The Q in his name stands for Queens, and it is also said to be a name that represents his ability to get into one’s ears.
Early career:
Q-Tip's first appearance on record was on the Jungle Brothers' Straight Out the Jungle in 1988. Besides performing with his popular and successful jazz-influenced hip hop group, 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 even R&B divas Mariah Carey ("Honey," from Butterfly, 1997) and Whitney Houston ("Fine," from Greatest Hits).
Solo career:
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, was never released because the label believed that it did not have commercial appeal. His next album, The Renaissance, was released November 2008.
A Tribe Called Quest reunited in 2006 and played a limited number of dates. The group was composed of its original lineup, including Tip and occasional member Jarobi White. Early the next year, 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 and regaining control of his previously label-owned MySpace page. He has filled the page up with demos and rarities, (some of them from Kamaal the Abstract), and has announced he is negotiating for the ownership of the masters of earlier material from his previous labels and plans to release them independently. Currently, he resides in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Q-Tip has recently stated that he will be forming a hip hop group with fellow rapper Common, called "The Standard."
End Of Time
Q-Tip Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just feelin' things out for real, ya know?
Just want to do me for real, ya know?
No reason to make it complicated, you feelin' agitated,
You love it or you hate it fuck it
Desperation, jumpin' off of street corners here
Hustlers looking for buzz like "pop one in here"
Local state officials.yeah they out of touch
But yo let them tell it, we smoke it and we sell it
You don't understand, so don't tell it
You sneakin' souls just for phat diamond golds
cause our lady friends have likings for designer clothes
People in my hood think.If I'm looking raggedy, then the cat is just a weak link
In the very fake chain of oppression.
If television taught me any lesson,
it's "Image is Nothing",
but yo I got a thirst Nothing,
but yo I got a thirst Nothing,
but yo I got a thirst what's first? Your rings or your purse?
[Jonathan Davis]
(Oh boyoh boy! Make your wagers back there! Step lively women and
children first! The world is coming to an end! Come on now we're looking at
the end! We have to leave them we have to leave all our paraphernalia's behind
(brought back brought back.) [Repeats]
(Let's go!)
It's kinda scary you see.
How fucked up things can be
Each time you take a bath
How it could have been your last
There's so much shit around us
Things we can't even see
Is this the end of our line?
That's where I want to be [Repeat: x4]
(End of Time) [Repeats]
(Brought back) [Repeats]
In Q-Tip's song "End of Time," he starts off by explaining that he's just trying to feel out life and do what he wants without making things too complicated. He talks about desperation and hustling on street corners just to make a buzz. He also touches on local state officials who are out of touch with the realities of their communities. He criticizes the way people judge and stereotype others based on their appearance, as if they are just a weak link in a chain of oppression. Q-Tip then mentions the power of image and how it's portrayed through television. Jonathan Davis interjects with a spoken word section, exclaiming that the end of the world is coming and we need to leave our material possessions behind. He speaks to the fear and uncertainty of what lies ahead, as there is so much going on around us that we can't even see. The repeated phrase "End of Time" acts as a reminder that time is finite and we need to live accordingly.
Overall, the song seems to be focused on the importance of authenticity and living life to the fullest. Q-Tip encourages listeners to be true to themselves and not get caught up in the materialistic aspirations of society. Jonathan Davis emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and the need to appreciate every moment we have.
Line by Line Meaning
Just feelin' things out for real, ya know?
I'm trying to figure things out and be myself, no need to complicate things
Just want to do me for real, ya know?
I just want to be true to myself and do what I want
No reason to make it complicated, you feelin' agitated,
Don't make things more difficult, if you're upset then let it be
You love it or you hate it fuck it
I don't care if you like it or not, I'm doing what I want
Desperation, jumpin' off of street corners here
People in my community are desperate and resorting to crime
Hustlers looking for buzz like 'pop one in here'
Drug dealers are looking for customers so they can make a sale
Local state officials. yeah they out of touch
The people in charge are disconnected from the reality of the streets
Getting money for some, hey yo, ain't nothin' much
The people in power are only looking out for themselves and not doing much for others
But yo let them tell it, we smoke it and we sell it
They blame us for drugs and ignore their own complicity
You don't understand, so don't tell it
Don't talk about what you don't know or understand
You sneakin' souls just for phat diamond golds
You're exploiting people for wealth and material possessions
cause our lady friends have likings for designer clothes
You're doing it to impress your girlfriends who care about fashion
People in my hood think.If I'm looking raggedy, then the cat is just a weak link
People in my neighborhood judge you by your appearance and see you as a liability if you don't look good enough
In the very fake chain of oppression
This is all part of a larger oppressive system that is fake and built on lies
If television taught me any lesson,
If there's one thing I've learned from watching TV,
it's 'Image is Nothing',
it's that your image is all that matters,
but yo I got a thirst Nothing,
but I'm not satisfied with that,
but yo I got a thirst Nothing,
but I'm still not satisfied,
but yo I got a thirst what's first? Your rings or your purse?
What matters more to you, your possessions or your values?
(Oh boyoh boy! Make your wagers back there! Step lively women and children first! The world is coming to an end! Come on now we're looking at the end! We have to leave them we have to leave all our paraphernalia's behind (brought back brought back.) [Repeats] (Let's go!)
We have to leave our material possessions behind because the world is ending, it's time to leave and start fresh without them
It's kinda scary you see.
It's frightening to think about
How fucked up things can be
How messed up the world can be
Each time you take a bath
Every time you relax and take a shower or bath
How it could have been your last
You never know when it's going to be your last time doing something
There's so much shit around us
There are so many negative things around us
Things we can't even see
Things that are invisible to the naked eye
Is this the end of our line?
Is this the end of humanity?
That's where I want to be [Repeat: x4]
I want to be at the end of our line, it's time for a fresh start
(End of Time) [Repeats]
'End of Time', the end of the world
(Brought back) [Repeats]
Brought back to reality, leaving our material possessions behind
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JONATHAN HOWSMAN DAVIS, KAMAAL IBN JOHN FAREED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JoeBChill
Fuckin' amazing track. Dilla with an amazing blend of rap and rock on the production. Davis' wild vocals fits perfectly. And Q-Tip straight-up killed it with the lyrics.
I.M.2BiZee
I thought Tip produced this. Thinking back Dilla had to do this cause I was looking at a dilla playlist
☜ XPOONDIGGY ☞
I love how Q-Tip takes rap to diffrent levels
Layla Chisom89
Same
chromeboi
Jonathan is my favorite singer of all time.
Layla Chisom89
Same
Opiatist
Korn always collaborates with really good rap & hip-hip artist & I hope they'll become the fearsome 5 again someday...
Reprehensible Meshuggah
Thank you Spotify and uploader. This is such a treat as a longtime Korn fan having never heard it before
Gord
Yeah not bad
WhatsHappening783402
@Gord listen to Time to get weird feat JD