Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born
Jonathan Davis on April 10, 1970), better known by his stage name
Q-Tip, is an
American rapper and
record producer from
St. Albans, Queens, New York. He embarked on his music career as part of the critically acclaimed
East Coast hip hop group
A Tribe Called Quest. John Bush of
AllMusic called him "the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history," while editors of
About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers, as well as placing him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007). In 2012,
The Source ranked him #20 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.