A Tribe Called Quest legend, Q-Tip at The Ambassador

jmc

Dublin’s Ambassador Theatre
proudly presents:
Q-Tip
With Special Guests
July 7th ‘04

Tickets on-sale nationwide this Friday.

Longtime M.C. with pioneering hip-hop trio A Tribe Called Quest, rapper Q-TIP was born Jonathan Davis in New York City on November 20, 1970.

While a student at the Murray Bergtraum High School for Business Careers in Manhattan, he co-founded A Tribe Called Quest with fellow students Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Phife (Malik Taylor) in 1988.

The following year, Q-Tip guested on De La Soul's groundbreaking ‘3 Feet High and Rising’ LP, with the two groups forever linked through their association with the Native Tongues collective.

Tribe's debut single, ‘Description of a Fool’, appeared in the summer of 1989 and was followed by the hit ‘Bonita Applebum’ a year later, which was apparently based on a real person from their school.

After signing to Jive Records, the trio issued their debut LP, ‘People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm’, a year later.

Their biggest success came the following year with the laid-back classic ‘Can I Kick It?’, typical of their refined jazz/hip-hop cross-match and it went Top 20 in the UK.

In the same year, Q-Tip also appeared on Deee-Lite's classic ‘Groove Is In The Heart’.

With their fiercely intelligent, socially progressive lyrics and brilliant fusion of rap and jazz, the group emerged as one of the most popular and influential in all of hip-hop, producing the classic LPs, 1991's ‘The Low End Theory’ and 1993's ‘Midnight Marauders’.

In 1996 ‘Beats, Rhymes And Life’ debuted at number 1 on the Billboard album chart, while ‘The Love Movement’, which debuted at US number 3 in October 1998, was another mature, stylish collection of material. It proved to be their final recording as the individual members elected to concentrate on solo work.

‘The Anthology’ (1999) and ‘Hits, Rarities & Remixes’ (2003) were released due to continuing popular demand while it’s been reported since that the trio have since met to work on some new material and a reunion LP is rumoured to appear towards the end of 2004.

In December ’02, two-thirds of Tribe made a surprise appearance earlier in the month during a De La Soul show at L.A.'s House of Blues. Tip and Phife jumped on-stage and gave the fans a special treat. ”We could've freestyled, but I think we needed to do at least one Tribe joint. We ended up doing three joints together - the singles, 'Check the Rhyme,' 'Find a Way' and 'Award Tour’,” Phife said afterwards.

The group got together last summer out of a curiosity to hear what they would sound like again. They were happy enough with the results to begin conversations about working on more new material though nothing else has been recorded as of yet. "People will be surprised when it comes out," he said.

Tip says A Tribe Called Quest's break-up after releasing ‘The Love Movement’ had more to do with Jive Records than the group itself. "It wasn't really internal. They were jerking us and they were putting strains on our relationships."

Q-Tip (now also known as Kamaal Fareed) mounted his own solo career with the 1999 release of 'Amplified', which featured the anthems, ‘Breath And Stop’ and ‘Vibrant Thing’ and his own new album, ‘Open’ is set for release later this year.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about the album, he said “I thought the word 'open' sounded cool. It spoke to a state of mind I was in, to a consciousness … All of those positive qualities of that word, I just like how it felt. You could be open off a beat, a girl, certain things in your life, you know what I mean?"

Q-Tip remains one of the most revered icons of hip-hop's golden era, with everyone from Outkast’s Andre 3000 to N.E.R.D’s Pharrell Williams citing him and Tribe as a defining influence on their own musical styles. That sentiment makes the anticipated Tribe reunion that much more savory.

Don’t miss Q-Tip when he plays a very special Irish date at The Ambassador Theatre in Dublin on Wednesday, July 7th.

Tickets €36.50 (inc. booking fee) go on sale nationwide this Friday, May 21st from Ticketmaster and usual outlets nationwide.
Doors: 7.30pm sharp. Over 18’s, ID Essential. Under 18’s must be accompanied by person 18 or over.



DISCOGRAPHY:
Amplified (Arista 1999)
Kamaal The Abstract (Arista 2002, promo only)

- With A Tribe Called Quest:
People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm (Jive 1990)
The Low-End Theory (Jive 1991)
Revised Quest For The Seasoned Traveller remix album (Jive 1992)
Midnight Marauders (Jive 1993)
Beats, Rhymes And Life (Jive 1996)
The Love Movement (Jive 1998).
The Anthology (Jive 1999)
Hits, Rarities & Remixes (Jive 2003).


FILMOGRAPHY:
Poetic Justice (1993)
Rhyme & Reason (1997)
Free Tibet (1998)
Love Goggles (1999)
Prison Song (2000).

Mr. Fancypants

Good stuff. Must get myself a ticket. Think the Ambassador is a crap venue though.

drane2

Ah all of his solo stuff doesn't compare to ATCQ, and 36.50 for a gig in the ambassador is ridiculous.

jmc

Hip Hop acts from the U.S. are always going to cost a lot to put on unfortunately.
If you look at Missy/Talib it's €54 for The Point for eg.

drane2

guess it depends on who you get

Aesop Rock was only 12.50
and Cannibal Ox were 16.50 until they cancelled
and wasn't that Def Jux night with El-P only around 20 euro?

jmc

Yep, they're all feckin great and some would say they're more innovative in contemporary hip hop. In the States though their profile is more underground so whoever represents them isn't in a position to charge as much on their behalf.
You're going to pay less to see them in a smaller venue unless they're a very big act.
Sorry if I've gone off stating the obvious.

In other news...
Buck 65 has been added for the Sunday at Oxegen (potentially with full band?)
It was 15 in to see Buck at Whelans. Possibly more in France? He's huge over there.

Any sign of Sage Francis comin' back?