Q-Tip, former leader of the rap group A Tribe Called Quest, has been ordered to appear in court to answer to charges that he allegedly assaulted a man inside a Times Square record store in New York City.

According to a spokesperson for the New York City police department, the rapper, whose real name is Jonathan Davis and who recently adopted the Muslim name Kamaal Fareed, turned himself in to authorities at the Midtown North precinct last Wednesday and was issued a desk appearance ticket by authorities on a possible charge of third degree assault.

Q-Tip was not arrested or formally taken into custody on the charge, but he must appear in Midtown Community Court on April 24 to answer to the possible assault charge. After the hearing, authorities will then decide whether or not to arraign Fareed.

The New York Post" reports that Q-Tip supposedly attacked 28-year-old Kenrick Miranda while in the Virgin Megastore in Times Square on March 15. That incident apparently grew

out of an argument in which Miranda claimed that Q-Tip prevented him from passing out demo tapes in front of the Hit Factory recording studio last summer.

Regardless of the criminal court ruling on April 24, Q-Tip may still face additional legal trouble, as Miranda told the "New York Post" that he plans to lodge a civil suit against the rapper, claiming that he has already incurred some $10,000 in medical expenses from the alleged assault.

Q-Tip's representatives at Arista Records have yet to return calls to MTV News seeking comment about the possible assault charge.

The incident and pending court date may help explain Q-Tip's decision to abandon the opening spot on D'Angelo's current tour, an outing the rapper has apparently dropped off of after less than a month (see [article id="1427446"]"D'Angelo Eyes Q-Tip, Common, Others For U.S. Tour"[/article]).

Q-Tip has sold more than 515,000 copies of his first solo LP, "Amplified," since its release in November

1999, according to SoundScan.