Top Quality

{{short description|American rapper}} {{Infobox musical artist | background = person | name = Top Quality | image = | caption = | birth_name = T. Robinson | origin = White Plains, New York, U.S. | genre = Hip hop | occupation = Rapper | years_active = 1992–1998 | label = RCA | past_member_of = Hit Squad }} '''T. Robinson''', professionally know by his stage name '''Top Quality''' is a former American rapper and a member of hip hop collective Hit Squad. Signing to RCA Records in the early 1990s, he became the first rapper from White Plains, New York to get a major record label deal.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=August 28, 2009 |title=Top Quality |url=https://westcheddar.com/2009/08/28/top-quality/ |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=Westcheddar |language=en}}</ref>

After appearing in ''The Source'' magazine's ''Unsigned Hype'', a column dedicated to finding unsigned talent, Top Quality eventually caught the eye of PMD, who made him a member of the rap collective Hit Squad and was subsequently signed a deal with RCA Records. His debut album, ''Magnum Opus'' was released in May 1994 and was executively produced by Smith himself. The album, however, was a commercial failure. Unlike other Hit Squad releases at the time, ''Magnum Opus'' failed to sell many copies and peaked at only No. 95 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kellman |first=Andy |title=Top Quality Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/top-quality-mn0000791848#biography |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref><ref name="BB">{{cite web | url = {{BillboardURLbyName|artist=top quality|chart=all}}| title = ''Magnum Opus'' chart positions at Billboard.com| publisher = Billboard.com | date = 2010-10-29}}</ref>

After being released from RCA, Top Quality appeared on PMD's ''Shadē Business'' in 1994 and 3rd Eye's ''Planets'' in 1998.

Top Quality has been played on NTS shows including The NCA Show with Brassfoot, with ''Magnum Opus'' first played on November 21, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Top Quality {{!}} Discover music on NTS |url=http://www.nts.live/artists/51423-top-quality |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=NTS Radio |language=en}}</ref>

==Discography== ;Studio albums {|class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Title ! Chart positions |- ! <small>U.S. R&B</small> |- |1993 |''Magnum Opus'' *Released: November 14, 1993 *Label: RCA |align="center"|95 |- |}

;Singles *1992: "Northbound Renegade" / "Let Me Breathe" / "Who The Hell Am I" (New Image Records) *1993: "Magnum Opus" (RCA Records) *1994: "I Can't Hear You" (RCA/BMG) *1994: "What" (PMD Records) - <small>*promotional single</small>

;Guest appearances *"Fake Homeyz" by PMD and 3rd Eye from ''Shadē Business'' (1994) *"No Shorts and No Sleep" by PMD, 3rd Eye and Zone 7 from ''Shadē Business'' (1994) *"Troopers Represent" by 3rd Eye, Nine, Lord Finesse and Zone 7 from ''Planets'' (1998)

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Top Quality}} Category:20th-century American male rappers Category:20th-century American rappers Category:21st-century African-American rappers Category:21st-century American male rappers Category:21st-century American rappers Category:Hit Squad members Category:Living people Category:Musicians from White Plains, New York Category:Rappers from New York (state) Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century African-American male rappers