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."
Feelin
Q-Tip Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like everything was cool so I went on my way
I guess I walk with a bop so then this profiling cop
Now wait a minute G ayo don't tell me to stop
So then this profiling cop with his profiling ass
Figured the best thing he could do was find a cat to harass
That little kitten was me, not that one in the tree
The black one with the promise and the wish to be free
I'm a prince plus important plus there's business I'm on
See this racking I'm in it need somebody like me
All of us is concentrating on the things that we see
How much we make so you see and grate
You not making a slate, 'cause it's just in our fate
I refuse to get booze so just handle your thang
Yo what's happenin' today, yo we gotta bring back that
Feelin', what happened to that feelin'?
Good, feelin' don't you go, don't go inside
Feelin' don't you go girl, don't you hide
Feelin' don't you go, don't go inside
Feelin' don't you go girl, don't you hide, feelin' don't you go, don't go inside
In Q-Tip's song Feelin, he describes a moment in which he woke up feeling good and went on with his day. As he walks down the street with confidence, he gets stopped by a profiling police officer. The officer sees Q-Tip as a threat simply because of his skin color and attempts to harass him. However, Q-Tip challenges the officer and asserts his worth as a "prince" who is on important business. He reminds the officer that he is not just a "little kitten" to be picked on but a person with a desire for freedom.
Through the lyrics of the song, Q-Tip highlights the issue of racial profiling and prejudice that African Americans often face. He talks about how the profiling cop with his "profiling ass" found it necessary to harass him and demonstrates the frustration that many African Americans feel when faced with racial injustice. However, he does not let the officer's actions ruin his good feelings from that day, and he encourages others to hold onto their "feelin'" as well. He reminds listeners that no one should be able to steal their joy or make them feel small.
Overall, Q-Tip's song Feelin is an anthem against racial injustice and a call to hold onto the positivity that comes with feeling good. He encourages listeners to stand up for themselves and reminds them that they are valuable no matter what anyone else says.
Line by Line Meaning
Had this good feelin' when I got up today
I woke up feeling positive and optimistic today
Like everything was cool so I went on my way
I felt like everything was alright and I went about my day
I guess I walk with a bop so then this profiling cop
The cop thought I seemed suspicious because of the way I walked
Now wait a minute G ayo don't tell me to stop
I protested the cop trying to stop me
So then this profiling cop with his profiling ass
The cop was profiling me based on my appearance
Figured the best thing he could do was find a cat to harass
The cop decided to harass me because he couldn't find anything else to do
That little kitten was me, not that one in the tree
The cat being harassed was me, not the actual cat in the tree
The black one with the promise and the wish to be free
I am a black person who wants to be free from oppression and harassment
I mean damn policeman can't you leave me alone?
I asked the cop to leave me alone and stop harassing me
I'm a prince plus important plus there's business I'm on
I consider myself to be of high status and have important things to attend to
See this racking I'm in it need somebody like me
The community and society need someone like me to help make a difference
All of us is concentrating on the things that we see
We are all focused on our own personal goals and what we can see
How much we make so you see and grate
We are concerned with how much money we make and how we are perceived
You not making a slate, 'cause it's just in our fate
Our destiny is not determined by anyone else, despite their efforts to hold us back
I refuse to get booze so just handle your thang
I will not resort to drinking or drugs, you can handle your own problems
Yo what's happenin' today, yo we gotta bring back that
We need to bring back the positive feeling we had earlier
Feelin', what happened to that feelin'?
What happened to the good feeling we had earlier?
Good, feelin' don't you go, don't go inside
I want to hold onto the good feeling and not let it disappear
Feelin' don't you go girl, don't you hide
I don't want the positive feeling to fade or disappear
Feelin' don't you go, don't go inside
I want to maintain the positive feeling and not let it fade away
Feelin' don't you go girl, don't you hide, feelin' don't you go, don't go inside
I am pleading with the good feeling not to disappear or fade away
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, Christopher Lee Sholar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind