J.Period is always thinking two steps ahead; always thinking about the “next evolution.” It’s partly why his Best Of...series has completely remixed the impact of the mixtape. Each release is much more than just a collection of dope songs. They’re more like sonic time capsules, blending awesome music with exclusive interviews adding unprecedented depth into the artist behind the mic. They’re entertaining and edutaining all at once. What started with his 2004, Best Of Nas mixtape has evolved into last month’s impeccable Q-Tip feature, The [Abstract] Best, J.Period’s Live Mixtape with Black Thought and, as he states in this interview, possibly film.
BrooklynBodega.com caught up J.Period following the 7th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival and discussed the origins of his unique mixtape series, his experience working with Q-Tip and the “next evolution” as he sees it.
Brooklyn Bodega: I think the work that you’ve done has redefined the mixtape. Your mixtapes are a lot more than just a dope collection of songs. They’re a dope collection of songs with all the right elements to make them edutaining at the same time. The Michael Jackson mixtape really gave insight into his creative process. This Q-Tip tape, The [Abstract] Best, showed all types of new perspectives.
J.Period: Honestly, the mixtapes themselves are as much educational for me as they are for the listener because I’m always learning while I’m doing them. I do so much research into these people’s lives and their influences and inspirations that I learn a tremendous amount about them that I didn’t know as well. So, that’s the dope part for me as the creator of them.
Brooklyn Bodega: Take us through the process. How does this actually work? Are you spending lots of time interviewing people? Are you spending hours looking online?
J.Period: With someone like Michael Jackson, I’m finding things. In the early days when I did the Nas mixtape which was the first one, that came out of me being at a listening session. That was literally the one that sparked the whole idea. I was sitting there and all these college radio DJs were interviewing him and I was thinking how ill it would be to tell his story through his own words and his music. That Best of Nas mixtape became the blueprint to what I’ve now sort of expanded on and kind of twisted and turned and done more with to the point where now I actually get to sit down with the artists. They’ve already heard what I do so they already know. That’s given me unprecedented access to a lot of these people. When I did the Lauryn Hill mixtape, only a small portion of that was actually me getting her to actually sit down and co-sign it and the rest was me digging things up. I’m at the point now where I did the John Legend and The Roots mixtape, and not only did I interview John and members of The Roots, but they actually gave me the session files from the album. That’s actually a tremendous honor, to actually to be able to create on the level that they’re creating on with the elements that they’re using.
Honestly, the whole idea is to pay homage to the people that inspire me and going deeper than your average mixtape. For most people, a mixtape is just a bunch of songs put together. For me, it was always something that allowed me to take bits and pieces from everywhere. Sampling issues don’t allow you to do that on records. But a mixtape is open season. You can do whatever. Really, I do it all from a fans perspective because I’m a fan of Hip-Hop first.
Brooklyn Bodega: They really run like documentaries. Have you thought about visualizing these?
J.Period: Yeah, you know, I’ve talked to a number of people. Garth Trinidad, who is a radio DJ out in [Los Angeles], and I have been talking about bringing it to the stage. He calls them audio documentaries. That’s his thing. I’ve even spoke to Michael Rappaport when he was working on the [A Tribe Called Quest] documentary about bringing some of the elements from the Q-Tip mixtape to the screen. That didn’t happen for clearance reasons, but I think that’s the next evolution. Really for me, it’s that and then it’s tackling the legal hurdles of convincing a company that what I do with their catalog has an audience. That’s hard because they see 500 thousand downloads and think people take it because it’s free but they’re not going to pay for it. I really believe that this sort of level of music and the kind of people that want it are real fans. I think those real fans will pay money for it. Brooklyn Bodega: Fans still pay money for concert tickets and T-shirts.
J.Period: I also think they like something that they can hold, like this The [Abstract] Best flash drive. It’s a flash drive, which is something digital, but it’s also tangible. I still think that, like all the collectors items I have from when I was a kid and still have all over my studio as inspiration, like physical CDs, people still like that.
Brooklyn Bodega: How was it working with Tip on The [Abstract] Best?
In a 2007 interview with The Village Voice, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed -- or as Africa Baby Bam of the Jungle Brothers originally anointed him, Q-Tip -- states aptly that, “We’re a nation of people who have short attention spans and don’t necessarily read the whole book; we make it through the first couple of chapters and fall asleep and forget about it.”
It’s an eloquent summation, really; as succinct and easily relatable as any of the illimitable hymns he’s bestowed upon Hip-Hop since his 1988 entrance on the JB’s “The Promo.” Not only is it honest, but it captures the most primary bi-product of our pop-centric, hyper-technological society the way A Tribe Called Quest captured rap’s Golden Era duality to both entertain and educate.
That’s why -- twenty-one years after the iconic squad’s debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels And The Path’s of Rhythm -- Tribe is still revered by everyone from your momma to Obama: because they made dope songs that blended jazz and be-bop and Hip-Hop with a message and undeniable melody that always...always rocked the party.
“Do dat do dat do do dat dat dat”
And Tip just may be the coolest frontman in history, up there with Jagger and Hendrix. Cross-generational-type cool. Make a pair of New Balance look revolutionary-type cool. Put people on-type cool.
A Tribe Called Quest’s illustrious catalog and what seemed like an all-too-soon disbanding resonates so deeply, so broadly for so many that it ironically undermines what’s still one of the most storied, individual resumes in Hip-Hop history. We love those first few chapters of Q-Tip’s career so much that -- like he states in that 2007 Village Voice interview -- we often forget about the rest of the book.
We forget that The Abstract produced every track on People’s Instinctive Travels, The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders except “Show Business,” “Everything Is Fair,” “8 Million Stories” and “Keep It Rollin” -- depending on how you feel about his remaking of what was originally Pete Rock’s beat for “We Got The Jazz.” And that that same prolific production genius extends to the Jungle Brothers’ Black Is Black, Nas’ Illmatic, Mobb Deep’s The Infamous, Craig Mack, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Kanye West and soon enough (with the upcoming release of Watch The Throne) Jay-Z; influencing generations and just about anything neo-soul related.
Q-Tip’s two-decades plus emphasis on artistic integrity and sonic progression along with his cross-generational legacy falls in line with everything Brooklyn Bodega supports through it’s mission statement; everything Brooklyn Bodega is fundamentally about. In the truest sense he is an ambassador for Hip-Hop, consistently pushing The Culture past predefined margins through collaborations across audial boundaries.
He’s the luminary's luminary.
Honestly, having him rock the 7th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival is an easier than easy decision. It’s really a no-brainer.
But who would Brooklyn Bodega be if we settled for the obvious? How could we be satisfied with the easy decision and still uphold our laser-aimed focus on freshness?
So we pushed the margins to the brink of breach.
BHF11 is ten-months pregnant with possibilities because Q-Tip isn’t just headlining. He’s curating, partnering with the Bodega Family in assembling an all-world, one-time only performance featuring surprise appearances from every corner of his legendary catalog!
Call it: Q-Tip & Friends -- A Celebration of Hip-Hop Through The Lense of An Iconoclast
“When’s the last time you heard a funky diabetic?” – Phife Dawg
It was one of those nights where everyone seemed to be in the building. Where “New Skoolers” and “True Skoolers” rocked mics side by side. Where the guest appearances brought out guest appearances.
Billed as a diabetes awareness event honoring Hip Hop legend Malik Isaac Taylor (better known as “Phife Dawg” from A Tribe Called Quest) who is affected by the disease and making his first NYC appearance since his successful kidney transplant surgery last year, MIND BODY SOUL rolled more like a mini Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival than the average concert.
"And its up to me to bring back the hope / and feeling in the music that you can quote" - Q-Tip; "Johnny Is Dead"
Nearly a decade has passed since the the masses have sunk into a new, full-length Lp from the-artist-also-known-as Q-Tip.
And its not his fault entirely.
Three-years after the release of his craptastic solo debut, Amplified (uber pop-centered compared to the timeless material released as a member of A Tribe Called Quest), Tip's critically-acclaimed sophomore Lp, Kaamal The Abstract (2002), was shelved by Arista Records due to a feared lack of commercial appeal. Since then, Q-Tip has left Arista, guest-appeared on cuts by everyone from Jay-Z to R.E.M., toured internationally with newly-reunited A Tribe Called Quest, signed with Motown/Universal Records, hinted at forming a group with Common (The Standard), and still found the time to craft his third solo album, The Renaissance.
A busy man to say the least.
Its been a minute since Q-Tip's surfaced from the lab with new product for heads to O-D on. Much has happened in the world. Much has happened in his world. Whats on his mind? Whats in his ear? What does he have to say?
Come along and ride with us, as The Quotable Reviews: The Renaissance.
"So get it in your head / We gon' rock the dead. / Night of the living Emcees. / The weak ones fled." - Q-Tip; "Move"
From the onset of The Renaissance, Q-Tip, A.K.A. Kamaal The Abstract, makes it crystal that he's back, and returned with an evolved soundscape. Over the funky strings and light snare of "Johnny Is Dead", Kamaal reintroduces himself and tells us to "inform a friend / that your boy from the hood / is on that shit again." "Won't Trade" showcases that quintessential Q-Tip flow (slightly nasal, slightly monotone, somehow appealng) and wordplay as he uses hoops analogies to describe his attraction to the ladies and hip hop heads alike, while riding the base strings and sped-up soul sample to perfection. This track also sports one of the albums iller quotables:
"I train for the pressure. / It comes out fresher. Equiped for the game / you know my name it makes me better. I cheer for the home team. / Lets go for the whole thing. The ballots that your holding. / MVP voting. And I represent the sentiment that your emoting."
Q-Tip slides into relationship mode on the smooth "Gettin' Up", discussing the allure of reuniting with an ex. "Official" is a subdued, head-bobbing, scratch-heavy freestyle track which Tip rips lovely - kicking "percussions our weapons / drums are Smith & Wessons / Lyrics poppin off leaving deep impressions." From there relationship mode resumes with "You" (an ode to the realization that at the end of it all, it wasn't me...it was you), the Raphael Saadiq assisted "WeFight/WeLove" (where the two opine on loves ups and downs), and the funky, snare driven "ManWomanBoogie" (a musical metaphor for the spiritual connection between women and men).
The album's apex arrives with the J Dilla produced "Move." Clearly the Lp's standout cut. Tip spits cypher rhymes over Dilla's impectable drums and Jackson 5 sample ("Dancing Machine"). The beat switches 2 minutes and 49 seconds in as Kaamal reverts to a Rakim-esque delivery while reflecting on his path into rap lore ("And then my legend would grow on the A train line / where brothers would gather to see me, blowin' nicks and dimes"). Yep, clearly the album's standout cut.
"Plus a little bit more because you're choosing the prettiest / The wiliest, wittiest, on the low we the grittiest." - Q-Tip; "Dance On Glass"
The Liu Kang of the Loose Leaf page comments on Hip Hop's morbid state ("Who can make it up? / Dark Age is here in Rap") on "Dance On Glass." Norah Jones guest appears on the sultry "Life Is Better" where Q-Tip delivers the central theme of The Renaissance - "hip hop is here again...and its bangin'" - while giving shout outs to everyone from Kool Herc to Kanye West (excluding Lupe Fiasco. Not suprising after their recent dustup following last year's VH1 Hip Hop Honors). The tempo slows down on bass guitar-heavy, motivational, D'Angelo featured "Believe." "Shaka" is the closest Kaamal gets to bringing back that feeling of A Tribe Called Quest - carrying an early 90s vibe throughout. The Renaissance closes with the upbeat, soulful "Good Thang." Top to bottom, a pretty nice run.
"The formidable, unforgettable painting Abstract" - Q-Tip; Dance On Glass
All in all, The Renaissance feels like...well, a renaissance. Its apparent Q-Tip hasn't lost a lyrical step during his hiatus. The album is diverse, with a complimentary mixture of intropection, common man sensibilities (relationships rather than revelry), and fun freestlye cuts.
Perhaps whats most impressive and simultaneously most unfortunate is that Q-Tip produced nearly the entire album (excluding the ubiquitous "Move") himself. No doubt he's talented behind the boards and the album knocks most of the way through. But the problem with single-producer albums is the potential danger of sounding repetitive. For the most part, Kaamal stays away from the trap, but tracks like "Gettin' Up", "WeFight/We Love", "Official," and "Life Is Better" (although all dope) feel very similar - most noticeable when rocking on random and they happen to follow each other. A petty, pet-pieve of The Company Man. Plus, its been a while since I've listened to an all Q-Tip album, and unfortunately his trademark pitch is slightly less appealing than remembered. Not necessarily Freeway annoying. Just less appealng. Still classic though.
Front to back, The Renaissance is one of the better albums of the past couple years. Its a lean 13 tracks (only 2 verses on most), zero interludes, and maintains a solid lounge feel all the way through. Its the type of album that you'd appreciate more at S.O.B.s than MSG (smaller intimate setting as oppose to a stadium). And its versatile soundscape (you can clean to it, ride to it, enter mack-mode to it) signals the all important replay-value potential. The Renaissance will likely not break any sales records, but its a top-shelf Lp nonetheless. And most importantly for Tip, a more-than-worthy return. Hip Hop is playin' again...and its bangin'.
