Queens rapper and A Tribe Called Quest [click to read] member Q-Tip [click to read] has signed a book deal with Ballantine Books to release Industry Rules. Revealing experiences and anecdotes over the last two decades in the music business, the book also takes inspiration from one of Q-Tip’s most memorable lines in the 1991 classic record “Check The Rhime” (“Industry rule #4080  /Record company people are shady”).                                                                                                                                                             
As a multi-faceted individual who has also spent time perfecting the art of deejaying, producing, and acting, Q-Tip said putting his efforts into book writing was a natural progression. “It was important to me to write a book because on the whole, I feel we could all be more literate, and as an artist, I’m always looking for ways to do something cool, different, and both light and introspective at the same time,” he said in a press statement.                                                                                                                                                                    
Continuing, Q-Tip explained his past experiences have given him an outlook on life that is both interesting and educational at the same time. “With so many influences, like Duke Ellington’s writing, or the music played by radio DJs in the 70’s, or just what you see hanging out on Linden Blvd., there’s a lot to say, and I look forward to reaching a bunch of colorful dudes and gals with the project.”                                 

Industry Rules is set to be released in 2010, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of A Tribe Called Quest’s 1990 debut album People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.