Hennessy Artistry Tour Blows Up New York City
- story Felipe Delerme
Video courtesy of Miss Info
Last night New York City’s Terminal 5 hosted the final stop of the Hennessy Artistry Tour which included surprise performances by Bilal, Don Omar (viva reggaeton!), Consequence, Karen Wheeler of Soul II Soul, Q-Tip, and Queen Latifah, as well as mixology scientists, Common and The Roots. We arrived a little later than we wanted to, but were able to get the full scoop from our main man about town The Good Reverend Dr., who coincidentally has probably attended more Roots concerts than anyone who isn’t in the actual band.
-
posted on Oct 8, 2009 in MUSIC NEWS tags Bilal, Common, Consequence, Don Omar, Hennessy Artistry Tour, Karen Wheeler, Q-Tip, Queen Latifah, Teminal 5, The Roots
Stream: Q-Tip, Kamaal The Abstract LP
- story Peter Macia
The story of this album is probably more fascinating to old industry heads than young music fans, but for the sake of argument, let’s say Kamaal The Abstract was actually released somewhere between 2001 and 2002, when it was supposed to be. It would’ve been up sandwiched somewhere between Jay’s first two Blueprint’s and might have found itself in a Best Buy basket with either of them for all the fans of Kanye’s production. But looking back, while we still listen to both BP’s, Kamaal has definitely lost some luster, especially considering Q-Tip released a pretty solid comeback already this year. Regardless, for all those who didn’t steal it off the internet several years ago in an act of record industry protest, Kamaal The Abstract will be buyable in physical form next week, and is in the meantime streaming on Q-Tip’s MySpace. Light a clove, wrap a scarf and give it a listen. “Abstractionisms” is still a pretty tight jam.
Stream: Q-Tip, Kamaal The Abstract LP
FADER TV: Q-Tip Goes Way Back With Peter Rosenberg at 92YTribeca
- story THE FADER
Last week we spent our tax day gathered around the dimly-lit stage of
92YTribeca, host to many a cultural assembly since it opened its doors in November 2008, including the monthly series Noisemakers. At this most recent session, we listened like schoolchildren as Q-Tip told stories from back in the days on the boulevard of Linden. FADER TV captured glimpses of his epic, two-hour conversation with Peter Rosenberg, bookended by mellow keyboard n’ sax performances by The Cypher. Among the topics of conversation covered were Tip’s new album, The Renaissance, writing “Bonita Applebaum” at the age of fifteen and some strikingly accurate impressions of famous people.
Freeload: J. Period + Q-Tip, The [Abstract] Best Mixtape
- story THE FADER
We weren’t as jazzed on Q-Tip’s most recent album as a lot of you guys, but that never stopped us from appreciating dude’s ability to continuously make songs that people actually want to listen to. This J. Period mixtape, featuring some classics and some tributes from newer artists like Kid Cudi and, um, Skillz, brings us one step closer to our dreams of a massive Native Tongues reunion on a riverboat casino.
Download: J. Period & Q-Tip, The [Abstract] Best Mixtape
Freeload: Q-Tip f. Busta Rhymes, Raekwon & Lil Wayne, “Renaissance Rap (Remix)”
- story THE FADER
Aside from Q-Tip’s kind of fun idea of borrowing the “The Symphony” concept (please shoot a video), there is some genuine insight to be drawn from this remix, and it comes, of course, with Wayne’s verse at the end. No it’s not the absence of auto-tune or rock star tropes, and neither is it that he has some great lines (”Ever since I made it up out of Middle America, everybody wanna be up in my genital area.”). It’s that he truly sons three New York legends at their own game, rapping like he grew up on Linden Blvd wrecking basic beats. This is the answer for old NYC rap heads who screw their faces when a carload of kids drives by blasting Weezy. Kids like him because he kills shit, not because they suddenly love a different geography. As soon as a kid from the boroughs steps up like this, everybody will back him. But it’s kind of revealing that on this all-star remix, the Big Apple is represented by three rappers in the twilights of their careers, and the “crazy guy” from Louisiana is the reason Hot 97 has played this song a hundred times over the last two days.
Download: Q-Tip f. Busta Rhymes, Raekwon & Lil Wayne, “Renaissance Rap (Remix)”
**BONUS** Katie Couric’s Lil Wayne Interview Teaser:
-
posted on Jan 30, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Busta Rhymes, freeload, hip hop, Lil Wayne, Q-Tip, Raekwon
Exclusive Stream: Q-Tip’s The Renaissance
- story THE FADER
Nine tracks into The Renaissance, Q-Tip begins a song by singing “People at the label say they want something to repeat, but all my people really want something for the streets.” Immediately after that he launches into an extended spoken word bit. We’ll let you decide if that’s what you want from Q-Tip, but while you decide just remember that we described the video for “Gettin Up” as yoga pants, and yoga pants are really comfortable. Also comfortable is hopping in a time machine to 1996, grabbing a couple copies of Grand Royal and blasting “You” over the speakers at the Tibetan Freedom Concert right before Rage get on stage.
Freeload: Q-Tip f. D’Angelo, “I Believe”
- story THE FADER
We’re not sure we believe this the best these two could do, but as it goes with D’Angelo these days, it’s good enough to know he hasn’t devolved into a burger inhaling hermit who sings about bridges that dare not be crossed. “I Believe” is yet another song from Q-Tip’s Renaissance that Q-Tip did not play for us when he played what he claimed was Renaissance several months ago, though he did allude to doing something with his fellow Soulquarian.
And speaking of Soulquarians—sorry to digress Q and D—can someone put out Bilal’s Love for Sale? We were listening to it recently while decanting some essential oils, and that shit is still straight fire.
Download: Q-Tip f. D’Angelo, “I Believe”
Video: Q-Tip, “Gettin Up”
- story THE FADER
When Q-Tip came through the office several months ago to play us his already completed album The Renaissance, we left thinking it sounded like Amplified, only someone (Q-Tip) had learned how to transform the latter’s monotone synth forays into the former’s bonafide cosmic pop. Some of us were pretty excited about it. “Gettin Up” was not one of the songs he played and doesn’t really fit into what we heard, but has been good for stirring up some yogurt and granola in the mornings. Just saying, don’t get all mad when the rest of the record doesn’t sound like yoga pants.
