'Renaissance' man

It's been eight years since hip-hop fans have had their ears properly cleaned out by Q-Tip. The leader of the lauded rap group A Tribe Called Quest has been on a quest of his own since 1999 to put out a follow-up to "Amplified." After two false starts - and two shelved albums - Q-Tip, born Jonathan Davis, will finally release "The Renaissance" next February. The funky first single, "Work it Out," has already hit the airwaves.

He's now on tour with like-minded MC Common, and the two arrive at the Palladium in Worcester tomorrow night. They're also planning to team up in the recording studio as the Standard for an album to come out sometime next year. Tip also contributed a track to the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan album, and on Monday the Tip renaissance continues as the fourth-annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" gives props to A Tribe Called Quest.

We spoke with the New York native as he made his way to a recent Milwaukee gig.

Q: You've been through a lot of label drama. Does "The Renaissance" being pushed from late 2007 to early 2008 make you nervous?

A: No. I just want to set it up and not rush it, so we can get the best possible positioning. It's too important to just throw it out there.

Q: It's been a tough few years for you. Do you ever feel like it's destiny, or are you still miffed about the way you were treated?

A: Everything does happen for a reason, so I have to accept it.

Q: Since you've been making records but they haven't been coming out, did you approach "The Renaissance" differently in terms of inspiration? Do you have an ear to the radio and what's happening now?

A: Yeah, I check out what's going on, for sure, but I definitely try to do what inspires me first and foremost.

Q: How would you describe the sound of the new album?

A: I definitely used my band. I know that in hip-hop the drums are the most important thing, so I paid particular attention to that, so that I don't lose any of the hip-hop sensibilities. It's got a lot of keyboards, guitars, and drums.

Q: Unlike most rappers, you use a live band in the studio. What do you get out of that?

A: As a recording artist, it's great because you get to collaborate with people and get different interpretations on certain things that you may not have thought of. It's a relationship where you're dealing with different energies and the personality comes out in the playing and that's valuable.

Q: On "Work It Out," you, like Nas before you, declare that hip-hop is dead. Do you really believe it is?

A: It's not what it was, so in that regard it's dead. But it's good because it means that something new and fresh is happening. There's a new sensibility that's coming into play.

Q: Who are the artists you see leading the way?

A: I think people like a Common, people like a Kanye [West]. I think there's cats like Madlib who are doing underground stuff. I think it's not just closed up in hip-hop, you know? What Radiohead does still I think is opening up. I think what Amy Winehouse did is cool. I think it will be exciting if and when Lauryn Hill decides to throw her hat back in the ring.

Q: When VH1 informed you of the "Honors" special, what did you think?

A: At first I was like, I don't know because I don't want to be like old-school, because I'm not old-school. But at the same time, the band is inactive, so it was cool to take the time to put the seal on it. We had a good run. In a short period of time we did a lot, so it's cool to get recognized.

Q: So this is it for Tribe? You're not interested in reuniting again?

A: It's not that I'm not interested, but it's just different now. If we did something now, it wouldn't be what it was. So it's just kind of done.