they usually sound programmed. One thing is for sure: Q-Tip is still a master of pacing and atmosphere, structuring the first half of the record so smoothly that listeners may not notice a transition until the sixth track, "We Fight/We Love," which contrasts the perspective of a man in the middle of war with a woman left alone. The closer, "Shaka," got the most attention leading up to release, since an early version sampled Barack Obama (perhaps coincidentally, The Renaissance was originally scheduled to be released on Election Day). Sounding like a latter-day Midnight Marauders and The Love Movement, and very similar to the unreleased Kamaal the Abstract, The Renaissance is a worthy comeback for the man who's arguably done more to make hip-hop enjoyable than any other figure.
8.5 My worker peaks over the top of his monitor, eyes wide, and says, "I'm really feeling this Q-Tip right now." I was too. I'm feeling it in the office, on the subway…I was really feeling it while people-watching at Joe's pizza in the West Village last week. While I was having my little New York [...]
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It has been nearly ten long years since Jonathan Davis b.k.a Q-Tip went the solo route with his musical career - with the release of his debut, "Amplified". I was about 11 years old when I first watched "Vivrant Thing" on Muchmusic and I had not yet exposed my virgin eyes to such excessive 'booty [...] No related posts. Sorry.
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THE GOOD: Eclectic mix of beats and samples, soulful tracks, classic Tip flow. THE BAD: Stays a little too close to the above formula, coming off as two-dimensional at times. BOTTOM LINE: Tip returns to fine form on the mic and behind the boards. YFWB RATING: (out of 5)Hip-hop is littered with the careers of veterans who once ruled the stage and the mic, but whose glory faded...
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I got my hands on Q-Tip's newest release, The Renaissance, and am extremely happy with it so far. As a longtime fan of A Tribe Called Quest, I hear all the elements that are most notably found in ATCQ's catalog. Of course, there are plenty of new-school infusions given the timing of the release, but I can't thank QT enough for staying true to old-school style.Here's my take on each track:(1) Jo...
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If there can truly be a definitive Renaissance-era in hip hop, what would you consider it to be? For this reviewer, the Renaissance in hip hop was from 1991 to 1993 when hip hop was blessed with an undeniable shift in subject matter, style, attitude and appreciation. A rebirth. This was around the time The [...]
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I'm just discovering Q-Tip's new album and already I love what I hear. Of particular interest is any hip-hop song that nails the rhyme crossed with female vocals blend.Whenever that participating female is Norah Jones, the song is instantaneously rated higher in my book. Some of my previous posts have touched on her work prior to stardom as the ambient vocaiist for Wax Poetic. While hardly hip-...
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"The Renaissance", the new album from Kamal Fareed aka Q Tip is pretty much what you expect from him…..good jazzy souful hip hop. Did you really think Kamal would make a wack album? However I can't really say this album is exceptional. It's what you would expect and nothing more.There's really nothing "special" about it [...]
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Yo, I hope you all have enjoyed Foreign Exchange week thus far! As the week comes to a close, we still have one more major article to put up… which should be tomorrow (if Deez finishes it on time…lol). Just kidding, my man. Anyway, I had to post this up for my next highly anticipated hip [...]
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Why?1. I just found out, he and I share a birthday: April 10. (Thanks, I just turned 23, and my man Tip is... 37. Wow. One of those elder statesmen of the rap game, I guess.)2. He's the type of cat to just go right ahead and rap over one of the finest beats from J Dilla's unreleased Motown CD (a flip of "Dancing Machine") and then straight put it on his Myspace page as the only song. If this is...
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Check out this exclusive Q-Tip tee given only to family and friends of the artist.
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Make sure you cop The Renaissance today, one of the best hip hop albums this year! After you do, and you rip the tracks to your iPod, add these bonus tracks and remixes which are not on the retail album… after the jump! Feva (UK Bonus Track) Gettin' Up (Swizz Beatz Remix feat Eve) Gettin' Up (DJ Scratch [...]
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Q-Tip - "Move" from Three/21 Films on Vimeo . Video For Q-Tip "Move" The Second Single Off Of "The Renaissance" Due Out On November 4th. Driected By Rik Cordero is an "Homage" To "Rock with You" By Michael Jackson Or Blatant Plagiarism Depending On How You Look At It. I Guess!?..Whatever Move & Rock With Me! Michael Jackson - Rock with you Uploaded by Discodandan
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Q-Tip's new album, The Renaissance, is officially in stores tomorrow, but if you're in NY you can head out to FatBeats tonight, get the album, meet Q-Tip and have him sign it! Yet, another reason why I should live in New York. Anyone in NY plan on going? Can someone hook me up with a [...]
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If there can truly be a definitive Renaissance-era in hip hop, what would you consider it to be? For this reviewer, the Renaissance in hip hop was from 1991 to 1993 when hip hop was blessed with an undeniable shift in subject matter, style, attitude and appreciation. A rebirth. This was around the time The [...]
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Here's a new one from Q-Tip in anticipation of his visit to Austin next month (11/20 ), with The Cool Kids at Stubb's. The jazzy piano-laced "Gettin' Up" comes from The Renaissance , Q's new album that will be released (finally) on November 4 and feature the likes of Common, D'Angelo, Norah Jones, Madlib, and Santogold. I haven't heard much of it yet, but I do like the feel of this track. Sta...
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Back by popular demand is our New Music Tuesday, where we highlight Hip Hop and R&B albums that hit stores today. Lots of good stuff coming out today. Of course we know about Q-Tip's The Renaissance. Also released today is Little Brother's re-release of their 2006 mixtape Seperate But Equal (this time without [...]
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Aside from being one of the dopest emcees in hip hop, Q-Tip should also be recognized as one of the dopest producers in the genre. Though his work with A Tribe Called Quest was credited to the whole group, Tip was indeed the beat crafter. Later in his career, Tip would also team with the [...]
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I would have been completely content with the unofficial video for Q-Tip's song "Gettin' Up," but The Abstract does us one better with this version. This is some real smooth two step music right here. Q-Tip's album The Renaissance is due out on November 4th.Bonus: Q-Tip spits an a capella at the Pac Div show at Love in NYC last night.[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oqfCCA7NfA 425x3...
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Yo, I hope you all have enjoyed Foreign Exchange week thus far! As the week comes to a close, we still have one more major article to put up… which should be tomorrow (if Deez finishes it on time…lol). Just kidding, my man. Anyway, I had to post this up for my next highly anticipated hip [...]
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GEEZUS! My man Q-Tip's new album "The Renaissance" has been postponed twice by Universal/Motown. When is the damn thang coming out? You can check out new song "Gettin' Up" on his myspace page HERE.Q-Tip has also had two previous albums "Kamaal The Abstract" '02 & "Open" '05 get frozen in limbo land due to label disputes. How much bad luck can one man have? He released a "new" album "Abstract In...
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So happy Q-Tip is back in the spotlight. Actually he was never really gone. It was just the damn record companies he was with who wouldn't release his albums because they thought they were subpar. Christ, record companies suck a big one!Anyway, here's Q on David Letterman 11/06/08 with a great performance(found on okayplayer.com):Q looks like he's having a blast & why shouldn't he, he's experie...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Johnny Is Dead |
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| 2 Won't Trade |
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| 3 Gettin' Up |
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| 4 Official |
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| 5 You |
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| 6 We Fight/We Love |
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| 7 Manwomanboogie |
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| 8 Move |
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| 9 Dance on Glass |
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| 10 Life Is Better |
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| 11 Believe |
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| 12 Shaka |
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 "The Renaissance")
