Author Topic: BEYOND HIP-HOP STORY - TQ: A Different Approach (Read 288 times)

mauzip · « **on:** June 28, 2006, 04:25:07 AM »

http://www.ballerstatus.net/beyond/read/id/58461877/

TQ exploded into the scene with his first single "Westside," which went gold in 1998. With a combination of old-school soul and hardcore hip-hop, the Compton native took a different route than his fellow Compton counterparts. Although he dropped three noticeable albums since, the R&B crooner is still being reputed as the guy who once represented L.A. and its surrounding areas. After releasing his debut album, They Never Saw Me Coming, his efforts were appreciated by record companies. Sony tried to mold him into a hit machine with pop appeal, Cash Money thwarted him by repeatedly pushing back his label debut Gemini, and TQ eventually took the shackles off his feet and refused to sugar-coat his lyrics to satisfy anybody else's view of what music should be.

After several label setbacks, TQ put his music on the back burner and tried to get his acting career off the ground. With three completed movies and four upcoming pictures under his belt, the singer hasn't been idle. Ballerstatus.net caught up with TQ in Amsterdam to talk about his affinity with acting, his latest movie "Rockin' Meera" and how he's ready to breathe new life into the soundtrack of his life -- music.

BallerStatus.net: You just wrapped up a new Bollywood movie called "Rockin' Meera." How did you get involved in this project? Did you do audition or did the producers approach you?

TQ: I'm signed to a booking agency in the US. I used to be signed to ICM, but my agent ended up switching from ICM to CEA. So, he put it in his deal that he brought me with him. They've been pitching me for movies for the longest, but some things you just don't believe all of that can happen. I mean, my dream already came true when I started making music for a living. But, I'm just blessed.

My agent sent me out on readings before. I got all the way to the end on "Save The Last Dance." It was me and the guy who did it. They wanted me to cut my braids off. And a couple of other ones -- "Dark Blue," "Finding Forrester," "Coach Carter" and a couple of other things I went out for. But, if a show came up, or a tour came up or studio time, then I wouldn't even show up.

BallerStatus.net: So it was hard to combine the two for you?

TQ: Yeah, exactly. So this time, in the last year, I basically had a meeting with the agency. Actually, because of what my grandmother said: "I want to see you in a movie." So, that was kind of a sign 'cause she never said anything about nothing. So, I told them that I would be serious about it now. And they got to work and I got to work. I landed three joints. "Rockin' Meera" was the third one that I just finished. The first one that I did was a Shakespeare movie, a remake of "Richard III." And I did a gangster picture called "A Devil's Grind." And then "Rockin' Meera," which we just wrapped up. And then I just landed three new parts since I've been back home from India.

BallerStatus.net: The character you play in "Rockin' Meera" is kind of Shakespeare like...you fall in love with this girl and her parents don't allow the relationship...

TQ: Exactly. Me and this Indian girl go to college in San Francisco. She's there as a student and we hook up. We'd be together for three years. After graduation, we decide that we're going to get married. Basically, her family already has arranged a marriage to a prince in India. Her brother shows up, kidnaps her and takes her back to India and I gotta go get her. So, I ended up sword fighting, flying through trees, fighting tigers...crazy [laughs].

BallerStatus.net: So the movie was partly shot in India. How did you experience India as a country?

TQ: Unbelievable. It's a life change. I haven't complained about anything since I've been back. I just don't feel that I have the right to complain about anything. Just, when you see poverty...you see the type of things that these people are faced with everyday. For me to get up and complain 'cause it's raining in LA is like...or beefing about the price of gas, it's stupid. A lot of things just really don't mean anything no more. When you see the children down there that are just in need of a parent. It's just unbelievable. It was a great experience though. I'll never forget it and I'm going back for the premiere.

BallerStatus.net: People from all over the world go to India to play in movies. Looking back at the things you experienced while being there, what are the major differences between Bollywood and Hollywood?

TQ: Actually, this wasn't really a Bollywood movie. It was a Hollywood movie basically. It was an Indian story because half the cast was Indian. But, all of the funding was done by an Indian that lived in America. I got a little bit of taste of the Bollywood thing while I was there and the Indian actors that were in this movie were Bollywood stars. So basically, like I said, the director and the people there didn't consider it a Bollywood movie. The whole Bollywood thing is much bigger than I ever thought it would be. It's like, they drop probably 10 movies for one Hollywood movie.

BallerStatus.net: Yeah, it's a big industry. Tell me more about the soundtrack, because I heard something about a duet with Tatyana Ali.

TQ: Yeah, we just finished a duet. It's called "Sunny Valentine." It's the theme song of the movie. The movie opens with that record.

BallerStatus.net: Musically, we didn't hear from you for a while. So you're really focusing on the music again now as well?

TQ: Yeah, I'll never stop making music. I mean, I'm addicted to it. You know, the state of it today...I got in the music game when, to me, it was really easy. Like, I never been no stranger to work, so I never had a problem with getting up early, I never had problems with the traveling or any of that. But, when the whole downloading game and all of that started, it just ain't the same no more. Artists like me, I got musical morals. I'm just not gonna do bullsh-- music. Bullsh-- music is what sells, so basically, I just got to find another way to subsidize what I'm gonna lose on the music side for staying myself. That's basically when the acting came about. I didn't know it was gonna be this much fun though.

BallerStatus.net: Music hasn't really been what it used to be back in the day. So what do you feel should change in order for it to progress? Not only download wise, but just the state of music.

TQ: I don't know [laughs]. So many powerful people are hooking up with each other, and you got so many powerful record companies that work with radio stations. The radio stations work with marketing companies. It's like, if you're not a part of those teams in some way, then it's difficult. For me, at this point, I've been doing this for a while. I gotta keep a certain amount of control. Once the check comes to me, I want to see the share of the money. Nobody helped me in the studio, nobody got on stage for me and sang my song while I was on vacation. I had to do the work. So, that's the issue. Instead of like selling my family's food or giving it away, I rather keep it and just find another way to subsidize it. I don't have the answer to what music is gonna be two years from now, five years...ten years from now. I know it's the control factor with the Internet being as big as it is and bootlegging being as big as it is. That's the good part. That these companies are not gonna be able to control the game. They just stay above water. And eventually, you're gonna have one record company doing everything, you know.

BallerStatus.net: Speaking of record companies, you used to be signed to Sony and later on Cash Money. We all know what happened with Cash Money...after that you went independently. Did you see it as a step backwards or more like a return to your musical freedom?

TQ: Musical freedom. I'm a businessman first and foremost, and I make money off of this. The problem with it is the fact that the people that are responsible for me getting this far didn't have access to it. I gotta find a happy medium to where I can make some money and my fans can get the music. Cause there's nothing more frustrating than sitting with an album ready to go and having to wait, wait, wait...like I did at Cash Money. But, actually having an album out that people can buy, but they just can't find it, that's a whole different type of frustration. That's unbelievable. So, this time around, I'm just gonna take my time and find the best situation. It may be a combination of both. The whole point this time around is to cover as much of the world as I can. It's just that They Never Saw Me Coming kinda pushed me in a certain hole that I have to be in because of the fact that my fan base is spread across the whole world. And I can't reach everybody. So I gotta find a way.

BallerStatus.net: You started to work on a new album, titled Apocalypse. What's up with that?

TQ: Yeah. I don't think I'm gonna call it Apocalypse. That was the working title. So much stuff has happened since I started this record. The whole Katrina thing set me back, it set my family back. All my family from Alabama, New Orleans and Mississippi. The album started when it was really dark. I was doing the independent thing. After that happened and me going to India, and seeing the state of things, I just wanted to take a different turn. It's much more fun as it is right now. I almost started a riot with the females. They all got together and started e-mailing and sending me fanmail. They were like "Look, you ain't did no music for us. We're gonna quit f---ing with you." So I'm like, that's enough. I gotta do some love songs, gotta do some things for the girls. So this time around, there's definitely gonna be some girl tracks on it.

BallerStatus.net: So that's the vibe you are going for?

TQ: Yeah, but I'm not no sappy R&B artist. I'm never gonna be. I mean, you don't really have too many ballads on there. But this time around, this album is the sexiest album I ever did.

BallerStatus.net: Well, we can't wait to hear it [laughs]. Are there any other projects you're currently working on besides the new album? Or are you just going to wait and see what happens with the label negotiations and all?

TQ: I just inked a movie called "A Father's Love," about to start that. It's a boxer movie. I play this boxer who's the son of a boxer, a great boxer that never ended up going to the top 'cause he went to jail. And throughout my whole boxing career, my father was never around. So then, I win the championship and he wants to come back in my life. The next one is a horror flick. It's about ghosting the Internet. Always wanted to do a horror joint. And then the third one is a movie called "Consequences," which is another gangster movie.
So two movies coming up hopefully this year and looks like four next year. We didn't set a date for the album release yet. Basically, I did this trip to do some label meetings, so I just want to see what they're talking about. They wanted me to come over here and see if the numbers is right. And if they ain't right, I'm taking my ass back home [laughs].

For more information about TQ, visit his official website Thugpoetry.com.

http://www.ballerstatus.net/beyond/read/id/58461877/