Vallejo R’n’B singer H.E.R, has always shown a love for hip-hop and has collaborated with various MCs, including the likes of YG, Lil Baby, Ty Dolla Sign and many more. Moreover, she has worked with famous rap producers like Hit-Boy and T-Minus.
That said, in an interview with The Source magazine, H.E.R. (real name Gabriella Wilson) spoke about her love of A Tribe Called Quest and revealed who her favourite rapper of all time is.
A Tribe Called Quest (Quest) is one of hip-hop’s most underrated and unappreciated crews. Formed in New York’s legendary borough of Queens, the home of Run-DMC and Mobb Deep, A Tribe Called Quest was pivotal in popularising alternative hip-hop during the 1990s. As such it is unsurprising that H.E.R. gravitates towards their music.
Q-Tip was a crucial player in the alternative hip-hop and neo-soul movement and was pioneering in his production. As well as being a lyricist, Q-Tip is also an audio engineer and producer and has worked with the likes of Nas, as well as singers such as Raphael Saadiq, Erykah Badu and Janet Jackson.
His music was soulful and calming, and it blurred the lines between hip-hop jazz and what would later be classified as neo-soul. H.E.R. undoubtedly has music that falls into the latter category. Still, her work within the industry means her take on hip-hop is still just as valid.
Speaking about the ingenious creative, Wilson unveiled, “I don’t know who I relate to the most, but one of my favourite rappers of all time is Q-Tip,” she said. “I actually got to meet him one time, and he put me on to so much music. And I didn’t realise how much music he was inspired by outside of hip-hop.”
Wilson praised Q-Tip for making “fun” music and making beats that resonate with people, explaining, “To me, he just focuses on having fun with the music and making people feel something without kind of trying. Just kind of being him.”
H.E.R. has shown her love for hip-hop on various projects, and at only 26 years of age, the vocalist is already a five-time Grammy winner. Wilson won in the ‘Best R&B Performance’ and Best ‘R&B Album’ categories at the 2019 ceremony.
In 2021, she won a Grammy for ‘Song Of The Year’ with ‘I Can’t Breathe’ and ‘Best R&B Song’ for her effort on ‘Better Than I Imagined.’ You can hear one of Q-Tip’s most popular tracks below.
