All the rumors are true!
Queen of Pop Janet Jackson and rapper Q-Tip did, in fact, date at one point.
In a viral interview with battle rap legend Math Hoffa, Q-Tip shared how he met the iconic Janet Jackson and eventually began dating the youngest member of the Jackson family.
Q-Tip revealed that he first met Janet on the set of Poetic Justice, where Janet starred as Justice, and he played her boyfriend, Markell, at the beginning of the film.
Late film director John Singleton initially cast Q-Tip as the lead role of Lucky, but the “Can I Kick It?” rapper opted out. The role went to Tupac Shakur, and Q-Tip took on a smaller part instead.
Five years later, the duo reunited to record the 1997 hit single “Got ’Til It’s Gone” after Janet invited him to collaborate. They began dating shortly after, right after Janet had separated from her ex-husband René Elizondo Jr.
“We started dating after that,” Q-Tip recalled. “It be cool and s***. She be making eggs and s*** and I’ll be chilling like, ‘Yo, that’s Penny! to myself. I love her to death, and it’s like she’s a Jackson. That’s Black royalty.”
Janet Jackson Dated The Rapper Q-Tip ???? pic.twitter.com/QgPUEAnAd1
— Noisey Entertainment News (@NoiseyNews) August 24, 2024
Q-Tip didn’t specify when they split (though rumors suggest it was around 2002), but it seems they might be taking a page from Nelly and Ashanti and spinning the block on each other.
Earlier this year, during his 54th birthday, Janet took to Instagram to wish Q a happy birthday. But it wasn’t your typical birthday message—fans picked up on a rather flirtatious tone.
Moreover, the “Come Back to Me” singer revealed they had spent the previous evening together, sparking speculation that the two might be rekindling their romance.
“30+ years of friendship is so special to me. Thank you for coming over last night (three kissy face emojis),” Janet wrote via her Instagram story while sharing a black and white photo of Tip from back in the day.
X users quickly reacted, with one user playfully dubbing the award-winning songstress, “Janet ‘Spin the Block’ Jackson.”
Others were elated by the thought of their two icons reuniting. “It was always supposed to be them for [me]!” one user wrote. “Oh, I want Janet and Q-Tip for each other SO BAD,” wrote another.
Others couldn’t help but joke about how Janet’s ex-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri might react to the news of the pair’s possible reunion.
janet jackson & q-tip at the mtv vma’s, 1999 ???? pic.twitter.com/a4QG9f29QR
— ً (@hourlydamita) April 10, 2023
Janet Jackson feat. Q-Tip – Got ‘Til It’s Gone, 1997
pic.twitter.com/JSPX3e4eQw— Cardim (@Euucardim) May 26, 2024
With fans buzzing and social media ablaze with hope, could we see a second chapter for Janet and Q-Tip?
What we know is that whether it’s just old friends reconnecting or something more, the chemistry between these two icons is undeniable.
And who knows? Maybe history really does have a way of repeating itself, one flirtatious birthday wish at a time.
