| TQ (Terrance Quaites) |
Singer/songwriter/producer TQ hit the music scene in 1998 with a style that made
R&B" and that style has been repeatedly imitated since then. A native of Compton,
California, his swagger and delivery made some fans regard him with the same
appeal as a rapper. In fact, in most music stores TQ's albums can probably be found
in the rap section. Realistic lyrics in songs that deal with real life issues is what TQ
says makes for this confusion. "It's just not your average R&B", TQ says. Now with a
solid 15 years in the business to his credit, TQ will debut his new album Kind of Blue
in January 2010 around the world.
While most R&B artists sing about mainly about love, TQ set himself apart with
cutting edge songwriting, branding his own type of "Reality R&B". He started his
professional music career in '93 with a young B-Boy group Coming of Age. His own
1998 debut solo album "They Never Saw Me Coming", which included the hits
"Westside" and "Bye Bye Baby",made him an instant worldwide success.
The single "Westside" debuted in the Top Ten in many countries, and in some
countries at 1 the first week. The song stayed on top of the charts for weeks,
collectively selling in excess of 1.5 million singles worldwide. TQ had fans from all
over the world "throwing their dubs in the air" with the four-fingered Westside symbol,
including many fans who didnít speak a lick of English.
TQ then followed up with a second album The Second Coming with the classic hit
"Daily", which was exclusively distributed in Europe. For his third album, TQ returned
to the U.S. market with "Listen...", which offered a perfect rendition of Prince's hit
ballad "Adore." Many fans and critics stated it was one of the best Prince cover tunes
that had ever heard. The album also included production Mannie Fresh, formerly of
Cash Money Records.
While he has had both major label and independent success, TQ stayed the
independent route in a partnership with EMI Records America for his last album
"Paradise" and his brand new soon to be released Album "Kind of Blue". "The New
Album is crazy! I'm really flying on this one. The older I get, the less I give a f*ck
about the norm. Music is completely fun right now and there doesn't seem to be any
pressure. I'm just writing about my life and all it's experiences. There will be
something on this album to satisfy a lot of different kinds of listeners... It reminds me
of when I first started...TQ states that the freedom to create is equally as important
as being able to control his business. "I guess for me the biggest thing now is
ownership of the biggest slice of pie", explains TQ. "Due to the state of the music
business, in order to be successful I have to make the highest dollar amount per unit.
In order to do that you have to cut out a lot of the middle men. Being Independent
allows me to get straight to the consumer, and that's exactly where I want to be."
After having such a phenomenal success with his first single "Westside", it appeared
that some of TQ's songwriting talents got lost in the shuffle of his promotion. He is
now in a position to let the world experience his full discography, which is still growing
by the day. Throughout his career, TQ's diehard fans from all walks of life respected
his true talent. "After Westside was an established hit, the damnest person would
come up to me in the streets and give me props on my pen", recalls TQ. "Like some
guy wearing a suit in the elevator, or some old lady that you'd never expect. I think
the most satisfying part of my work comes from the fans who write me and quote
some of my lyrics in past songs. Now thatís hot!"
TQ has written, produced and collaborated with some of the top artists in the music
industry from all genres including N-Sync, Lil Wayne, R.Kelly, Whitney Houston, Dru
Hill, Jagged Edge, Ron Isley, Swizz Beatz, Petey Pablo, Another Level, LFO, Donny
Osmond, Juvenile, Krazyie Bone, Layzie Bone, E40, Too Short, The Outlawz, Sarah
Conner, The Game, Jim Jones, Jagged Edge and countless others. Needless to say,
he loves staying in the studio making music.
A man of many talents, TQ also branched off into an acting career. TQ landed four
film roles in a short time, and plays the main character in two of them. Richard III, a
Shakespeare film; The Devil's Grind, a hardcore urban film; and Rockin Meera, an
internationally action-packed love story, are all due to release sometime in the near
future. TQ's latest project will be a gritty, urban Romeo and Juliet modern day drama
entitled "One Love" which is in pre-production at the moment.
TQ's mission is do more albums, more films, modeling, commercial endorsements
and a heavy dose of touring. Stay tuned to this page for TQ's "The BLUE Tour"
Coming Soon to a city near you. At the same time, he takes pleasure in remaining
true to himself as Mr. Westside - the guy who always keeps it real. "I'm just really
determined", asserts TQ. "I set goals for myself at an early age, and I refuse to not
reach them all. There have been times when I've been knocked down, but I just get
the f*ck back up. The next time I'll see that punch coming and slip it. It's all a learning
experience, but you gotta keep that fight in you. If you don't, then it just ain't worth it."
R&B" and that style has been repeatedly imitated since then. A native of Compton,
California, his swagger and delivery made some fans regard him with the same
appeal as a rapper. In fact, in most music stores TQ's albums can probably be found
in the rap section. Realistic lyrics in songs that deal with real life issues is what TQ
says makes for this confusion. "It's just not your average R&B", TQ says. Now with a
solid 15 years in the business to his credit, TQ will debut his new album Kind of Blue
in January 2010 around the world.
While most R&B artists sing about mainly about love, TQ set himself apart with
cutting edge songwriting, branding his own type of "Reality R&B". He started his
professional music career in '93 with a young B-Boy group Coming of Age. His own
1998 debut solo album "They Never Saw Me Coming", which included the hits
"Westside" and "Bye Bye Baby",made him an instant worldwide success.
The single "Westside" debuted in the Top Ten in many countries, and in some
countries at 1 the first week. The song stayed on top of the charts for weeks,
collectively selling in excess of 1.5 million singles worldwide. TQ had fans from all
over the world "throwing their dubs in the air" with the four-fingered Westside symbol,
including many fans who didnít speak a lick of English.
TQ then followed up with a second album The Second Coming with the classic hit
"Daily", which was exclusively distributed in Europe. For his third album, TQ returned
to the U.S. market with "Listen...", which offered a perfect rendition of Prince's hit
ballad "Adore." Many fans and critics stated it was one of the best Prince cover tunes
that had ever heard. The album also included production Mannie Fresh, formerly of
Cash Money Records.
While he has had both major label and independent success, TQ stayed the
independent route in a partnership with EMI Records America for his last album
"Paradise" and his brand new soon to be released Album "Kind of Blue". "The New
Album is crazy! I'm really flying on this one. The older I get, the less I give a f*ck
about the norm. Music is completely fun right now and there doesn't seem to be any
pressure. I'm just writing about my life and all it's experiences. There will be
something on this album to satisfy a lot of different kinds of listeners... It reminds me
of when I first started...TQ states that the freedom to create is equally as important
as being able to control his business. "I guess for me the biggest thing now is
ownership of the biggest slice of pie", explains TQ. "Due to the state of the music
business, in order to be successful I have to make the highest dollar amount per unit.
In order to do that you have to cut out a lot of the middle men. Being Independent
allows me to get straight to the consumer, and that's exactly where I want to be."
After having such a phenomenal success with his first single "Westside", it appeared
that some of TQ's songwriting talents got lost in the shuffle of his promotion. He is
now in a position to let the world experience his full discography, which is still growing
by the day. Throughout his career, TQ's diehard fans from all walks of life respected
his true talent. "After Westside was an established hit, the damnest person would
come up to me in the streets and give me props on my pen", recalls TQ. "Like some
guy wearing a suit in the elevator, or some old lady that you'd never expect. I think
the most satisfying part of my work comes from the fans who write me and quote
some of my lyrics in past songs. Now thatís hot!"
TQ has written, produced and collaborated with some of the top artists in the music
industry from all genres including N-Sync, Lil Wayne, R.Kelly, Whitney Houston, Dru
Hill, Jagged Edge, Ron Isley, Swizz Beatz, Petey Pablo, Another Level, LFO, Donny
Osmond, Juvenile, Krazyie Bone, Layzie Bone, E40, Too Short, The Outlawz, Sarah
Conner, The Game, Jim Jones, Jagged Edge and countless others. Needless to say,
he loves staying in the studio making music.
A man of many talents, TQ also branched off into an acting career. TQ landed four
film roles in a short time, and plays the main character in two of them. Richard III, a
Shakespeare film; The Devil's Grind, a hardcore urban film; and Rockin Meera, an
internationally action-packed love story, are all due to release sometime in the near
future. TQ's latest project will be a gritty, urban Romeo and Juliet modern day drama
entitled "One Love" which is in pre-production at the moment.
TQ's mission is do more albums, more films, modeling, commercial endorsements
and a heavy dose of touring. Stay tuned to this page for TQ's "The BLUE Tour"
Coming Soon to a city near you. At the same time, he takes pleasure in remaining
true to himself as Mr. Westside - the guy who always keeps it real. "I'm just really
determined", asserts TQ. "I set goals for myself at an early age, and I refuse to not
reach them all. There have been times when I've been knocked down, but I just get
the f*ck back up. The next time I'll see that punch coming and slip it. It's all a learning
experience, but you gotta keep that fight in you. If you don't, then it just ain't worth it."
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