Originally a native of Mobile, Alabama, TQ grew up in Compton, California. He began his music career in the early 1990s with the R&B ensemble Coming of Age, who had a hit with the ballad "Coming Home to Love". After two album releases, the group went their separate ways.

The summer of 1998 saw TQ notch his first hit with "Westside". Reaching #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, it was also a hit in the UK, peaking at #4. TQ's success continued in later that year, when They Never Saw Me Coming was released, along with the single "Bye Bye Baby"; "Better Days" followed the next year.

TQ's second album, 2000's The Second Coming, was shelved in America due to shoddy packaging: missing songs and miscredited guest appearances. The album was released in Europe.

After this, TQ joined Cash Money Records. He made guest appearances on other Cash Money artists' albums, and recorded his own Cash Money album, Gemini. Again, after record label problems, it was never officially released until November 2007, when TQ made it available on his MySpace page.

TQ eventually left Cash Money and independently released a new album, Listen, in 2004.

In 2007, TQ made his most prominent international album appearance, being featured on a single from the debut album of Iranian-Canadian rapper Imaan Faith. Entitled "Let The Truth Be Known", Imaan's album released on Universal Music Canada and charted at #6 on the Nielsen SoundScan top ten in Canada the week of its March 11 release.

TQ's next release, Paradise was released on April 29, 2008 in partnership with Gracie Productions and EMI Distribution.

On 23rd March 2009, TQ released the S.E.X.Y. EP on iTunes. It was later made available on CD on 30th June, via Amazon. This is not his sixth studio album, it's just a few previously unreleased songs, grouped together and released.

On 2nd June 2009, Gemini was released on iTunes, with a different track listing to what was previously released.

TQ is currently working on his new album, titled Kind of Blue. TQ has recorded the Michael Jackson song Dirty Diana for this album.

TQ has his own blog. He has previously written on music website AllHipHop.com. Part one of this blog can be found here, with the rest being found in the archives at the site. He gives an insight into the music business and the troubles he has had getting his albums released.