The Truth About Janet Jackson And Q-Tip's Relationship ·
David Richardson
Updated on March 03, 2026
As Lizzo once said, "All the rumors are true!" Janet Jackson did in fact date former A Tribe Called Quest frontman Q-Tip. The "Vivrant Thing" hitmaker recently opened up about it during a chat with Math Hoffa and explained when they first met. Q-Tip admitted they were introduced to one another when working on "Poetic Justice." Late film director John Singleton initially wanted Q-Tip to play the lead role of Lucky, but he admitted he wasn't up for it. Instead, it went to Tupac Shakur and Q-Tip went on to take a smaller role.
Q-Tip discloses that when he first met Jackson at a dinner she was still married to her second husband, René Elizondo. Three years later, they collaborated on "Got Til It's Gone" after Jackson asked him to appear on the song. Shortly after, they started to date once she split with Elizondo. "It be cool 'n s***. She be making eggs 'n s*** and I'll be chilling like, 'Yo, that's Penny!' to myself," he said, referring to her character on "Good Times." He added, I love her to death, and it's like — she's a Jackson. That's Black royalty."
Q-Tip didn't reveal when they split, but it appears the two are still friends to this day. In 2018, the rap star joined the Grammy Award-winner during her Global Citizen Festival headline slot.
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