As a member of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip always emphasised the hip-hop trio's collective effort and camaraderie, shying away from being defined as the group's leader. But with his helium voice, slick flow and heartfelt writing, he had an undeniable star presence on Tribe classics like “Bonita Applebum” and “Verses from the Abstract”. When the group split, Tip smoothly transitioned to solo stardom with surprisingly clubby collaborations with visionary producer J Dilla on the hits “Vivrant Thing” and “Breathe and Stop”.