Twenty-something artist TQ, born Terrance Quaites in Mobile, Alabama, comes real with ThaEvents.com about life, music and working hard to purse his dream. As TQ says in his single, “Listen…….you might learn something.”

TE.com-What has TQ been up to for the last year?

TQ “I guess about a year ago, I broke away from “Cash Money,” where I was signed up for about three years, and I did a deal for my own label, called “Hub Music,” did like a year of distribution. Um, but for the past year I been putting this project together, this new project “Listen,” I been in the studio recording the album. Been in the gym working out, just been getting ready for this thing.”

TE.com-Why did you brake away from Cash Money?

TQ “Well, I had a three year deal with them and an option on the fourth and on the third year I just opted out. I did not want to go back. It was a situation where, well see I am an R & B singer, R & B music takes a certain amount of support and I was at Cash Money for three years without a rehearsal. Cash Money was geared more towards southern rap music and I am just more than that.”

TE.com-How would you describe your industry experience?

TQ “School of hard knocks, a good learning experience, hands on completely. You just have to take advantage of every situation you in, learn from everything around you. After awhile of being at Cash Money, I saw there wasn’t going to be nothing good as far as record company that I was really going to come out of this, but I am stuck here for another couple of months, so what am I going to do now? So, I soaked up all the game I could.”

TE.com-What can fans expect from your new album “Listen?”

TQ “It’s personal, I think that they can expect to hear concepts that they can relate to, and it’s not a glamorous album by a long shot. You know what I am saying, if you are under the clouds and you dream it’s not the record to listen to – but if you need therapy because you don’t know where the rent is coming from next month, if you don’t know how the kids are going to eat dinner tonight, if your on the chopping block at your job, you don’t know if your working tomorrow, this is the album to listen too.”

TE.com-Are there any collaboration on your album and if so, what is your favorite?

TQ “No, there are no collaborations. I call this album my selfish album. Up until now, I did records with other people. This time around, I just really wanted to do me. So, I produced 9 out of 11 tracks, I wrote all of them except for the remake, I just bared my soul on this thing man, there’s no extra’s - it’s just me.”

TE.com-Is TQ on any upcoming tours?

TQ “Right now, I just got a promotional called spot dating across the country. Radio stations, etc... The belief that I have in how you are supposed to go about promoting is that you get rid of the middle man as much as possible. I just feel if you can allow real people to touch you, ask you questions, hug you, kiss you, embrace you, to see that you’re a real person, it just goes along way. So, you know I got a tour bus, piled it full of my homies and we’re on the road. I don’t how long we’ll be on the road, end of the year at least. Every city I can possibly get to, I don’t care if they know me or not. I am going to every neighborhood, ever project, full of tee shirts, posters, pictures, key chains, whatever else I can conjure up- Santa Clause is coming strait to the ghetto.”

TE.com-Do you know what City you plan to go to next?

TQ “Well, were in the midst of it now. We did the first run on the West Coast, right now we just finished with the South and we’ll be going to the Midwest. I’ve got a big show in Chicago. It is a Back to School show, annual thing that they do with one of the independent retailers there, George Daniels. Got that show in the park Saturday, then were going to hit Milwaukee, Cleveland, St. Louis and all of that, and then we’ll come back out here to the West Coast and do it all over again.”

TE.com-What about the East Coast?

TQ “One thing that I have found about the East Coast in my experience, is it’s a NOW thing. Where is it right now? You say your album is coming out, all right, but where is it right now. So, I am really saving the East Coast for when the albums in the stores so I can say, this is what I am doing, here it is, here is a sample of it, you can go right there to the Wiz or right there and buy it.”

TE.com-How have other artist’s influence your music?

TQ “In my CD player at any given time you can find anywhere from Danny Hypaway, to Tupac to Corn (??) to you name it, I am just across the border with it. I’ve taken influence from so many different kinds of music, that it’s crazy. Like growing up I listened to NWA half time and Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye the other half the time. I wasn’t really into R & B like the New Edition, Troop, and stuff like that that was coming out.”

TE.com-Who would you say inspires or you look up to the most?

TQ “For me, it always changes. I always take different things from different people. But, I always go back to Tupac. Right now, I am in a position where people don’t bother me, I don’t have to clear anything with anyone, and I just do my thing. Pac was just the number one “Do my thing” type of artist. I have actually done some records with his mom since he has been gone and I she kind of sat there when me Shock G, Mike Mosely and some other cats were in the studio and Shock turned off all the lights and just played Pac’s vocals, and turned the light off in the vocal booth, it was just something about the man’s voice. I mean you have certain voices that will just go down in history, like when you here Isaac Hayes speak Maya Angelo, Martian Luther King, Tupac, I mean some people just have that conviction in their voice that make you believe, make you listen.”

TE.com-How would you describe the TQ sound?

TQ “Its reality R & B- I think that is the best way to describe it. R & B, traditionally, at least from the 80’s until now, has been primarily focused on love songs, relationship stuff. You know, every one is not in a relationship and those that are that is the number one thing leading there life. I am just here to go up against that grain.”

TE.com-Do you have a word of advice for those trying to follow the same beaten path as yourself?

TQ “Don’t play with this shit, this is serious. First and foremost, is a gut check, whatever it is that you’re trying to make or what you’re trying to create, turn it on listen to it, and listen to what is playing on the radio, and be serious. It’s not rocket science, you can tell if you can compete or not. If you can, to even be considered, you have to be on top of your game. I always say if you’re a singer- you supposed to sing every day, if you’re a writer, you’re supposed to write everyday.”

TQ’s music identifies with real people and reaches beyond love ships into true life experiences. His songs tell an untold story that many songwriters overlook today. TQ describes his music as therapy for everyone who is facing troubles in their life. “Listen” represents the struggles that life delivers to all of us.

Look for TQ’s new album “Listen,” scheduled to be released on the HUB Muzic/ Lightyear/WEA label on August 31.

Thanks Liane Mori Of Rogers & Cowan