Disco de Q-Tip: “Kamaal the Abstract”

Q-Tip's third album "Kamaal the abstract" was originally intended to be released as his second album in 2001, but was shelved by the record company over doubts about it's commercial viability. It finally gets released some 8 years later and finds Q-Tip twiddling production keys as well as playing some instruments.

The feel is Jazz/Funk a la Stevie Wonder or even Prince (especially on the Funk/Rock-laced "Heels" and on the guitar driven "Barely in love" with chunky/clunky percussion and hand claps), and finds Q-Tip doing more singing than rapping. Featuring no samples but live instrumentation, the presence of jazz legends Kenny Garrett, Gary Thomas and Kirk Rosenwinkel adds to the loose Jazzy feel.

The album comprises just 10 tracks and every thing stands out really, with variety. For lovers of Hip Hop, there's sing-song rapping on the horn/piano sprinkled "Abstractionisms" and "Do you dig u?" (lilting harmonies and funky rhodes) both set to a languid Neo-Soul sound with an incredibly groovy bassline, the melancholic piano ballad "Caring" features soothing female vocals/harmonies, while songs like "A million times" or "Even if it is so" (with a brilliant sax solo) wouldn't sound out of place on a D'Angelo or Erykah Badu CD.

This album is only "uncommercial" as compared to the uninspired clones being spit out of the musical conveyor belt, it will hardly get any airplay. Don't let that fool you though, this is music at it's finest, and I'm glad Q-Tip insisted on getting it finally released. An album you really should own.

I have been watching for this to come out for years. I heard about Q-Tip's problems with the record company pulling it from distribution so i looked for any copy of it i could. Unfortunatly i couldn't find one i could afford ( copies were going for $50 and up!) Even though its years and years later im glad i got this one. I'm a long time big big big fan of TCQ. I love this one because it represents what i believe to be true Hip Hop. Q-Tip kinda ticked me off when he came out with those crappy solo projects like Amplified. He strayed to much from his deep Hip Hop roots with that one i think. He fell slave to the "bling bling", age and it didnt work. After that i figured he completely sold out. Not his fault though. gotta do what you gotta do right? LOL

Im glad this was finally released. This is truly "Grown Folks Music" that was released early 2000s when we really needed it but had to wait 7 to 8 more years!. Its a breath of fresh air and i hope to hear more like it. My favorite is Blue Girl....man that one is TIGHT! But i love the whole CD. (sorry no MP3s for me, im truly old school and like to read the liner notes). Plus i love that he's singing too. Not the best singer but you can tell he's sincere. If Pharell can pull it off so can Q! LOving this one all the way. Please keep it up Q-tip. This is that smooth hip hop sound us beatheads love to hear! Go on grown man!

A Tribe Called Quest's lead MC Q-Tip (A.K.A. Jonathan Davis, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed) has been working to get ownership of the masters for his unreleased solo album "Kamaal The Abstract" (2002). This one never made it to the shelves as a misguided Arista Records thought it was "un-commercial". While creating a catalogue of ATCQ's group & solo releases I was happy to find out about this nine track release, a 2001 advance/promo which I found could be listened to on the web. Listening to this album is a highly enjoyable experience as Q-Tip fills this release with a creative assortment of Hip-Hop, Jazz & Alternative Rock instrumentals which make every track distinct. Great music to chill too. Early track's like "Feeling","Do You Dig U?" & "A Million Times" vibe well, Queen's Q-Tip keeps his lyrical presence limited, instead letting the memorable instrumentals (live drums, guitar, organ, saxophone, electric piano, trumpets, flute) hold their own as they do throughout this release. Q-Tip sings away on "Blue Girl" which is laced with more on point instrumentals, guitar, piano etc. "Barely In Love" vibes with good intentions and hand claps. Q-Tip rhymes about one of women's most loved possessions on "Heels" & looks to raise the bar on "Abstractionisms". The short "Caring" features some smooth female vocals and chilled out piano beats. The highlight of this album for me is the closing track "Even If It So", Q-Tip shines on this joint telling the story of a single mum's hustle to make a living and create a better life, backed by some outstanding instrumentals - love the trumpets. Found myself bumping my Tribe album's more recently, the infusion of Hip Hop and Jazz has never been done so well, finding this short but sweet release was like a breath of fresh air. Q-Tip has another unreleased album "Live at the Renaissance", it's rumored to be released soon as "The Renaissance", hopefully "Kamaal the Abstract" sees the light of day soon too, highly recommend checking out this release if you can find it.

Way back in 2002, former leader of hip-hop/jazz fusion group A Tribe Called Quest, Q-tip, created his second solo album, Kamaal the Abstract. Abstract, with its sprawling and chunky stretches of instrumental jams, was conceived 6 full years before the interbreeding between hip-hop and other genres was as prevelant and well-received as it is today. In fact, this album was such a large departure from what was going on with rap music at the time, much less from what people expected to hear from Q-tip, that it was shelved by his label for fear of being a commercial disaster. LA Reid, who would go on only a few years later to oversee the release of Outkast's Speakboxxx/The Love Below (their most experiemental and unorthodox work to date, which is saying a lot), didn't believe the album could prevail while The Game and 50 Cent were topping the charts with their information-age spin on Gangsta Rap.

In 2009 Abstract has finally seen the light of day that it deserves. While Q-tip's prior release just last year, The Reneciansse, further explored the jazzy meoldies that have always been at the root of his music since his days with Tribe, it was still standard Q-tip through and through, with all the rubber-necking sample loops and soulful basslines that entails. Those looking for a looser version of that kind of instrumentation will be pleased with Abstract, but might be puzzled when Q disappears for noticeable stretches of time. However, the spontanaeity that having such an unhinged structure brings doesn't so much hurt the album, but instead lends it a live feel which reminds you when you least expect it that anything can happen.

Things ramp up right away during the opener "Feelin'." It starts off innocuously with Qtip on the mic as usual, but its not long before there is an extended organ solo and a distored guitar riff getting all the way under your skin. Q-tip sings us out and ends the song on his own, as if to remind you that, yes, this is still his album. "Do U Dig You" features a lengthy and aimless jam-session between Gary Thomas on flute and Kirk Rosenwinkel on guitar, and sounds like Prince's lost contribution to Bitches Brew. "Blue Girl" is typical Neo-soul a la Rafael Saadiq or D'Angelo (by now you shouldn't be expect a lot of actual rhyming on this album, although there is some), until Q-tip tacks a short verse on the end out of nowhere.

Q-tip takes further chances on "Barely in Love' which suggests Sly Stone as a Schoolhouse Rock cartoon and stops just short of being an all-out gospel jam with its light organ chord progressions and hand-clapping, foot stomping refrain. "Heels" sounds like an attempt 311's brand of palm-muted rap-rock, draped in a goatee stroking jam-bandish rhythm. The ending of the song sounds like everyone from P-Funk is on stage somewhere singing its hook. Synthesizers somehow make a very auspicous and unaplogetic appearance right in the middle of it all.

Even if it loses a bit of momentum with the last few tracks, Q-tip's Kamaal the Abstract (named after Q-Tip's self appointed nom de Islam) is pretty solid for an album that never misses a chance to take one. It stands tall next to any of the highly regarded work that his experiment prone contemporaries such as Outkast and D'Angelo were doing at the time, and it's avant-garde detours are what keep it fresh after 6 years. Just as the rest of the urban music world seems to be catching up with his experimental quirks, Q-tip points out, and helps ensure, that there isn't so much that's new under the sun.

Grade: B+

For Kamaal to come up with this, only to have LA Reid shelve it back in 2001/2, is a crime.

Great stuff and a totally different direction for him.

I came across this through a friend in the music industry. If you have the chance, please give this a listen.

Hopefully he can buy the rights to the music back from Arista (aren't artist for hire contracts great?) and release it sometime in 2007/8.