Producer sample breakdown
Q-Tip Samples
Manhattan, NY -- Active 1990-present -- Born Kamaal Ibn John Fareed
Q-Tip is the principal producer and vocalist of A Tribe Called Quest, the group that defined the jazz-rap aesthetic and made it commercially viable. His production bridges funk, jazz, soul, and pop in a way that feels effortless. Beyond Tribe, he produced for Busta Rhymes, Janet Jackson, Common, and many others. His solo album The Renaissance (2008) demonstrated his range as a contemporary producer.
Q-Tip typically builds from a warm, mid-tempo jazz or soul loop, adds live drums or drum machines, and layers the sample with piano or bass fills. He is drawn to the emotional quality of a sample -- a loop's 'vibe' -- over its technical complexity.
Primary sample sources
Notable albums produced
- A Tribe Called Quest -- The Low End Theory (1991)
- A Tribe Called Quest -- Midnight Marauders (1993)
- A Tribe Called Quest -- Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996)
- Q-Tip -- Amplified (1999)
Sample breakdowns
Electric Relaxation
A Tribe Called Quest -- Midnight Marauders (1993)
What was sampled
Electric piano melody
Jazz (We've Got)
A Tribe Called Quest -- The Low End Theory (1991)
What was sampled
Saxophone groove
Can I Kick It?
A Tribe Called Quest -- People's Instinctive Travels (1990)
What was sampled
Bass line
Award Tour
A Tribe Called Quest -- Midnight Marauders (1993)
What was sampled
Piano loop
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See Q-Tip samples in action
Goat Music's Sample Tree videos show the source and derivative side by side so you can hear exactly how each producer transformed the original.