Q-Tip

As a member of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip helped shape the sound of hip-hop in the '90s. The group became a blueprint for MCs looking to balance the literate and the absurd, as well as producers searching for the perfect break. In his 2013 lecture at the Red Bull Music Academy in New York, he talks recording with the likes of Nas and J Dilla, and how to make music that stands out from the crowd.