With a skill set that includes MC, Producer, Songwriter, Pianist, Singer, Recording Engineer, Mixer and sometimes DJ, it’d be easy to compare the 25 year old Hip Hopper from musically diverse Seattle with prep school sensibilities to Pharell or Kanye West. Not just because the said skills if placed on a resume would look similar to Pharell’s and Kanye’s but because like them, Q Dot is without question convincingly good at each one. After talks with Interscope in 2002 failed
to amount to anything, Q Dot (born Quincy Henry coincidentally after producer Quincy Jones) who was then a Business Admin major at Central Washington University, left school to pursue his music career independently.

Though he may fit better in a lineup that includes the previously mentioned artists, Q Dot at his musical core has the traits of a $2 bill for hip hop: Charming, unique and hard to come by. Indulging in his new CD due out in August titled UNDERGROUND RAILROAD lends confirmation. Though quite adept at delivering the punchlines purist crave and making commercially bankable tunes, as with the CDs lead single, a raw minimalist track topped with a smooth flow and a witty ‘blingless’ take on how to be cool called “supafresh” he ultimately aims to teach and inspire his fans. Q explains, “I make projects that I hope will make people think. Death is Dying and of Underground Railroad were made with an idea and moral. I don’t want to beat a topic over anyone’s head in every song,but I want to drop something on you for sure. Music is supposed to evelate the mindstate.” From tracks like “snakes in the grass” which doesn’t feature a single rap over a rugged slave hymned background, to “music” which features Q on two guitar solos, to the controversial poem “for sale” (slave auction 09) and the honest “froglegz n fishgrease” where he candidly explains the frustration dealing with an abstinent girlfriend, Q displays not only one-of-a-kind versatility, but also an approach to what hip hop is missing: A healthy mixture of fun and originality.

Q Dot isn’t quite as new as one would think either. He’s a popular name in the local scene of the Tacoma/Seattle area since emerging in 2002 with a group “The Knockout Kings”. Since disbanding, Q has produced for Koch recording artist Shyan
Selah and he also credits hisself as being “the least famous person ever to have video on national TV.” Q says that in reference to his 2007 video to “Hotter than a Furnace” from his debut CD Death is Dying. In addition he has also performed with a stellar list of hip hop stars including: Kanye West, Sir Mix a Lot, Zion I, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Lil Flip, Slim Thug and Bone Thugs n Harmony.

RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: ANDRE 3000, COOL KIDS AND DR. DRE
KEY TRACKS: SUPAFRESH, FROGLEGS N FISHGREASE, MUSIC