Q-Tip is in need of a renaissance. Never mind the current state of the game or the circumstances which led up to having at least one of his previous solo albums permanently locked in the vaults by the suits at Arista Records. "The Abstract" has been criss-crossing the country on red eye flights to share headlining duties with his brethren from A Tribe Called Quest on the Rock The Bells tour in Chicago. Despite some obvious fatigue, Tip was gracious enough to open up his dressing room and do a little press for his upcoming album, Live At The Renaissance.

In about 10 hours there will be an epic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde transformation that showcases the Tribe channeling some Native Tongues circa 1993 showmanship. But even at this ridiculously early hour, all it takes is a little conversation about the more abstract parts of his catalogue and performing to make Q-Tip partake in a rebirth akin to the one scholars use to describe Europe's cultural movement of the fifteenth century. For those who believe Hip Hop is going through its own version of the Dark Ages, it will take more patience to see if Tip's efforts will receive a positive reception or be slept on.

HipHopDX: Your last few solo efforts have been deemed experimental, ahead of their time. Did you re-evaluate at all, as far as your approach?
Q-Tip: No, because music is just what I’m feeling at the time. It comes how it comes, and it depends on the new situation.

DX: You have used Jazz musician Wes Montgomery as a source before, citing how he retooled his career at 30 years old. Given your experience in the game, can you elaborate on how you’ve applied that?
Q: Wes Montgomery started to play guitar when he was 29. He went on to be considered one of the best in musician circles. I was drawing that analogy.

DX: In Interview magazine, you compared rap right now to Disco. With something like Rock The Bells going on, how much do you think efforts like these turn that around so it doesn’t fall to Disco?
Q: I think it’s important. It’s not that Disco is a horrible thing, it just has a negative connotation. It became popular, like Hip Hop, Pop-ular. Pop. Pop. Pop. Things like [Rock The Bells] are cool, but you don’t want to section things off like, “This is the real Hip Hop.” If you want to [accept] the music, it’s for everybody, no matter the background or section. So I feel like, yeah, this is important because it shows that we can survive, not only to ourselves, but to people in positions of power. To see that Rakim may not be a bad idea to get to work on a new album, ‘cause he still has a draw. Or De La Soul is still riding in a relatively popular marketplace. Because the thing about music is, record sales have gone down – Tower Records closes and Virgin closes, but you see more Sam Ashes and Guitar Centers. People are quick to buy equipment – computers, guitars, deejay equipment. So the appetite is there. A tour like this should just show that to people in authoritative position’s minds. It’s every genre, not just Hip Hop, but Rock, Jazz, R&B, the appetite is there.

DX: You once compared your love of music to Al Pacino’s character from Panic In Needle Park, who was a heroin addict. As a music junkie and record collector does the current state of things change that?
Q: Am I still chasing after the high? Yeah. I always buy records, listen to records, enjoy records. It’s a hobby; I like records. I like to find a beat. I like rare pressings. I like stuff that sounds different. Different mixes. I’m into it.

DX: As a performer, how often does that addictive tendency come?
Q: Like catching lightning in a bottle? I don’t really get that feeling. I don’t really do stuff. You hear it, and it sounds good. It just feels good, and you just go with it. You don’t always get the, “this is a grand slam [off the bat]” feeling so much. I don’t.

DX: In terms of production, people tend to ask you about a lot of the same records. One that I’ve never really heard you speak on is “Crooklyn Dodgers.” Did Spike Lee come to you with those emcees in mind, or did you pick them?
Q: Spike approached, and he gave us a screening at the time. At the time we had [Buckshot, Masta Ace and Special Ed], we had Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and we reached out to Jay-Z [click to read], I think, at the time, and maybe somebody else. I think they all came. I think Ol’ Dirty Bastard left, and I think Jay came late. So Spike was like [Q-Tip shrugs his shoulders].

DX: How was that for you as a producer coming into his own working outside the group?
Q: It was great. I like working with other artists ‘cause it gives me a different environment. So it gives you different things. I think it’s good. Continued on page 2 »