Q-York is a

Filipino American Filipino Americans ( fil, Mga Pilipinong Amerikano) are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipinos and other Asian ethnicities in North America were first documented in the 16th century as slaves and prisoners on ships sailing to and from New S ...

hip hop/R&B

record production A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

duo composed of Flava Matikz ( DJ/producer) and Knowa Lazarus (

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

/ MC). The name Q-York stands for "Quality – Yields Our Richest Key" and also

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

where the group was founded in 2001. They have released numerous albums, appeared on various compilations/mixtapes worldwide and are the official MC / DJ for the

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...

3x3 basketball 3x3 basketball (pronounced ''three-ex-three'') is a variation of basketball played three-a-side, with one backboard and in a half-court setup. According to an ESSEC Business School study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, 3x3 ...

tournament all throughout Asia.

Influences

Q-York was first inspired to make music through the sounds of the

Golden age hip hop Golden age hip hop is a name given to mainstream hip hop music created from the mid-1980s to early-mid 1990s, particularly by artists and musicians originating from the New York metropolitan area. An outgrowth of the new school hip hop movement, ...

of the 1980s and 1990s in New York. They also spent time on the West Coast and were students of both the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...

hip hop scene. Their versatility and flexibility in listening to all styles of music incorporates their open-mindedness into their sound. Although they are mostly known for their uptempo dance tracks, their overall sound remains diverse and has been described in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

as having a "local-feel with international appeal". They compose their music primarily in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

but they also fuse Tagalog within their songs. Specialists in "

Taglish Taglish or Englog is code-switching and/or code-mixing in the use of Tagalog and English, the most common languages of the Philippines. The words ''Taglish'' and ''Englog'' are portmanteaux of the words ''Tagalog'' and ''English''. The earliest ...

" (a mixture of English and Tagalog), they utilize catchphrases and specific words into their songs as a way of expressing their culture. In their songs, the group emphasizes self-empowerment, positivity, spirituality and pride in their heritage. Their lyrics also address the issues and struggles of

Filipino people Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...

worldwide in an attempt to bring unity to the divisions within their community.

Biography

Knowa Lazarus and Flava Matikz met in Queens, New York. Knowa Lazarus needed a DJ for one of his shows and a friend of his referred their cousin "DJ Flava" to him. They did a few shows together in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

and New York then went their separate ways. Two years passed and Lazarus was in process of recording his demo tape and majoring in Management of Music Enterprise at

Baruch College Baruch College (officially the Bernard M. Baruch College) is a public college in New York City. It is a constituent college of the City University of New York system. Named for financier and statesman Bernard M. Baruch, the college operates und ...

, NYC. Flava Matikz, who was majoring in Music Technology at

Queensborough Community College Queensborough Community College (QCC) is a community college in Bayside, Queens, New York. One of seven community colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, Queensborough enrolls more than 12,000 students and more than 770 ...

called Lazarus to inform him he was now making beats. They rented out a studio, recorded their first song together, then proceeded to build a home studio in Matikz' home in

Woodside, Queens Woodside is a residential and commercial neighborhood in the western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside, and on the east by Elmhurst, J ...

, New York. They released two EPs and an independent album – ''Let The Truth Be Told'', and from 2001-2002 toured the East and West Coast. They generated a small buzz and gained the attention of NBA basketball player,

Ron Artest Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...

, who had his own record company Tru Warier Records. Through Artest they were able to collaborate with

Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

(formerly of

The Firm The FIRM (stylized as The FIRM) is a brand of exercise videos and equipment currently owned by Gaiam. The original "The FIRM" videos are best known for popularizing a hybrid of aerobic exercise and weight training. History In 1979, Anna Bens ...

Canibus Germaine Williams (born December 9, 1974), better known by his stage name Canibus, is an American rapper and actor. He initially gained fame in the 1990s for his ability to freestyle, and eventually released his debut album Can-I-Bus in 1998. ...

, Allure, among others. In early 2003 they relocated to

, where they started their own CD/DVD manufacturing and web/graphic design businesses with T.H.E. Menace and other Q-York Senate members. As a web/graphic design company they designed websites for

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

, Remy Martin,

Funkmaster Flex Aston George Taylor Jr. (born August 5, 1968), professionally known as Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer, and host on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. In 1992, he became host of the first hip hop radio show on Hot ...

and other hip hop artists. As a CD/DVD manufacturing company they worked with top West Coast DJs, reproducing CDs for the likes of DJ Vice, Big Syphe & Eric D-lux, DJ Turbulence, and many others. Artistically, on the West Coast they collaborated with

Far East Movement Far East Movement (abbreviated FM) is an American Hip hop music, hip hop and electronic music group based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and as of August 2018 consists of Kev Nish (Kevin Nishimura), Prohgress (James Roh), DJ Virman (Vi ...

, Diamonique, Dirty Birdy,

Andre Nickatina Andre L. Adams (born March 11, 1970), better known by his stage name Andre Nickatina, is an American rapper from San Francisco, California. He previously performed under the stage name Dre Dog. Personal life Andre Adams was born on March 11, 19 ...

, Equipto,

San Quinn Quincy Brooks IV (born October 24, 1977), better known by his stage name San Quinn, is an American rapper from San Francisco, California. He is the cousin of Messy Marv, Stevie Johnson, and Ya Boy. Early life Brooks was born in Oakland, Califor ...

, Bambu (of

Native Guns Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and enterta ...

), Roscoe Umali, among others. In

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

they have released five albums – ''Step Ya Game Up Rapper Vol. 1'' (2003), ''Jose Rizal'' (2005), ''How The Q-West Was One'' (2006) (a collaboration with DJ Lady Tribe), ''Step Ya Game Up Rapper Vol. 2'' (2006), and ''L.I.F.E. – Lyrics Inspired From Experience'' (2008). In 2006 in search of a deeper purpose for their artistic talents, they began volunteering for

Gawad Kalinga Gawad Kalinga (GK) ("to give care" in Tagalog) is a Philippine poverty alleviation and nation-building movement known officially as the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation. Its mission is to end poverty for 5 million families by 2024. ...

and speaking to public school youth about positivity through hip hop in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, California. Through their advocacy they met the

Philippine All Stars The Philippine All-Stars is a Filipino Hip-hop dance group from the Philippines. They won the 2006 and 2008 World Hip Hop Dance Championships. Hip-hop community viewed All-Star as one of most jaw-dropping crew to ever exist. They were formed on 200 ...

when they were competing in the US for the

World Hip Hop Dance Championships The World Hip Hop Dance Championship is an international hip-hop dance competition created in 2002 by Hip Hop International. Countries that have participated in the past include Dominican Republic, India, Greece, Cyprus, Chile, Italy, Mexico, Franc ...

. They collaborated with some of the members of the Philippine All Stars and recorded a song, "Caught Up" (sampling

112 112 may refer to: *112 (number), the natural number following 111 and preceding 113 *112 (band), an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia **112 (album), ''112'' (album), album from the band of the same name *112 (emergency telephone number), t ...

's song "

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...

"), which was released in the Philippines, and which made the top 10 on the

Wave 89.1 DWAV (89.1 FM broadcasting, FM) - broadcasting as Wave 89.1 - is a radio station owned and operated by Blockbuster Broadcasting System, a member of Tiger 22 Media. The station's studio is located at the Unit 906-B Paragon Plaza, EDSA corner Rel ...

chart. Lazarus and Matikz then decided to visit the Philippines, and toured with the Philippine All Stars for two months in 2007. Visiting their motherland for the first time, they fell in love and felt they discovered the true purpose for their passion. They both worked and saved money for a year and by late 2008, they had sold everything of theirs that wasn't needed and bought a one-way ticket to the Philippines. In 2009 they collaborated with the Philippine All Stars, AF Benaza and Jerome B Smooth and shot the music video for the song "Mainit" (''Hot'') which featured Kenjhons and Chelo Aestrid. The group exploded onto the Philippine music scene and garnered many nominations and awards for "Mainit" – Best Music Video (

MYX Myx (, stylized as MYX or myx) is a Philippine pay TV channel based in Quezon City, owned by Creative Programs Inc., a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corporation. The channel is targeted to youth audiences and primarily airs music videos. It was intr ...

Music Awards), Best Hip Hop Music Video (Urban Music Awards), and Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (Radio Music Awards). They performed as opening act for the

Pussycat Dolls Pussycat or Pussy Cat may refer to: * Cat, a domestic feline Music Bands * Pussycat (band), a Dutch country and pop group * The Pussycats, a 1960s Norwegian rock band * The Pussycats, a group signed to Kama Sutra Records Albums * ''Pussy Cats'', ...

Live in Manila concert in 2009, and for APEC's after party in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

in November 2009, as front act for the Shock Value Tour in Manila with

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

and

JoJo Jojo, JoJo or Jo Jo is a given name, surname, nickname or stage name used by several people and fictional characters, including: People with the given name, nickname or stage name Musicians *JoJo (singer) (born 1990), American R&B singer, songwri ...

. In 2010 Q-York performed along with Young JV during the Supafest Concert in Manila featuring T-Pain,

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl ...

Sean Kingston Kisean Paul Anderson (born February 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Sean Kingston, is an American-Jamaican singer and rapper. He is known for his hit songs " Beautiful Girls", "Fire Burning", " Take You There", and his collaboration wit ...

and

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...

.Dominating performance by Pussycat Dolls , The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online
/ref> In 2011 they performed along with

Jay-R Jay-R C. Reyes (born July 16, 1984) is a Filipino former professional basketball player who last played for the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters of the Philippine Basketball Association. Professional career Reyes was the youngest player in the 2006 ...

and Chelo Aestrid at MYX Mo 2011. In November 2010, Q-York was chosen as one of the top selected performers and songwriters of the 7101 Music Nation Cam

along with

Gary Valenciano Edgardo Jose Santiago Valenciano (, born August 6, 1964), also known as Gary V., is a Filipino singer-songwriter, dancer, musician, actor, music producer and television host. Valenciano has released 39 albums, and won the Awit Award for "Bes ...

Rico Blanco Rico Rene Granados Blanco (born March 17, 1973) is a Filipino singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actor, endorser and entrepreneur. He began his career as one of the founding members, and served as the chief songwriter, ...

Jim Paredes Jaime Ramon Misa Paredes, better known simply as Jim Paredes (), is a Filipino singer, composer, television host, writer and actor. He is known as one of the members of popular musical trio APO Hiking Society (along with Danny Javier and Boboy G ...

Jay Durias Jay Oliver Durias Sr. (born 26 August 1975) is a Filipino singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer known for his collaborations with South Border. Early life Durias is the frontman of South Border, a pop and R&B band that traces its roo ...

, Gary Granada,

Ryan Cayabyab Raymundo Cipriano Pujante Cayabyab (born ; May 4, 1954), known professionally as Ryan Cayabyab, is a Filipino musician, composer and conductor. He was the Executive and Artistic Director for several years for the defunct San Miguel Foundation ...

and many other OPM legends. Through the influence of their mentors at the camp they expanded their musicality and began to see themselves as more than just hip hop artists. In the Philippines they have collaborated/produced for talents such as

Ogie Alcasid Herminio Jose Lualhati "Ogie" Alcasid Jr. (; born August 27, 1967) is a Filipino singer-songwriter, television presenter, comedian, parodist, and actor. He is currently the President of OPM (Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-Aawit). Early care ...

Krista Kleiner Krista Eileen Arrieta Kleiner (born June 12 1989), is a Filipino-American entertainer, creator and beauty queen. She joined Binibining Pilipinas 2010 (Miss Philippines) and won Binibining Pilipinas-International 2010 (Miss Philippines Internat ...

, Chelo Aestrid, Young JV, Dannie Boi,

Nina Girado Marifil Niña Girado-Enriquez (born November 1, 1980), known professionally as Nina, is a Filipino people, Filipina singer, occasional songwriter, record producer, TV and radio personality and occasional actress. She made her recording debut in ...

Gloc-9 Aristotle Condenuevo Pollisco (born October 18, 1977), known professionally as Gloc-9, is a Filipino rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as one of the best Filipino rappers of all-time, his fast-flowing vocal style has made him one of th ...

& Paloma Esmeria. In 2011, Q-York garnered the attention of the Philippines' "Platinum Prince of R&B",

. After a few meetings together, they signed a distribution deal for their album ''Q-York City'' with

's label Homeworkz, a sub-label of

Universal Records (Philippines) Universal Records Philippines, Inc. is a Filipino record label founded in 1977 as part of Warner Music Group. Since 1992, it is an independent label. The label is currently a member of the Philippine Association of the Record Industry. Hist ...

. Their first album to be released with the label was ''Q-York City''. In 2014, the group released their second album titled ''Q-Labonation'' which features collaborations with other artists such as

Sponge Cola Sponge Cola (sometimes spelled Spongecola) is a Filipino rock band formed in 2002. The band is composed of Yael Yuzon on vocals and guitars, Gosh Dilay on bass, Armo Armovit on guitars and drummer Tedmark Cruz. One of the most popular rock bands ...

and

Yeng Constantino Josephine Eusebio Constantino-Asuncion (born December 4, 1988), professionally known as Yeng Constantino, is a Filipino pop rock singer-songwriter, occasional actress and host. She is referred to as the ''Philippines Pop Rock Royalty'' and i ...

. On March 19, the group's song entry "Qrush On You" was named as one of the finalists that will compete in the third

Philippine Popular Music Festival The Philippine Popular Music Festival (also known as Philpop) is an annual songwriting competition organized by the Philpop MusicFest Foundation and was launched in 2012. The creation of the festival was inspired by the defunct Metro Manila Popular ...

. On May 29,

and

Elmo Magalona Elmo Moses Arroyo Magalona (born 27 April 1994) is a Filipino actor and singer. He is currently an artist of ABS-CBN and Star Magic. He is the child of Francis Magalona and Pia Magalona. Biography 2009–2010: Early career Magalona's first app ...

were revealed as the featured artists on the song.

Discography

* ''Let The Truth Be Told'' - Knowa Lazarus & The Q-York Senate (2002) * ''Step Ya Game Up Rapper Vol.1'' - Knowa Lazarus (2003) * ''What We Listen To ueens' - Flava Matikz (2003) * ''What We Listen To rooklyn' - Flava Matikz (2003) * ''Q.S.A. The Dawn of Domination'' - Q-York (2004) * ''Jose Rizal'' - Knowa Lazarus (2005) * ''How the Q-West was One'' - Knowa Lazarus & Lady Tribe (2005) * ''Step Ya Game Up Rapper Vol.2'' - Knowa Lazarus (2006) * ''L.I.F.E. (Lyrics Inspired From Experience)'' - Knowa Lazarus (2008) * ''We Got That'' - T.H.E Matikz (2008) * ''Q-York City'' - Q-York (2011) * ''Q-Labonation'' (2014) * ''Q-Labonation: Addendum'' (2015) * The Philippine Dream (2016)

Media appearances

* Multiple appearances on ABS-CBN's '' ASAP'' * GMA's ''

Party Pilipinas ''Party Pilipinas'' () is a Philippine television variety show broadcast by GMA Network. Hosted by Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Jaya and Janno Gibbs, it premiered on March 28, 2010 replacing ''SOP''. The show concluded on May 19, 2013 with a ...

'' * TV5's PO5 weekend show *

music channel *

MTV Philippines MTV Philippines was a 24-hour music/entertainment television network owned by All Youth Channels, Inc., through a partnership with MTV Networks Asia Pacific. The network originally started its broadcast on January 1, 2001. Two other MTV-brand ...

Boracay Beach Party * ETC A-List Event Series * ABS-CBN's ''

TV Patrol ''TV Patrol'' is a Philippine television newscast produced by ABS-CBN News. It premiered on March 2, 1987, at the former ABS-CBN television network, replacing ''Balita Ngayon''. ''TV Patrol'' is the flagship national newscast of the network an ...

'' * '' Kabuhayang Swak na Swak'' * ''

Ruffa & Ai ''Ruffa & Ai'' is a Philippine morning talk and lifestyle show on ABS-CBN which was aired from February 16 to October 23, 2009. The show is hosted by Ruffa Gutierrez and Ai-Ai delas Alas. History The then-morning talk show ''Boy & Kris'' was at ...

'' * ''

Unang Hirit ''Unang Hirit'' () is a Philippine television news broadcasting and talk show broadcast by GMA Network. It is the longest running morning show in the Philippines. Originally hosted by Ryan Agoncillo, Lyn Ching-Pascual, Arnold Clavio, Suzi Entr ...

'' * Mutya Ng Pilipinas 2010 Beauty Pageant (ABS-CBN) * ''Pulp Magazine'' * ''

The Philippine Star ''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...

'' * ''

ESPN The Magazine ''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998. Initially published every other week, it scaled back to 24 issues a year i ...

'' * ''

Music Uplate Live ''Music Uplate Live'' (also known as ''M.U. Live'') is a Philippine Late night television, late night musical variety show airing before network sign-off on ABS-CBN. Premiering March 15, 2010, its main presenters include Yeng Constantino and Tutt ...

'' * ''

Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman ''Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman'' () formerly known as ''Master Showman Presents'', is a Philippine television variety show broadcast by GMA Network. Hosted by German Moreno, along with John Nite, Shermaine Santiago, Jackie Lou Blanco ...

Awards

* "Mainit" - Most Requested on ''

'' Philippines & MTV Philippines * "Mainit" - Music Video of the Year - 2010 ''

'' Urban Music Awards * "Mainit" - Single of the Year - Philippine Hip Hop Awards 5 * "Q-York" - Best Urban Group - 2012 ''

'' Urban Music Awards * "Lead The Way" - Best Hip Hop Song - 1st '' KBP''Pop Music Festival 2012 * "Lead The Way" - Grand Prize Winner - 1st '' KBP''Pop Music Festival 2012 * "Connection" - Best Dance Recording (Chelo A. featuring Q-York and '' JayR'') - '' 25th Awit Awards'' 2012 * "Q-York" - Best Urban Group - 2013 ''

'' Urban Music Awards * "Qrush On You" - Top 12 Finalist - '' PhilPop 2014'' * “Wow - Roxee B ft. Q-York” - Best Music Video - 2014 ''

'' Urban Music Awards

References

# ”Lyrical Empire – Hip Hop in Manila “ – Documentary- http://vimeo.com/15007683 # http://www.livingmarjorney.com/2011/07/7101-music-nation-launches-2nd-elements.html # https://web.archive.org/web/20120204115551/http://www.justinbreathes.com/music/q-york-yuoy/ # http://www.myxph.com/features/2101/q-york-and-jay-r-at-myxmo-2011/ # https://www.redbull.com/my-en/kings-of-queens-q-york # http://billboard.ph/q-york-aim-catalyze-social-change-new-album-philippine-dream/ # https://camilealdriene.com/wave-891s-urban-music-awards-2014/

External links

* http://www.q-york.com * https://www.facebook.com/qy0rk * https://www.twitter.com/q_york * https://www.youtube.com/qyork * https://www.instagram.com/q_york {{Authority control American musical duos Filipino-American musical groups Musical groups established in 2001 Filipino hip hop groups Filipino rappers