Though Consequence serves as Kanye’s de facto spokesperson these days, he has a storied career that goes back decades. He made his debut in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest’s Beats, Rhymes and Life before delivering his debut album, Don’t Quit Your Day Job! In 2007 through G.O.O.D Music. But, before then, there was a time when Diddy had a deal for him on the table. Even though he could’ve been on the same label as Biggie, Q-Tip intervened.
Cons recently sat down with Vlad TV where he discussed his dealings with ATCQ and the potential deal with Bad Boy. Though his appearance on Beats, Rhymes And Life admittedly changed the dynamic of the group, Q-Tip insisted on Consequence’s presence on the album. “I actually had a deal on the table with Puff,” he said, “I never got the paperwork because Q-Tip intercepted it and just said, ‘Yo, I’m putting you in the group." He recalled, "I see you got a deal — good enough for me! Let’s go!’ But I did get a verbal interest from Puff during the B.I.G. and Mack campaign.”
Consequence & Bad Boy
During an interview with HipHopDx, Consequence explained how Q-Tip’s shout-out on Craig Mack’s “Get Down” remix sparked Diddy’s interest. At the time, he was known as “Ray Tip,” which Q-Tip name-dropped during his verse. When Cons dropped “Living It Up,” Diddy was keen on inking a deal with him. “When Q-Tip played ‘Living It Up’ for Puff, Puff was like, ‘Yo, lemme get playboy, I’ll sign him right now. He’s fire,’” he recalled.
However, Q-Tip’s plans for Consequence were far different than Puff’s. Instead of having him join Bad Boy, he wanted him to become a member of Tribe. “[Diddy’s interest] led to Q-Tip and I having a conversation, which led to Q-Tip deciding that instead of me signing to Puff, he wanted me to join A Tribe Called Quest as the new member. Which, you know, probably one of the craziest ways anybody could start their career in the ’90s. I was blessed,” he continued. However, Consequence maintained a strong relationship with Diddy since, even working with the Bad Boy head honcho and former signees The LOX on “Whatever You Want.”
