Q-York

New York
Origin	Queens, New York
Genres	Hip Hop, R&B, Pop
Years active	2001–present
Associated acts	HomeWorkz Music, Jay R, Mica Javier, Deejay Poblete, Bendeatha, Francis Lim, Acielle Santos, Glaiza De Castro, Kat Lopez, Oche Akoh, Izz, DannieBoi, Roxee B
Members	Flava Matikz Knowa Lazarus

Q-York is a multi-award winning Filipino American hip hop record production duo composed of Flava Matikz (DJ/producer) and Knowa Lazarus (songwriter/MC). The name Q-York stands for "Quality – Yields Our Richest Key" and also Queens, New York where the group was founded in 2001. They have released numerous albums, appeared on various compilations/mixtapes worldwide and are the official MC / DJ for the FIBA 3x3 basketball tournament all throughout Asia.

Q-York was first inspired to make music through the sounds of the Golden age hip hop of the 1980s and 1990s in New York. They also spent time on the West Coast and were students of both the Los Angeles and Bay Area hip hop scene. Their versatility and flexibility in listening to all styles of music incorporates their open-mindedness into their sound.

Although they are mostly known for their uptempo dance tracks, their overall sound remains diverse and has been described in the Philippines as having a "local-feel with international appeal". They compose their music primarily in English but they also fuse Tagalog within their songs. Specialists in "Taglish" (a mixture of English and Tagalog), they utilize catchphrases and specific words into their songs as a way of expressing their culture.

In their songs, the group emphasizes self-empowerment, positivity, spirituality and pride in their heritage. Their lyrics also address the issues and struggles of Filipino people worldwide in an attempt to bring unity to the divisions within their community.

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Wikipedia