The artist known as TQ was born Terrance Quaites in Mobile, Alabama. Shortly thereafter, TQ's family moved to Compton, California, the birthplace of N.W.A. and other rap legends. TQ was raised in the church but his real education came from the streets, where the first wave of hip-hop music became the soundtrack to his life.

 

TQ was never a thug in the true sense of the word: His hard-working parents instilled positive values in him, and didn't hesitate to set him straight when he was wrong. At 16, when his mom found a gun in his room, she sent the teenager to live with an aunt in Atlanta. These conflicting circumstances honed TQ's survival instincts and his passion for music.

 

After working as an intern at A&M Records, TQ was tapped as the lead singer in a group called Coming of Age. In 1993, the group scored a Top 40 R&B hit with Coming Home To Love. TQ left the group in search of a solo career and landed a deal at Atlantic. But he says the label asked him to water-down his lyrics, and no album was ever issued.

 

TQ then enjoyed success with They Never Saw Me Coming in 1999 which featured some of his best known hits including Westside, Bye Bye Baby and Better Days. It was then time for The Second Coming and Listen which weren't successful due to label problems. His last album, Gemini, was released digitally but he's making it back into the music scene with his new album Paradise.

 

EUT: Tell me about Paradise. Why did you title the album that?

 

TQ: I think as far as my business situation and personal development goes, that's where I am, in paradise. The whole while I've been doing music I've wanted to get to a point as an artist to where I'm at my best and consider myself a veteran at it. I wanted to be in a position where I control the creative aspect as well as the financial aspect of it. I think going into this new record with my deal and as an artist I've arrived as a true professional and it feels like paradise.

 

EUT: Do you think you've made something big?

 

TQ: I feel like it's good music and there's a lot of good music out there that doesn't necessarily turn out to be a big hit. I definitely hope it will be a big hit but I know it's great music.

 

EUT: Who is featured on this album?

 

TQ: I've got Krayzie Bone, Jagged Edge and a couple of my guys I used to be signed to Cash Money with. I've got a lot of people on there.

 

EUT: Do you think there are any songs you have recently recorded that could surpass the success of Westside?

 

TQ: Hopefully, for me I can always focus on the part of it I can control. I don't think I was really in control of what Westside did. When I recorded it I didn't expect it to be as big as it was. I did it because it was a good song, I wrote it and I liked it. That was the only part I could control. Once things came out of the studio it was out of my hands. I think this album on the whole is my best foot forward and hopefully we'll get that stroke of luck and have a successful album. At the end of the day if I can look back on it and say I did my best then I'm happy.

 

EUT: You've been really quiet on the music scene the past few years. What were you doing?

 

TQ: I've done a couple of independent projects. The last thing I did was Listen a couple of years ago but there was a situation with Cash Money Records so I ended up dropping it independently because the wait was too long. I'm finally out of that deal and situation and I'm starting to focus on really going hard.

 

EUT: The last label really messed things up. What exactly happened?

 

TQ: I think they bit off more than they could chew. I had a large fan base and they were really spread out over the world. You have to do a certain amount of research and I don't think the research was done by that label to realise the work that needed to be put in. My fans in the States are extremely spread out so you can't concentrate records in one area when you have people in different areas looking for the record and can't buy it. It was a real frustrating situation.

 

EUT: How is your label situation now?

 

TQ: I have an independent deal with a major distributer, EMI. They are responsible for manufacturing the record. It's good because now I have some level of control.

 

EUT: Do you still think you have something to prove to everyone?

 

TQ: No, I don't think so. I get enough validation from the streets and from my peers as an artist. Everyone gives me my props and they know the work I've put in over the years. I was one of the pioneers of the genre of music that I do. It's a certain style of music that basically comes from me and I played a big hand in getting the ball rolling with it, everybody understands it. What I have to prove to myself is that I can spearhead a successful global company. I'm just having fun now. You get to a certain point where you're just confident about what you do and that's what I am right now.

 

EUT: What kind of release is this album going to have?

 

TQ: We're going to release this album around the world on 1 April digitally on places like iTunes. Between now and that date we're working out deals with different territories to get the album a physical release around the same date. Everybody will have an opportunity to get the record.

 

EUT: Would you ever have thought back then when you released your first album that downloading would have been as big as it is now?

 

TQ: I wouldn't have thought before it all started but once it did I knew it would be something big and that the game was changing due to technology. Everything is getting more user-friendly and it's easier to buy music. People would rather sit at their computer and download rather than having to find time to make it down to the store. They would rather listen to their own mixes on their iPod than someone else's mixes on the radio. What's to argue about?

 

EUT: People are still downloading illegally though. What do you think about that?

 

We're all trying to safeguard against that. Everybody just has to understand that artists are people too and we have to pay our bills like everyone else does. We try our best to bring fans the best music possible and we just ask that they pay for it. I think it's a pretty good agreement.

 

EUT: What has been your proudest moment in music?

 

TQ: Probably when I opened up during the Up In Smoke tour for Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Ice Cube. I was a big fan of all of those artists and a big N.W.A fan. Me being on the same stage as them was unbelievable. It was crazy backstage. Everybody hung out together and did everything together. It was amazing and I'll never forget it. I was the youngest one and a fan of everyone else. I couldn't believe I was on the show too. I would get off stage and watch the show every night; I didn't want to go back to the hotel.

 

EUT: They are all very successful and experienced artists. What did they teach you?

 

TQ: More so than anything, they taught me that the work never stops. All of those guys are much bigger than I am and the amount of work that goes into putting on a show like that. To be at that point and be so rich and famous and still get your hands dirty and work hard showed me that it's a really big deal to be a successful artist.

 

EUT: I heard you're also doing some acting. Where are you at with it?

 

TQ: I've done a couple of independent films, no blockbusters yet. I just want to get my feet wet. I used to act in all the school plays and shit when I was young. It was always something that I always liked to do but wasn't that serious about. I ended up signing with an agency and now want to do more with it. I just wrapped up a role in a movie called Consequences which is coming out at the end of the year. One thing with the acting game is that you have nothing to do with the production or promotions side of the movie and you know nothing until it comes out. There's a movie called Devil's Grind and a Shakespeare remake called Richard III. You play your part, get paid and that's it.

 

EUT: Have you been anywhere interesting on location?

 

I went to India to the jungle with tigers and shit, it was crazy. I actually got into a cage with one of them. It's like a big rush. I'm never going to do it again. I was doing 30 second takes then I would get out of the cage. It was definitely scary, the tiger weighed 127 pounds. He pissed all over my feet and I had to wear the same shoes for the rest of the movie!

 

EUT: What else will you be doing this year?

 

TQ: I'm going to do a lot of touring overseas this year including Europe and Australia. I need to get out there again and take the band with me. We have a lot of new music to perform. I aim to do another movie as well so hopefully we can keep doing that as well as staying on the road.

 

www.myspace.com/tqofficialsite

 

 

Rashmi Shastri – Feb 2008