Jonathan Davis was born on 10 April 1970 in Harlem, New York City USA, to a father from Montserrat and an African-American mother, he is a rapper, DJ and record producer far better known by his stage name, Q-Tip – from “A Tribe Called Quest”- who is hailed as one of the industry’s best.
So just how rich is Q-Tip? Authoritative sources estimate that as of mid-2016, he boasts a net worth of $8 million, accumulated during a career in the music industry which began in the late ’80s.
Q-Tip Net Worth $8 Million
Q-Tip grew up in the St. Albans community of Queens, New York. Throughout his career, Q-Tip has gone by many names – converting to Islam in the mid-90s, he changed his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, while his original stage nickname of MC Love Child gave way to Q-Tip at the suggestion of fellow hip hop artist Afrika Baby Bam of the hip-hop group “Jungle Brothers”. Q-Tip himself has been known to call himself “The Abstract”, and he released an album under that name in 2009 – “Kamaal/The Abstract”. By then, however, Q-Tip was already a world-famous celebrity and one of the best-known names in hip hop, so let’s take a step back and ask ourselves – how did he get there, and how did he build his considerable net worth?
By and large, Q-Tip can be said to have built both his wealth and name largely upon his exploits with the hip hop group “A Tribe Called Quest”. Q-Tip was one of the founding members, forming it together with childhood friends Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife Dawg and rapper Jarobi White in 1985. Initially a central part of the hip hop collective “The Native Tongues”, the group would go on to stand on its own several feet, releasing five albums and winning widespread critical acclaim as one of the most progressive and innovative rap groups of their time. Q-Tip himself earned worldwide fame as a lyricist and performer for his contributions to “A Tribe Called Quest”, and has often been called one of the most iconic pioneers of an alternative hip hop. Q-Tip’s time in the group certainly added a lot to his net worth, but the hip hop legend was not content to rest on his laurels even when the group disbanded in 1998 – beginning a successful career as a solo performer and releasing three albums of his own as well as collaborating with other stars like Kanye West and Jay-Z.
Consistently ranked as one of the world’s best hip hop performers, Q-Tip has been awarded one Grammy and nominated for three more for his work. Together with fellow “A Tribe Called Quest” members Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Q-Tip has received worldwide acclaim as one of the most innovative contemporary hip hop performers, and he has found success in his solo career, as one – all triumphs and accolades that are reflected by Q-Tip’s net worth.
Q-Tip remains an active performer to this day, currently working on his fourth solo album, entitled “The Last Zulu”, as well as helping produce Kanye West’s upcoming 2014 album.
In his personal life, Q-Tip has been married to actress Michelle Daves since 1990.
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