Social media was abuzz when online users learned that rapper Q-Tip spent his 54th birthday with his ex-girlfriend Janet Jackson.
The pop star took to her Instagram to express just how special she believes the A Tribe Called Quest founding member is. Fans immediately began to speculate whether the “Rhythm Nation” chart-topper was simply enjoying time with a dear friend or rekindling their romance.
If the latter is the case, some are asking what about Jermaine Dupri?
Jackson’s post was simple, “30 + yrs of friendship…so special to me. Thank you for coming over last night. Happy bday,” but it caused quite an eruption and had her trending online.
She also tagged the rapper, @qtiptheabstract, in her Instagram Story which featured a dramatic but stylish black-and-white picture of him. Her message was punctuated with kissy face emojis.
“Janet spinning the block with Q-Tip,” one X user posted.
Another fan believed the two would not only be perfect together but would make all things right in the world, “There’s a parallel universe where Janet and Q-Tip are married and I bet climate change isn’t a problem there.”
One person wrote, “It was always supposed to be them for mi!”
Jermaine Dupri just fell to his knees https://t.co/dDPB3iFZar
— 🌹RoseGawd🌹 (@djrosegawd) April 10, 2024
After years of never saying a word publicly about their relationship, Q-Tip spilled some tea about their coupling around the time of their meeting on the set of John Singleton’s “Poetic Justice.” In the 1993 film he played Markel, Janet’s gang-banging, drug dealer boyfriend who was shot in the car during a movie date. Janet was married at the time to René Elizondo Jr., whom she divorced in 2003.
Q-Tip said they met for the first time on set and years later she called him up to do their 1997 collaboration, “Got ‘Til It’s Gone,” and another song.
“We started dating after that,” the Abstract said during Math Hoffa’s “My Expert Opinion” show.
He gushed about how great it was for him as a kid from Linden Boulevard. dating one of the most beloved girls from his childhood.
“It be cool and sh-t. She be making eggs and sh-t and I’ll be chilling like, ‘Yo, that’s Penny!’ to myself,” he flexed. “I love her to death and she’s a Jackson — that’s Black royalty.”
The two dated and ultimately broke up in 2002. Jackson’s post did not have any romantic connotations, but fans breezed past that tidbit and clung to the narrative that the two might be getting back together. This also arrives nearly a year after many expressed excitement about what seemed to be a reunion with the SoSo Def founder.
“Jermaine Dupri just fell to his knees,” one X user said in a post.
Someone then informed the thread, “You know he dated her during ‘The Velvet Rope’ era right? That’s why the sound is like that. Also Tupac hated him cuz she loved some Tip.”
That was followed up with, “That’s why he just gotta take his lick in silence. Q-Tip is the GOAT what is Jermaine gonna do? Kamaal is 6′ and can fight. He’s also over Jermaine to me in producer lists lol.”
Jermaine and Janet dated right after Tip says the two of them called it quits in 2002. However, in 2009, just months preceding the tragic passing of her brother, Michael Jackson, she and JD broke up. The “Welcome to Atlanta” rapper admitted that one of the reasons was due to his infidelity and being flagrant about his indiscretions.
Janet did not disagree — but she has never confirmed. But in her self-titled A&E documentary, she revealed that she wanted to marry Dupri, who later claimed that he never wanted to record with her on Gillie the King and Wallo 267’s “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast.
“I never wanted to produce her. We got into an argument about me not producing her because she was around me watching everybody else get hit records,” he said explaining he didn’t want her to think he just wanted to elevate his career.
JD was spotted at Janet’s 56th birthday bash in 2022. In April 2023, the “Someone to Call My Lover” collaborators seemed like they might spinning the block after he made a surprise appearance on her “Together Again” tour stop in Atlanta.
After Jackson’s October performance at the One Music Festival in Atlanta, clips were made of the couple canoodling out with Ashanti and Nelly on what looked like a double date.
This was the second time they linked up. But maybe Jermaine, who boasts about taking the “Nasty” recording artist to strip clubs, was too dramatic.
One fan thought that might be the case when the producer was talking to his daughter about why he and her mother broke up.
“Girl hush yo daddy tryna spin da block on Janet… this gon be the second time you mess it up for them,” one fan joked.
But maybe … the person was right.
