Defsounds

Q-Tip will be releasing his 2nd solo album, "The Renaissance," this Oct. 14th. The album will contain 9 tracks and is said to be reminiscent of his earlier work with th classic group, A Tribe Called Quest. Starting the album off will be "Shaka", which has an excerpt of one of presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign speeches over a guitar-tinged beat.

The sound byte hasn't been cleared yet so its not promised to make it to the album, however Q-Tip said "I start the album off with the Obama speech not just because I'm African-American, but because I really feel like he's a fresh new voice and alternative from what we've seen in the political scene in some time," Q-Tip told Billboard earlier this year. "I see similarities in his way of thinking and my way. I really like him a lot."

Also featured on the set is the piano-based lead single, "Getting Up," which is in the vein of Tribe's "Award Tour," the Raphael Saadiq-assisted "Fight/Love," which tells the stories of a girl in a troubled relationship and a young man fighting in Iraq, and "Life Is Better," featuring Norah Jones, where Q-Tip pays tribute to all his favorite rappers, including Biz Markie, LL Cool J, Leaders of The New School, Snoop Dogg, Eazy-E, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Brand Nubian and Pimp C. D'angelo, who's really been on the low, will also be making an appearance on the track "Believe".

Q is currently on tour with Tribe's Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White for this summer's Rock The Bells Tour.