Q-Tip Discusses Being Signed to G.O.O.D. Music

 

Back in early April, Kanye West signed Hip Hop veteran Q-Tip to his G.O.O.D. Music label but since then, not much has been heard from the long time emcee. As the label is steadily prepping for the release of their "Cruel Summer" compilation album, it leaves many to wonder what role Q-Tip has played in the making of it. In a recent interview with Complex, Q-Tip discusses "Cruel Summer", his deal with the label, and working with the label's younger artists.
He starts off by discussing what he has brought to the table for the label's compilation LP.
"I've done beats. I've done rhymes. We'll see. I didn't mix. I'm just contributing. I was in New York with Pusha, Kanye and DJ Khaled. Fat Joe was there. One time Cudi was there. It varied. It was cool. Everybody was working. Again, the music is a unifying thing. As long as you keep it centered around music, it's all good."
Q-Tip then explained some of the details on how he ultimately agreed to sign with Kanye's label.
"It's a long journey, but I've basically been signed to Universal in some way shape or form or incarnation for about 10 years. So I've just kind of been through the system. I still had an obligation to fill and they didn't necessarily want to discard me for whatever reasons so I kind of had my pick of the litter. Dreamworks, Interscope, Motown, and then Def Jam.
I met Kanye years ago at a show. I was working with Kanye during Watch The Throne. I was playing him beats that I was doing and he was like, "Yo, what label are you on?" And I was like, "Def Jam." And he was like, "Damn you need to be on G.O.O.D." And we were rocking, and I was like, let's do it. It's that simple."
He also stated that despite his longevity in the industry, he can still learn from newer artists such as Big Sean and Kid Cudi.
"Absolutely. That's the thing, never stop learning. I like to learn, I'm just a sucker for new information. Learning, working, trying to innovate, and striving. Still being me. My job isn't to be here and be talking about how I'm buying out the bar and tricking my bitches. That's never been my thing and it's not going to start. I don't kid myself.
But I am a student and I have managed to continue to learn. So I definitely learn from Cudi, Sean, and Pusha. Just listening, sitting back, and studying sometimes. You have to be quiet to gain."
Source:complex.com
Written By: Shaun Russell