BEATSPILL

He’s always feeling the beat. (From: “Find A Way)

This pick was a no-brainer. In fact, I almost picked Q-Tip as my number one overall pick. He’s a combo-guard – a multifaceted artist – a unique mind. There’s no doubt he’s one of the most talented and recognizable MC’s in “the triple h” (hip hop history). Add his imperceptible production skills and you’re looking at a supreme musician.

I can’t really explain it, but I’m positive that he and I have almost the exact same taste in music. When I listen to him, I frequently think: “that’s exactly how I would have enunciated that; that’s exactly how I would have flowed; this is the exact beat I would have made were I skilled.” Even in the way he hops around in music videos I get the sense that we feel music almost identically. The extent to which our dance moves are indistinguishable is impeccable. He creates the exact music I want to be created.

A Tribe Called Quest is my all time favorite musical group. They transcended hip hop in the early 90’s, and, in my opinion, brought some much needed lively, bouncy, dancey sounds to the genre. Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed’s ability to fuse old, tame samples with, especially in later albums, their own energetic environment is remarkable. Q-Tip, unlike far too many rap artists, brings vitality and personality to the mic, making the climate real and the listener feel. He doesn’t just pack a bunch of cool vocabulary into a rhythmic, rhyming structure; Tip tells a story, uses his voice as an instrument, and/or relays some poetry.

Longevity is in no way an issue for The Abstract. Tribe, like De La, improved their sound with time, with Tip collaborating with and learning from J Dilla as part of The Ummah. The two went on to co-produce (with Dilla doing the majority and Tip making slight additions to the final product) Q-Tip’s solo album Amplified in 1999. His skill not faded, his brain not tainted, Q-Tip spun and spat more jams, releasing the almost completely self-produced album The Renaissance in 2008. 

There is absolutely no way Q-Tip and DJ Premier wouldn’t build something masterful together on Partner’s In Rhyme. It’s a collboration I’ve always wanted to hear; I imagine the hypothetical duo would create something like a hipper version of what has spawned from Primo and AZ.

Take a listen to Tip’s style and prowess on this Midnight Marauders track.

And his solo production skills and continued rapping ability on this jam from The Renaissance:

He vibes just like me.