ONCE AGAIN
Q-Tip goes back to basics for The Renaissance and
falls in love with hip-hop all over again.
By DONYA BLAZE
Published: March 24, 2008
Universal Motown
Quick - name ten relevant rappers over the age of 35. Now, take out anyone who hasn't had a hit song in the past five years or appeared on a reality show. You're probably left with Busta Rhymes and LL Cool J, right? Rappers tend to fade like Jordan in this business, making Q-Tip very much an enigma.
While A Tribe Called Quest broke up in the late 90s, the group's front man never really went away. In fact, the man born Jonathan Davis has managed to stay in the hip-hop consciousness through producing gigs (Nas' Street's Disciple) and guest appearances alone (Jay-Z's "Girls Girls Girls," Busta's The Big Bang, Janet's "Got Til It's Gone.")
Now signed to Universal and poised to release his long delayed second solo disc, The Renaissance, Q-Tip is as busy as ever. In the past year, he scooped a VH1 Hip-Hop Honor for his work with Tribe, toured with Common, and stunned a Los Angeles audience when he brought Stevie Wonder out for a duet of "Superstition." If Tip has his way, 2008 may even include some barbecue with Oprah. Go ahead and chase your champagne dreams, young buck. For some emcees, it's still all about the music.
The songs I heard from The Renaissance have a lot of live music. What kind of vibe were you going for?
Well, the songs you heard may have been reworked, so don't hold me to it (laughs). But, I am still into the live musicianship aesthetic, and my ideal is just that um... I mean, you know what it is. You hear a lot of this stuff. I think there's some merit in everything, you know what I mean? But, I feel like music should kinda be musical in a way, so I just wanted to have more musical instruments. Have people see live musicians and feel a collaborative effort in hip-hop. And not borrowing anything that's status quo or what have you, not trying to fit in or nothing. You know, shit like that in a way.
 What subject matter will you touch on?
I guess I'm dealing with everything. I try not to be too topical too much. I try to make it a nice little mix of things, you know what I'm sayin'? Definitely latch onto some ideas about, you know, the politics of self, the politics of the music that's going on there.
Is there any meaning behind the title?
Yeah. I just feel like it's some ballsy shit in a way, but I'm not even saying like it's me. Like "I am the renaissance" or "I am the light." I'm just kinda trying to force everybody's hand given the climate of where we at today. 'Cause I'm not a political cat, but just what's happening in the world on so many different fronts all points to there should be some sort of spirit going on and we shouldn't sit by sedated. We should really kinda inspire ourselves to say "hey, we like the war" or "we don't like the war," "we like health care," "we hate health care." Whatever it is you wanna say, say it. But don't try to act like something's not happening because it's clear, you know.
From its inception, hip-hop has always been something that has brought about some sort of commentary. Whether it be deep, trite, sexual politicizing, social politicizing, whatever. There's always something to be said. I'm not trying to knock what anybody's saying; it's a good degree you know. Shit, you eat healthy, eat vegetables, and eat your dinner, and then afterwards there's a dessert there. So, there's room for light stuff, but you gotta have it balanced out. I guess The Renaissance is just speaking to my hope for awakening for us all; it's really not about me.
Why do you think rappers have lost that foundation in social commentary?
That's a weird question, you know. I guess we just started out like that and people kinda expect that, and now it's just so far removed. It's been co-opted. With anything that becomes popular, the business people see a possible audience for their product or soda or car or TV show, so they come with the checks. And a lot of us cats come from the places of not having any. Shit, you can only wave a check in front of somebody who ain't got nothin' for long before they start to bite. So, cats is kinda like buying into it and forget the history and all the things that got 'em there in the first place. But, I'm a optimist that it can revert back or maybe even turn into something else great. I believe that.
>>NEXT: Can Q-Tip make it on a major label?
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