The 11 Best Q-Tip Songs

Q-Tip's new album is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with the music industry. I'm not saying that the music industry can't do anything right...they're just more skilled at doing things wrong. See, Q's album is not actually a new album...it's an old album that's been sitting around since 2001. Why? Because it's a concept jazz-infused hip-hop album without a break-out single which makes it impossible to promote...in their eyes. To the record label, singles are what makes an album successful. And in the 90s that worked. But now we have itunes...and for the past decade...the labels have been still pushing singles over albums...and what has happened? Album sales have plummeted. If you heavily promote a single over an album, people will just go buy that 99 cent single without buying the album. Why spend $10 if you only want one song? That's what people are doing...and the labels are left scratching their heads about the decline in album sales.

Because Q's album marketing plan was too difficult of an egg to crack...the album sat and sat and sat. Meanwhile, for years it was traded...downloaded...burned to anyone who wanted it. An internet frenzy that called it nothing short of a masterpiece. All the while, the lable lost thousands...if not millions of dollars on album sales. It's hard to feel bad for the guy with one leg who shot himself in the foot.

Since Q-Tip's people are running around taking down all the Q-Tip posts with MP3s...nothing for today...which means...I don't have to provide a link where you can buy it. Sorry Q, if you're going to punch me in the back...I'm not going to scratch yours.

Here are the 11 Best Q-Tip Songs:

1. Vibrant Thing (Amplified)

2. Getting Up (The Renaissance)

3. Move (The Renaissance)

4. Let's Ride (Amplified)

5. Official (The Renaissance)

6. Johnny Is Dead (The Renaissance)

7. Things U Do (Amplified)

8. Dance on Glass (The Renaissance)

9. Life Is Better (The Renaissance)

10. Breathe and Stop (Amplified)

11. N.T. (Amplified)

Buy Q-Tip's recently (and finally officially) released album, Kamaal the Abstract.

The 11 Best Albums of 2008 (Part 4)

With Obama set to take office in a little over a month...it's like we can't get out of 2008 fast enough. But before we sprint to the finish...let's not forget what good stuff did come out along the way.

And DON'T FORGET...to send me your lists!!! Just through them in the comment section and I'll make a full tally of 111 albums.

Here are the 11 Best Albums of 2008 (Part 4):

12. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
13. The Mars Volta - Bedlam in Goliath (Memories - bonus track)
14. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
15. Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
16. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement (My Mistakes - Jools Holland)
17. Metallica - Death Magnetic (Get album for $5.00)
18. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life (No Epiphany - Daytrotter)
19. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
20. Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
21. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
22. Q-Tip - The Renassaince (get album for $5.00)

Visit my amazon store.

The UNKNOWN: Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract

Tomorrow I have shoulder surgery, so I will be out of commission in a Vicadin-induced stupor for a good couple of weeks. In case I don't make it through this simple procedure...hey, it happens...I'd like to leave you with a great unreleased nugget. Of all unreleased albums, Q-Tip's jazz/rap album may be the most legendary. Six years old at this point, it remains an epic album that would have surely reinvented the genre. An album so creative, it's one of the most sought after unreleased albums of all time. Currently, it ranks up there with Chinese Democracy, Zac de la Rocha's solo album, and Ryan Adams' Is This It. The only difference between Kamaal and the others, is that we know it really exists! It's a shame, too, the album is great.

At this point, I think Q-Tip has 3 unreleased albums. I wonder when he will decide to change labels?

Here is Q-Tip's - Kamaal The Abstract:

1. Feelin'
2. Do You Dig
3. A Million Times
4. Blue Girl
5. Barely in Love
6. Heels
7. Abstractions
8. Caring
9. Even If It so

Buy other Q-Tip albums...I mean album, here.