If Q-Tip isn’t a rap god, few dudes are. A Tribe Called Quest’s frontman is highly respected in the hip-hop community, and he keeps up a lively Twitter profile. The latest example was a lengthy series of tweets he sent to Iggy Azalea on Saturday afternoon.
It began after a fiery dialogue between Tip and several others, including Action Bronson, Solange Knowles, Azealia Banks and Tyler, the Creator. He began dredging up the history of hip-hop, and then decided he would break off and begin preaching.
Bloggers! Journalists! People!
— QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
HipHop is a creative artistic and socio-political movement/culture that sprang from the disparate ghettos of NY in the early 1970's — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
Coming off the heels of the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT and approaching the end of the Vietnam war it was a crossroads 4 America — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
Then, he turned on Iggy, who has had quite the week between a similar Twitter attack from Lupe Fiasco and hackers threatening to release nude photos of her. After repeating a couple of the tweets above in the direction of Azalea, Tip dug deeper.
@IGGYAZALEA specially for blacks in the US our neighborhoods were PROLIFERATED w/a rush of HEROINE — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA our school systems here in NY dungeon traps with light for learning
— QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA blk men some of whom didn't return from tours of duty n the ones who did came w/war baggage (agent orange, addiction, ect..) — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA these men had families but due to these events and throw into the mix the public emasculation... — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA they proved to be handicapped parents. The surrogate parents? The STREETS — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA the streets of gangs, crimes, and the hustlers coddled us and swept us up
— QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA but! Being a spirited, rhythmic & expressive people music art dance outlined our existence — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA it proved a way for us to exhault to scream to dance to laugh and find OUR VOICE — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA we weren't at the time skilled musicians as kids. We had records, turntables, ideas and INGENUITY — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA being natural chemist we took from whatever was availed to us and we created something mighty and special — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA we cut breakbeats back n forth we took a hybrid of Jamaican toasting along w/ radio jock rap( hank Spann, Gary Byrd, ect.) and — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA we put our rap down.. — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA it was a neighborhood thing really. Black and Latino Kids were carving out their space and it became infectious — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA eventually Keith Cowboy coined the phrase hiphop . Yrs later the first rap record was recorded and now we r moving
— QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA but during these strides this country still had the monster of racism and racial insensitivity breathing and ruling — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA believe it or not young black n Latino lives specifically weren't acknowledged in mainstream American culture unless Ofcourse.. — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA the convo was abt gangs , being criminals or uneducated. And hey! Like I stated early our families were rushed our schools — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA sucked and we were left to put devices to survive — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA but HIPHOP showed that we had DEPTH, fire, and BRILLANCE — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA the music was undeniable! It moved from NY N became national and even GLOBAL — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA hiphop now was FOR EVERYBODY!! All of those who cld relate to the roots, the spirit, the history, the energy.. It reached YOU — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA it touched your spirit n took u up. We magnetized you! That's what BRILLANCE does — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA now u are fulfilling your dreams ... BUT! — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA you have to take into account the HISTORY as you move underneath the banner of hiphop. As I said before — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA hiphop is fun it's vile it's dance it's traditional it's light hearted but 1 thing it can never detach itself from — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA is being a SOCIO-Political movement. U may ask why ... Well — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA once you are born black your existence I believe is joined with socio-political epitaph and philos — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA based on the tangled and treacherous history SLAVERY alone this is the case — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA it never leaves our conversation... Ever. WeAther in our universities our dinner tables our studios or jail cells — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA the effects still resononates with us. It hurts... We get emotional and angry and melancholy — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA did u know president Clinton was the ONLY PRESIDENT to apologize for it? — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA did u know that remnants of slavery exist today thru white privilege? When certain "niceties" r extended your way because of — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA how u look? Isn't that crazy? I say this 2 say u are a hiphop artist who has the right 2 express herself however she wishes — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA this is not a chastisement this is not admonishment at ALL this is just one artist reaching to another hoping to spark insight — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA into the field you r in. I say this in the spirit of a hopeful healthy dialogue that maybe one day we can continue — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA I've been on twitter a long time and this will probably be my last series of tweets pretty much but — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
@IGGYAZALEA I'm Kool with it as long as I got to share this w u. Zzzzzzz's up! Peace! — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014
Whew. That’s a lot for Iggy to take in. We’re pretty sure Tip just provided the entire content of a hip-hop 101 course, and we just received three credits.
