You Don't Know What You Got... Q-Tip Beat Series Part I

Janet - Got 'Til It's Gone ft. Q-Tip
taken from The Velvet Rope (Virgin, 1997)

I've been toying with the idea of a special Q-Tip production series for a while now, and I had originally intended this to be a straight compilation with extended commentary, but it feels like I would be doing Queens' one and only Q-Tip a disservice by limiting his 'extra-curricular' production credits to just a singular post. Whereas talk often arises concerning 'the best producer on the mic', discussions of the greatest MC on the boards seem more limited, and there is little doubt in my mind that Q-Tip should be considered the blueprint for this category of hip hopping musician. I can see why this imbalance exists: as a producer, you are behind the scenes, crafting grooves in some dusty basement and as a result, there is little opportunity to chisel out a strong sense of identity beyond the music that you create. Conversely, the MC is the person in the limelight, a figurehead for the culture, and the genre pretty much necessitates that you craft a persona which is engaging enough to endure the pitfalls that await any up and coming, fresh faced rapper on the scene. Q-Tip laughs in the face of these generalisations as both the lead voice in arguably the greatest hip hop group of all time, and the creator of a back catalogue of beats that stands up against the top level producers in the game that goes all the way back to the late '80s. Let's get real: there is nobody who has combined both arts as seamlessly as Q-Tip. In what will be a spasmodic series of posts over the coming months, I intend to focus on Q-Tip's non-ATCQ production credits and break 'em down in the style that you've become accustomed to. This will include some of his remix work as well as work with the production super crew of The Ummah, which coincidentally, leads me nicely into the first installment in the series...

Janet Jackson's 'Got Til It's Gone' is in fact a controversial starting point, as rumours still abound as to who actually put this beat together. However, I would be astounded if the team of Q-Tip, Dilla and Ali Shaheed Muhammad didn't produce this song, as both the sound of the track and Q-Tip's guestspot clearly indicate their participation. Taking one of Joni Mitchell's most poignant lyrics from 1970's 'Ladies Of The Canyon' as its thematic focus, 'Got 'Til It's Gone' is the perfect hip hop crossover jam, radio friendly enough to keep your average chart fan happy and with enough musical depth and grit to satisfy true heads. The beautifully crisp drum track puts the strain on your neck muscles almost instantaneously, and it works wonderfully with the bass and mellow organ track that warm the beat throughout the duration of the song. Joni's vocal hook and the baby scratches that introduce it slip perfectly into the mix, and the end result is enrapturing, creating a laid back vibe that is still driven forward with a constant sense of momentum. Perhaps one of my favourite moments in the song is the breakdown at the 3.27 mark. Briefly reduced to just bass and hand claps (you trying to tell me this ain't Dilla?!), the organ rejoins the mix at 3.38 giving you a little time to breath before you're thrown back into the beat ten seconds later with Joni's lyrics still reverberating in your ears: it's bangin'.

On the vocal side of things, I barely even register Janet's voice when listening to this cut, but her sultry, whispered delivery does work well here, adding another layer to the composition that fits in alongside the groove smoothly rather than attempting to dominate it. Q-Tip's verse needs little discussion because it is characteristically excellent, his inimitable sense of style easily carrying the weight of the sixteen bars he gets here, half of which are consumed by the 'why you wanna go and do that' refrain: our man must have rolled this one out in his sleep.

If you have hard evidence to suggest that Tip and the boys didn't produce this then I'm all ears, but as I stated before, it carries so many of The Ummah's trademark features that if it isn't them, it's a striking imitation of their style in this phase of their production output. Perhaps I'm tempting fate: I can already sense imminent evidence to the contrary... hit me up. If I have got this wrong then this will have been the most impotent start to a Q-Tip production series in blogging history, but have no fear: there's more to come over the next few months. I'm outta here.