It's funny how things come full circle. As the visionary behind the influential golden-era group A Tribe Called Quest, rapper-producer Q-Tip undoubtedly led the way for left-field hip hop artists like Kanye West. And now Yeezy is returning the favor by signing Tip to his G.O.O.D. Music imprint.

"I'm excited to solidify my working relationship with Kanye, and I look forward to all the opportunities that lie ahead in our partnership," Tip said in a statement. "I will do my best to present the most cutting-edge music I can."

The move isn't totally unexpected, as Tip has contributed behind the scenes to Kanye's last two projects. Tip was one of Yeezy's wide circle of collaborators for his 2010 magnum opus My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and he co-produced "Chain Heavy," one of the so-called G.O.O.D. Friday leaks that preceded the album. He also co-produced "That's My B---h," off of Kanye's and Jay-Z's 2011 chart-topper Watch the Throne. 

Tip's first release with G.O.O.D. Music will be The Last Zulu, slated to drop early next year. Hopefully it's not too late for him to contribute to the highly anticipated G.O.O.D. Music compilation later this year.

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(Photos from left:  Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)