Feature
TQ : Westside story
It is a whole twenty years since Terrence Quaites aka TQ started his career in music. It was not until 1998 with the 90’s classic 'Westside' (1998) followed by 'Bye Bye Baby' (1998) that he really started to make a name but TQ has been an artist that maybe should have been even bigger than he is.
With the right mix of thuggish sensuality he was a massive hit with the ladies and us guys kind of liked his raw style that would not be amiss dropped by the hard spitters on some hard hip-hop track.
I for one, kind of lost him on my radar with only the occasional blip to let men know that he was still there dropping harmonies. Anyway, he is back with a new collaboration with the UK’s Danielle Senoir and that independent fervour that seems to be all the rage.
SEMPER: It has been a whole twenty years you have now been in the business, what keeps you going?
TQ: It takes a lot of resilience one and two I think I am blessed to have this over anything else that I have succeeded in. Also my fan base has been really loyal. It just so happens that when I broke in as this new solo artist I broke in with a huge major company with millions of dollars at their disposal so I could build the right kind of fan base that has stayed with me over the years and that is the only reason I am still here doing what I love.
SEMPER: What do you think have been the biggest changes in the industry since you came in?
TQ: I think the biggest thing has been technology has turned it upside down. It is just a lot easier to produce music than it was before and it easier to get the music you want. A number 1 is international property it is something that is in cyber space and that is where people really make their success and money.
SEMPER: So do you think the changes are for the better?
TQ: It is sometimes not always about the talent but rather having the resources and technical ability to create. I think that it can cause the art of music to become watered down.
SEMPER: What was so great about that 90’s period and was it as good as I remember it?
TQ: I think listeners in the 90’s were looking for music with substance. I mean when I came out living in LA we had the race wars, we had the riots o there were things that people wanted talked about and yes it was a great time for music. But like we were saying I think right now, things have been watered down and right now people just want to have fun and all they care about is the beat.
SEMPER: So your collabo with Danielle Senoir on 'Uh Oh', seems to have come out of the blue.
TQ: This is a funny story to tell you the truth. I actually came over to the UK to promote a record I was trying to push independently. A girl who came to interview me actually came with Danielle who was working the camera. We just started talking and I found out that Danielle was an artist as well so she sang a little for me and so I said that we should get in the studio and put something together. Sure enough once we did the track we are starting to get some real love for the track.
SEMPER: The track does not seem to be quintessentially TQ it is more of that dance influenced Rn'B pop.
TQ: I had an issue about what my fans would think about it but I have such a vast range in my fan base and I have made so many records and featured with so many different artists. I featured on a track with Another Level I have featured with an artist in Germany I have featured with N-Sync on a track so it is not like it was completely out of my element.
SEMPER: And what about your most recent album 'Kind of Blue'.
TQ: I spread my wings a little with this album. I really wanted my fan base to hear me dropping things slightly differently. All the producers are from outside of the US they are all from different countries and I think it is really different to what I have done. This is like an introduction to my fans for what is to come from me. I want to do music now that I have fun doing and I wanted to reflect that in this current album.
SEMPER: So what do you have in the pipeline?
TQ: I am working on my new album and I am already eight songs in man. The working title is 'Legendary' but I might change that to just Legend. But I have been working on it now since September and I am really pumped about this at the moment because the response I have been getting from people who have heard some demos has been phenomenal.
SEMPER: What can you tell me about it?
TQ: I am working with a producer over in London who works with a lot of hip-hop artist and it is amazing we are just on the same vibe and I am excited about this collabo it should bring some great tracks.
SEMPER: You are the king of collabos so any juicy collabos you can let B&S know about?
TQ: I can only tell you about the confirmed ones. I will be doing a collabo with Bones Thugs n' Harmonies. I have collaborated with Krayzie but I have never dropped a joint with the whole crew. I have two more heavy hitting artists I collaborate with which again I cannot say but when these are done then these will be the two biggest artists that I have ever collaborated with.
'Uh Oh' is released on the 9th February.
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Words Semper Azeez-Harris
