True story, funny story about Q-Tip…
I know him as Jonathon from the days when Queens kids would occupy the IND platform at Queens Plaza and take those subways to their respective schools. The kids that congregated on the platform went to every make and model of school there was. Jarobi went to Brooklyn Tech and Tip went to Murray Bergtraum.
All I can tell you about ATCQ back then was that they went about their business like true professionals. There was no subway rhyme cipher. Truthfully, Q-Tip was as much about broads as he must have been about his beats. I feel like we butted heads [ll] from time to time chasing chicks from Norman Thomas HS.
Several years after high school and I see that A Tribe Called Quest is killing shit with Bonita Applebum. Until I saw the music video on Ralph McDaniels show I didn’t even realize how culturally significant Jarobi and Jonathon were to become. Their style was effortless and unique. ATCQ had my full support from that point forward. Sure, the music was dope, but these were also MY dudes making good.
I run into Q-Tip several months later at Powerhouse nightclub wearing a Tribe Called Quest tee. I loved that t-shirt and one of my exes (read: jumpoffs) got me for that joint just like the first Tribe album cassette which I ended up buying three(3) times. When Jonathon saw my shirt he got all tight and said to his homey, “Look at this nigger.”
I was like, “What?”. Tip asked me, “Where did you get that shirt?” I told him that I bought it at a skateshop downtown. I bought it from my dude who used to piece me Stussy shirts and Fresh Jive caps at this shop on Varick Street. What did it matter since I was repping his band was my response. Then he told me that none of the money from that shirt I was wearing was going to support the group, that his artwork’s copyright was being used without his permission.
Q-Tip’s complaints didn’t make any sense to me at the time like they do now, but in the same instance I think he was getting a lesson in piracy and commercial art. If you don’t want someone to steal your ideas you might should prA’li just stop thinking. And if you ever have a good idea, you best be having another one.
ATCQ was a great idea and NO ONE can ever take that away from Q-Tip.
