Sound Files (MP3)
Westside - from the album They Never Saw Me Coming
Best Friend - from the album The Second Coming
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b. Terrence Quaites, May 24, 1976, Mobile, Alabama, USA. Combining the streetwise lyrical slant of hip-hop with the smooth vocal inflections of urban R&B, TQ scored a big chart hit in 1998 with his tribute single "Westside'. When he was still young Quaites" family relocated to the notorious Compton area of Los Angles, California. He sang in the church choir as a teenager, but at the same time was running into problems on the streets. He was sent to live in Atlanta with his aunt when he was 16 after his mother found a gun in his bedroom, an action the singer acknowledges probably saved his life. He worked as an intern at A&M Records before joining a group called Coming Of Age as lead singer. Signed to Zoo Entertainment, they scored a Top 40 R&B single in 1993 with "Coming Home To Love", before TQ left to pursue a solo career on Atlantic Records. He relocated to Sony Records when Atlantic asked him to water down his lyrics. "Westside" was dedicated to Eazy-E and 2Pac, and climbed to US number 12 in November 1998 and UK number 4 the following January. They Never Saw Me Coming was produced by Mike Mosley of Steady Mobbin Productions, and featured guest appearances from established rappers Too Short and E-40. Besides the stand-out hit single, the album featured further hard-hitting lyrical observations of street life such as "Remember Melinda" and the linked narratives of "Bye Bye Baby" and "The Comeback". His sophomore album, The Second Coming, was released in 2000. Listen... followed in August 2004. Sound Files (MP3) Westside - from the album They Never Saw Me Coming Best Friend - from the album The Second Coming |
 They Never Saw Me Coming Released: 1998 Label: Atlantic |
 The Second Coming Released: 2000 Label: Atlantic |
 Listen... Released: 2004 Label: Lightyear |