DESCRIPTION:
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born April 10, 1970), better known by his showbiz name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and occasional actor from Queens, New York City, perhaps best known as part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest.

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known as Busta Rhymes (born May 20, 1972),[2] is a Grammy-nominated Jamaican-American rapper, songwriter, and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the name Busta Rhymes (from former NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes).

Besides performing with his popular and successful jazz-influenced hip hop group, Q-Tip also did production work (under his production alias the Abstract or often—along with fellow Tribe member Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the late Slum Village member Jay Dee—as part of The Ummah) for artists such as Nas ("One Love", from Illmatic, 1994), Mobb Deep (co-producer on "Give up the Goods (Just Step)", "Temperature's Rising", and "Drink Away the Pain", from The Infamous, 1995) and R&B singers Mariah Carey ("Honey", from Butterfly, 1997) and Whitney Houston ("Fine", from Whitney: The Greatest Hits).

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, wasn't released at that time because the label believed that it did not have commercial appeal. The Long awaited follow-up to Amplified was finally released on September 15, 2009 on Battery Records in 2009.

A Tribe Called Quest reunited in 2006 and played a limited number of dates. The group was composed of its original lineup, including Q-Tip and occasional member Jarobi White. Early the next year, Q-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. His latest album The Renaissance was released on November 4, 2008 through Universal Motown.

Q-Tip is confirmed to play the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans over the 2009 Halloween weekend.

Amplified is the debut solo album of hip hop artist Q-Tip, released November 23, 1999 on Arista Records. The album was recorded after the disbanding of Q-Tip's former group, A Tribe Called Quest.[11] Production was handled almost entirely by Q-Tip and J Dilla, who had previously produced for A Tribe Called Quest. Q-Tip's lyrics throughout the album feature boasts and playful seduction raps.[12]

Although the album featured a more commercial sound than his work with the Tribe, it still received positive feedback from critics and fans alike. Amplfied was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[13] As of July 2008, the album has sold 675,000 copies in the United States.[14]