A Tribe Called Quest
Encyclopedia
A Tribe Called Quest is an American
hip hop
group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip
(Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, formerly Jonathan Davis), rapper Phife Dawg
(Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad
. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White
, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006. Along with De La Soul
, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse
, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Their innovative fusing of hip hop and jazz has had a lasting impact on hip hop music, helping to expand the art of hip hop production. Many of their songs, such as "Bonita Applebum
", "Can I Kick It?
", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo
", "Scenario", "Check the Rhime
", "Jazz (We've Got)
", "Award Tour
" and "Electric Relaxation
" are regarded as classics.
They released five albums between 1990 and 1998. The first three LPs were highly acclaimed, but the group disbanded in 1998. In 2006, the group reunited and toured the U.S., and planned to release an album after some works in the studio. The group is regarded as iconic pioneers of alternative hip hop
music, having helped to pave the way for innovative hip hop artists. John Bush of Allmusic called them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s," while the editors of About.com
ranked them #4 on their list of the "25 Best Rap Groups of All Time." In 2005, A Tribe Called Quest received a Special Achievement Award at the Billboard
R&B Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. In 2007, the group was formally honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors.
, New York
. Initially, Q-Tip performed as a solo artist (MC Love Child), occasionally teaming up with Muhammad as a rapper/DJ duo. While the duo frequently made demos with Phife (as Crush Connection), the sports enthusiast was still courting professional basketball
ambitions and remained somewhat reluctant to become a full member of the group. He only later relented after Jarobi also joined, thus making the group a quartet. The group's final name was coined in 1988 by the Jungle Brothers
, who attended the same high school as Q-Tip and Muhammad. Q-Tip made two separate appearances on the Jungle Brothers' classic debut album, Straight Out the Jungle
; the songs "Black Is Black" and "In Time", respectively. Afrika Baby Bam of the group introduced Q-Tip to De La Soul when he took the aspiring artist along to a studio session for the recording of the remix for the group's song "Buddy
". Produced by Prince Paul, the remix of "Buddy" was to be an all-round Native Tongue affair, and the eccentric producer encouraged Q-Tip to contribute to the now-classic record.
In early 1989 they signed a demo deal with Geffen Records
and produced a five song demo which included later album tracks including "Description Of A Fool", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" and "Can I Kick It?". Geffen however, decided against offering the group a full-fledged recording contract and the group was granted permission to shop for a deal elsewhere while retaining the Geffen financed songs.
After receiving lucrative offers for multi-album deals from a variety of labels both big and small, the group showed early savvy in opting for a modest deal offered by Jive Records
. Jive Records was then known as an independent rap label that specialized in, and owed its success to, building careers of artists like Boogie Down Productions
and Too Short, as well as an emphasis on longevity and attention to grass-roots fan bases.
, the group released their first single, "Description of a Fool", to a lukewarm reception, and without a music video in advance of their debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
. Similar to De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising
, People's Instinctive Travels was marked by a playful lyrical approach (as on the call-and-response inspired "Can I Kick It?"), light-hearted content (safe sex, vegetarianism, youthful experiences), and to a lesser extent, an idiosyncratic sense of humor, free from much of the posturing of both hardcore hip hop, and the more left-wing aspects of conscious hip hop. Also of note, was the album's sample material, largely based around jazzy loops and snippets from artists such as Cannonball Adderley, Roy Ayers
, Lou Reed
, Rotary Connection
, and Les McCann
. Through these samples, the group employs the use of horns, Rhodes, bass guitar and vibes.
Although now critically acclaimed, at the time of its inception People's Instinctive Travels was met with mixed enthusiasm. Greg Tate of The Village Voice
called the album "upliftingly dope" and "so sweet and lyrical, so user-friendly. You could play it in the background when you're reading Proust
." The Source
also gave it a positive reception, even awarding it a five-mic rating - the magazine's highest possible rating. It was only the third album ever to receive this rating. However, Chuck Eddy of Rolling Stone
wrote that the album "is one of the least danceable rap albums ever" and he went on to say "it's impossible to imagine how people will put this music to use."
The album largely offended the record buying public, and for the time being the group remained in the shadows of their Native Tongue brethren, Jungle Brothers, and De La Soul. It would gain some momentum only after the release of the singles "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", and the group's later commercial success, eventually going gold six years after its release. After the release of the album, Jarobi left the lineup for personal reasons.The group soon changed its management from DJ Red Alert to Chris Lighty.
, released on September 24, 1991. Based around a sample from Average White Band's "Love Your Life", the song largely established the now familiar tag-team interplay between Q-Tip and Phife, as until then, most of the group's songs had only featured vocals by Q-Tip.
The two MCs, known for their engaging, and free-wheeling lyrical styles, began to focus on a range of social issues, from date rape
("The Infamous Date Rape") to consumerism
("Skypager"). The songs were noticeably shorter, more abrupt, and bass-heavy. Guests on the album included Leaders of the New School
(which included Busta Rhymes
), Brand Nubian
, and Vinia Mojica
. By now, the group had mastered their pursuits of rare records from which to sample or gain ideas and inspiration. Their innovative sampling, layering, and structuring of jazz records led many critics to label their style as jazz rap
- a term which Q-Tip disapproved of, as although he felt it described groups such as Stetsasonic
quite well, it misinterpreted Tribe themselves, who (aside from the song "Jazz (We've Got)
") did not base most of their songs around the topic of jazz
.
Helping to gain exposure was a performance of the single "Scenario" with Leaders of the New School on The Arsenio Hall Show
at the time, at the height of its popularity. The performance was particularly memorable for the expressive energy of Busta Rhymes, and his famous "raow! raow! Like a dungeon dragon!" line. Around this time, the group also began to make experimental and visually stylish music videos, one of the most memorable of which is the black-and-white promo clip for "Jazz (We've Got)", a duration of which is delegated to the song "Buggin' Out". This part of the video changes from black and white to color, and features the group members wearing prosthetics that make their eyeballs appear to be bulging out, relating to the song's theme about undergoing stressful situations.
Production wise, the album was a more confident effort than their debut, featuring less of a reliance on drum loops
, and contributions from jazz great Ron Carter
on upright bass
. The album was produced by A Tribe Called Quest along with production from Skeff Anselm (co-production by A Tribe Called Quest), on two tracks. Producer Pete Rock
also created the original rough draft version for "Jazz (We've Got)", and A Tribe Called Quest then recreated it. In contrast to most of the hip hop albums released in the early 90s, which featured rough beats that run at relatively fast tempos, such as the Bomb Squad-produced Amerikkka's Most Wanted, or the slow menacing funk beats of Dr. Dre
's The Chronic
, The Low End Theory featured low-key, bass-heavy, and plodding beats which emphasized the pensive nature of the record. The recording sessions and mixing for the album was handled by renown record engineer Bob Power at Greene Street Studios, and Soundtrack Studios, in New York City
.
On its release, the album was met with a bevy of praises. Rolling Stone said of the album: "Each time Q-Tip rhymes over Carter's bass lines, the groove just gets deeper." The publication also named it #154 among the Best 500 Albums of All Time, and also as one of the Essential Recordings of the 90's. Further praises were given by Spin
who listed it among the 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s. The praises continue to the present day with Allmusic calling it "one of the best hip-hop albums in history", and "a record that sounds better with each listen." Pop Matters music editor Dave Heaton has this to say about the album:
Among the accolades awarded to the album were:
Propelled by "Scenario", and positive word of mouth, The Low End Theory performed very well on the charts, being RIAA-certified gold on February 19, 1992 (it reached platinum status by 1995). It exceeded all expectations, most of all for an album that offered little to no concessions towards the mainstream. In the aftermath of their unqualified success, the group once again hit the road and contributed the song "Hot Sex
" to the soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy
vehicle Boomerang, in 1992.
Interrupting the proceedings was an encounter with new jack swing
group Wreckx-N-Effect
(W-N-E), who had taken an exception to some lines in the song "Jazz (We've Got)". Viewed as a premier new jack swing group, W-N-E had misinterpreted the following couplets by Phife as a sideway diss:
The misunderstanding resulted in a melee in which Q-Tip sustained an injury to one of his eyes. Thus, during the shooting of the promo clip for "Hot Sex", he wore a ski mask to cover up the abrasion. Soon after, Q-Tip was chosen to play the part of Markell, Janet Jackson
's ill-fated partner, in the John Singleton-directed drama Poetic Justice, which also starred Tupac Shakur
. The minor part would nevertheless showcase Q-Tip's natural flair for acting and he would later receive offers for more diverse supporting roles. This film also allowed for a friendship to blossom between Q-Tip and Jackson, and the pair would go on to collaborate on her song "Got 'Til It's Gone
", from her album The Velvet Rope
, in 1997.
During the ascendancy of ATCQ, other Native Tongue members were experiencing career-lows. The Jungle Brothers, once the trailblazers of the collective, were now becoming disaffected with their label due to the under-promotion of their previous effort. In addition, they distanced themselves from the collective, and their music began to lean towards the emerging, European-influenced trip hop
sub-genre. However, ATCQ appeared to be maintaining an ongoing relationship with De La Soul.
of De La Soul appeared on the refrain of "Award Tour", the group's lead single from their third album Midnight Marauders
, released on November 9, 1993. Coming on the heels of The Low End Theory, the album was highly anticipated and many were anxious to see if the group could maintain their artistic integrity in light of their commercial success. Boosted by their raised profile, "Award Tour" became the group's highest charting single to date, and helped to land the album within the US Top Ten
. The critics proved to be as enthusiastic about the new set as the fans were. Entertainment Weekly
said the album "sounds as fresh as their first... rappers Phife and Q-Tip manage to hold attention without resorting to gun references or expletives..." NME
called it their "most complete work to date" Likewise, Melody Maker
said "A Tribe Called Quest have expanded their vision with a lyrical gravitas and a musical lightness of touch that has hitherto eluded them across a whole album". The album was voted #21 by The Village Voice in that year's Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.
Musically, Midnight Marauders built upon many of the ideas that were present on The Low End Theory, although the results were noticeably different, and the music was more immediate. Whereas Theory had been an exercise in subdued minimalism, and simplicity, the grooves found on Marauders are mostly up tempo, and full of charging drums, suave basslines, melodious riffs, complementary horns, and catchy hooks, all delivered in an efficient 50 minute time frame. The intermittent voice of a tour guide (the titular 'midnight marauder') also serves to add further cohesion to the album.
The group was now famous for their unique choices of sample material on their albums and Midnight Marauders was no exception. Lead single "Award Tour" contained an infectiously sunny loop taken from Weldon Irvine
's "We Gettin' Down". Irvine, a little known but well-respected jazz virtuoso was enthused to have been sought by the group and lent his assistance towards the sampling of the song. Another outside musician to contribute to the record was Raphael Saadiq
(credited as Raphael Wiggins) of Tony! Toni! Toné!
, on the song "Midnight". Aside from the aforementioned, producers Large Professor
, and Skeff Anselm handled two tracks - "Keep It Rollin'" and "8 Million Stories" respectively, the former also rapping over his production.
Lyrically, the album benefited from an even more confident duo in Phife Dawg and Q-Tip, whose nimble verbal interplay is utilized to its fullest on songs like "Electric Relaxation" and "Oh My God". Opening song "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" - which includes the lines "You know that I'm the rebel, throwin' out the wicked like God did the Devil" - is named after the slain South African human rights activist and political revolutionary Steve Biko
. Some of the other topics on the album are police harassment and nocturnal activity ("Midnight"), religious faith ("God Lives Through"), and hip hop itself, as on the song "We Can Get Down" where Phife asks:
Another song, the sometimes controversial "Sucka Nigga", deals with the candid use of the word "nigga
". In the song, Q-Tip notes the negative purpose of the word but subsequently emphasizes its subjective nature when he says:
The three singles for the album received memorable music videos, such as the one for second single "Electric Relaxation" which was shot in black and white, and takes place mostly in a diner. The song was the cause of an amusing mystery, as few people were certain of what is said during the hook, which is more or less mumbled out by Q-Tip (although there is now a consensus that the words are "relax yourself girl, please settle down"). The third single to be released was "Oh My God", the video for which showed the group in a neighborhood setting and surrounded by young fans. It also included a cameo by a typically manic Busta Rhymes. The group performed as one of a handful of rap acts at the 1994 Lollapalooza Festival
, among acts such as The Smashing Pumpkins
, Stereolab
and The Verve
.
" for Nas
, "Illusions (Remix)" for Cypress Hill
, and three tracks on the Mobb Deep
album The Infamous
. He also went through a religious awakening and converted to Islam
. Tragedy would strike when an improperly disposed cigarette at a house party escalated into a full-blown fire, burning down his home, a vast record collection, and many works in progress. Friends and producers like Pete Rock
and Large Professor
helped him building up a record collection by donating records to him.
Phife, who rapped on "Oh My God" that he owned "more condoms than TLC
", made cameo appearances on that group's hugely successful album, Crazy Sexy Cool, in 1994. He would also marry his fiancee and relocate to Atlanta, Georgia
.
Ali Shaheed Muhammad worked on outside projects with artists such as D'Angelo
(Brown Sugar), Shaquille O'Neal
("Where Ya At?"), and Gil Scott-Heron
("Don't Give Up"). The group contributed to The Show soundtrack in 1995, before returning the following year with their fourth album.
While on tour, Q-Tip's friend Amp Fiddler
would introduce him to a young producer from Detroit
named Jay Dee
. The pair clicked immediately and Q-Tip took the talented newcomer under his wing, and introduced him to the rest of Tribe, who agreed to the idea of forming a production unit and having Jay Dee as member, albeit under the guise of "The Ummah
" (Arabic for "the [worldwide] Muslim community"). The Ummah would now handle all the production on the rest of the group's albums, although they would credit the production crew whether a song was a team effort by the three or a solo work from one of the producers. This was also the case for remixes and outside production the three members worked on during the few years The Ummah was active.
, the group's fourth album, was recorded during the turbulent East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry
, which engulfed many rappers from both coasts and even some from in between. The group saw it fit to address these issues, a decision based partly on principle, but also probably based on the fact that, despite being from the East, they were well respected on both coasts. Cuts like "Get A Hold", and "Keep It Moving" contain references to the state of affairs, and are some of the most sober songs the group has ever recorded.
In addition to the heavier subject matter, The Ummah's production style was now a smoother (but darker) hybrid of the group's previous incarnations, where the snare possessed a much sharper crack on most tracks. Jay Dee, a big fan of the Tribe, appeared to have had a hand in re-shaping the sound, crafted in the shadow of The Low End Theory, with songs like the plucky "Keep It Moving", or the disconcertingly unaccented "Wordplay". While these new beats fit the album's direction, another ingredient left many puzzled. Consequence
, Q-Tip's cousin, and an aspiring rapper, was present on no less than six songs, including the second single "Stressed Out
", which caused only Consequence to think he had been officially added to the lineup. This factor only magnified Phife's slightly reduced participation. After their breakup, Phife Dawg would reveal how he had begun to lose interest in recording as a part of the group by the fourth album:
The album shot straight to #1 in the charts and went gold by the end of the year; it would go platinum by 1998. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
, as was the lead single, "1nce Again
", which received a nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
. Critical reactions were largely divided but mostly positive. While some welcomed the new material, others found it to be a step below their past work. Rolling Stone called it "near-flawless", going on to say that "few hip-hop acts have so sharply captured the surreal quality that defines what it means to be African-American, a quality in which poker-faced humor and giddy tragedy play tag team with reality." The Source awarded it 4 out of 5 mics and called The Ummah "the most proficient in the rap game at using samples as instruments in themselves". Despite his apparent lack of motivation Spin thought Phife sounded "tougher and more playful than ever", while Melody Maker saw the album as "providing both their best and worst thus far", and "magnetic yet frustrating". In a 1998 farewell article in The Source, Questlove, drummer for The Roots
, summarized the album's partially frosty reception:
Following Beats, Rhymes and Life, the group appeared on the Men in Black
soundtrack
with the song "Same Ol' Thing", and released, The Jam, a 4-track EP which included the aforementioned song, "Mardi Gras At Midnight" (with Rah Digga
) and two songs from Beats, Rhymes and Life, "Get A Hold" and "Jam". 1997 also saw the first coming together of the three main Native Tongue groups since 1989, when the Jungle Brothers invited both Tribe and De La Soul to guest on "How Ya Want It We Got It", a cut from their album Raw Deluxe
. The Ummah continued producing for a diverse range of artists such as Janet Jackson, Keith Murray
, Faith Evans
, and Whitney Houston
.
The Love Movement was preceded by the fun-spirited "Find a Way"; a song memorable for its swirly otherworldly production and catchy staccato hook. It also received a stylish Paul Hunter-directed music video (the last video the group ever made). Musically, the somewhat somber tone of the previous album was largely absent and replaced by a familiar carefree optimism. Tracks like "Give Me", with Noreaga
exemplify the group's approach for much of the album. Driven by a pulsing beat, the opening song "Start It Up" was perhaps even more minimal than anything found on The Low End Theory. Likewise, "Against The World" relies on little more than crisply mixed down drums and a two note bassline. The theme of the album was firmly focused around the topic of love
; love for oneself, love for another, love for mankind, love in the face of hate.
Critical reception for The Love Movement was fairly positive, although some factions viewed the album as too subtle to be thoroughly effective. Rolling Stone, for example, remarked that "the mature, accomplished niceness of The Love Movement proves that the Tribe still have the skills – they're just short on thrills." The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, in 1999.
", and "Breathe and Stop"), and the Gold-certified album Amplified, released in 1999. Some saw Q-Tip's arguably radio-friendly material as pandering to the mainstream; something his former group was highly respected for avoiding during their run. The album was produced by Q-Tip and Jay Dee (as The Ummah), and DJ Scratch
.
After Amplified, Q-Tip changed directions and recorded 2002's Kamaal the Abstract
, an album which saw him in the role of singer and bandleader. Unlike his work with Tribe, or even his own solo work, Kamaal was constructed around live music, and "abstract" song concepts, all orchestrated by Q-Tip himself. Unfortunately, Arista Records
refused to release the album, fearing it would be unmarketable coming from a rapper. Undeterred, Q-Tip recorded 2005's Open, a slightly more accessible album, featuring contributions from André 3000
, Common
, and D'Angelo. Once again, the record was rejected by Arista, after which Q-Tip left the label. He subsequently signed to Motown/Universal
and released the largely self-produced The Renaissance
in late 2008.
, released in 2000. The Hi-Tek
-produced lead single, "Flawless", contained the lines "Go 'head, play yourself with them ho-like hooks / sing ballads if it's all about the Maxwell
look" (an allusion to Q-Tip's then afro hairstyle). Ventilation also included production by Jay Dee and Pete Rock. Q-Tip and Phife soon patched up their differences. Since then, Phife, who is diabetic
, has maintained a relatively low-profile whilst recording his long delayed follow-up album, Songs In The Key Of Phife: Volume 1 (Cheryl's Big Son).
of En Vogue
, Ali Shaheed's next project was the "supergroup" Lucy Pearl
. The group scored a huge hit single with "Dance Tonight", and a warm hit with "Don't Mess With My Man", and their one and only self-titled album was certified Gold a few months after its release in 2000. Following a dispute between Saadiq and Robinson, the latter left the group and was replaced by Joi
, however this new incarnation would only last for the remainder of touring. Ali Shaheed then focused on developing a stable of artists, most of whom were showcased on his debut solo album Shaheedullah and Stereotypes, released independently in 2004.
concert held in the Angels Stadium parking lot in Anaheim, California. This was the night that Ol' Dirty Bastard
died, and as such the group opened up with a 10-minute tribute set to the Wu-Tang Clan
and continued a 2-hour highly energetic show.
In 2006, the group reunited and performed several sold-out concerts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. A Tribe Called Quest was a co-headliner at the 2006 Bumbershoot
festival in Seattle, but have not announced any plans to release a new album. The group is also appearing in 2K Sports' Bounce Tour promoting the NBA 2K7 game and a remix of their song, "Lyrics to Go", which is included in the game. According to Phife, ATCQ plans to release an album since they owe Jive Records one more in their six album contract. The date of its release is still unconfirmed, and Phife has urged fans to hold on as the group does not wish to release an LP which might damage their reputation. Speaking about the possibility of a new album showing up soon, Phife said:
ATCQ was the headlining act in 2008 at the Rock the Bells series of concerts, and were also co-headliners on the 2010 Rock the Bells festival series, alongside Snoop Dogg
and Wu-Tang Clan
.
, directed by Michael Rapaport
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
(Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, formerly Jonathan Davis), rapper Phife Dawg
Phife Dawg
Malik Isaac Taylor , better known by his stage name Phife Dawg, is an American rapper of Trinidadian descent, and a member of the acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest with high school classmates Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad...
(Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, producer who enjoyed a great deal of fame as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the group released five studio albums from 1990 to 1998....
. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White
Jarobi White
Jarobi White is an American hip hop artist, and one of the four original members of A Tribe Called Quest.|image =- Career :...
, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006. Along with De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse
Native tongues
Native Tongues is a book by the linguist Charles Berlitz.It is a list of words in different languages, etymology and questions with speculations far and wide about words....
, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Their innovative fusing of hip hop and jazz has had a lasting impact on hip hop music, helping to expand the art of hip hop production. Many of their songs, such as "Bonita Applebum
Bonita Applebum
"Bonita Applebum" was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. It is believed to be based on an actual young woman from the group's high school...
", "Can I Kick It?
Can I Kick It?
"Can I Kick It?" was the third single from A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. It contains samples of "Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed, "What a Waste" by Ian Dury, "Spinning Wheel" by Dr. Lonnie Smith and "Dance of the Knights" by Sergei...
", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo
I Left My Wallet in El Segundo
"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. It contains a sample of "Funky" by The Chambers Brothers.- Music video :...
", "Scenario", "Check the Rhime
Check the Rhime
"Check the Rhime" was the first single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. It is one of the group's most famous songs and is well known for lines such as Q-Tip's "Industry rule #4,080: Record company people are shady". The Beastie Boys have a similar lyric in their song "In...
", "Jazz (We've Got)
Jazz (We've Got)
"Jazz " is the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. A segment of the track "Buggin' Out" appeared in the music video. The sequences from "Jazz " are in black and white, while the "Buggin' Out" sequences are in full color...
", "Award Tour
Award Tour
"Award Tour" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest, released as the first single from their third album Midnight Marauders. It contains a sample of "We Gettin' Down" by Weldon Irvine, from his 1975 album Spirit Man. The B-side of the single is the original version of the Midnight Marauders track "The...
" and "Electric Relaxation
Electric Relaxation
"Electric Relaxation" was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's third album Midnight Marauders. It contains a sample of "Mystic Brew" by Ronnie Foster. The beat is notable for being a three bar loop, uncommon in hip hop music...
" are regarded as classics.
They released five albums between 1990 and 1998. The first three LPs were highly acclaimed, but the group disbanded in 1998. In 2006, the group reunited and toured the U.S., and planned to release an album after some works in the studio. The group is regarded as iconic pioneers of alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
music, having helped to pave the way for innovative hip hop artists. John Bush of Allmusic called them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s," while the editors of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
ranked them #4 on their list of the "25 Best Rap Groups of All Time." In 2005, A Tribe Called Quest received a Special Achievement Award at the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. In 2007, the group was formally honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors.
History
Q-Tip and Phife Dawg were childhood friends that grew up together in QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Initially, Q-Tip performed as a solo artist (MC Love Child), occasionally teaming up with Muhammad as a rapper/DJ duo. While the duo frequently made demos with Phife (as Crush Connection), the sports enthusiast was still courting professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
ambitions and remained somewhat reluctant to become a full member of the group. He only later relented after Jarobi also joined, thus making the group a quartet. The group's final name was coined in 1988 by the Jungle Brothers
Jungle Brothers
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
, who attended the same high school as Q-Tip and Muhammad. Q-Tip made two separate appearances on the Jungle Brothers' classic debut album, Straight Out the Jungle
Straight Out the Jungle
Straight out the Jungle is the debut album from hip hop group Jungle Brothers. The album marked the beginning of the Native Tongues collective, later featuring popular artists like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep....
; the songs "Black Is Black" and "In Time", respectively. Afrika Baby Bam of the group introduced Q-Tip to De La Soul when he took the aspiring artist along to a studio session for the recording of the remix for the group's song "Buddy
Buddy (song)
"Buddy" is the third single released by De La Soul from their album 3 Feet High and Rising.The song is often cited as an example of an effective remix; one that includes a change of song lyrics or beat. In this case, both the original song's lyrics and the musical bed received a make over...
". Produced by Prince Paul, the remix of "Buddy" was to be an all-round Native Tongue affair, and the eccentric producer encouraged Q-Tip to contribute to the now-classic record.
In early 1989 they signed a demo deal with Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
and produced a five song demo which included later album tracks including "Description Of A Fool", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" and "Can I Kick It?". Geffen however, decided against offering the group a full-fledged recording contract and the group was granted permission to shop for a deal elsewhere while retaining the Geffen financed songs.
After receiving lucrative offers for multi-album deals from a variety of labels both big and small, the group showed early savvy in opting for a modest deal offered by Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. Jive Records was then known as an independent rap label that specialized in, and owed its success to, building careers of artists like Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions was a hip hop group that was originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album, Criminal Minded. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the...
and Too Short, as well as an emphasis on longevity and attention to grass-roots fan bases.
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
In less than a year, and under the management of DJ Red AlertDJ Red Alert
DJ Red Alert is a disc jockey on 98.7 Kiss-FM, N.Y.C., and has been recognized as a hip hop pioneer...
, the group released their first single, "Description of a Fool", to a lukewarm reception, and without a music video in advance of their debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by the alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released April 17, 1990 on Jive Records. Though the album was well-received critically, it had little mainstream appeal. The album did earn the band a devoted following,...
. Similar to De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising is the debut album from American hip hop trio De La Soul, released in 1989.The album marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. It is consistently placed on 'greatest...
, People's Instinctive Travels was marked by a playful lyrical approach (as on the call-and-response inspired "Can I Kick It?"), light-hearted content (safe sex, vegetarianism, youthful experiences), and to a lesser extent, an idiosyncratic sense of humor, free from much of the posturing of both hardcore hip hop, and the more left-wing aspects of conscious hip hop. Also of note, was the album's sample material, largely based around jazzy loops and snippets from artists such as Cannonball Adderley, Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
, Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, Rotary Connection
Rotary Connection
Rotary Connection was an American psychedelic soul band, formed in Chicago in 1966. The highly experimental band was the idea of Marshall Chess, son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. Marshall was the director behind a start-up label, Cadet Concept Records, and wanted to focus on music outside...
, and Les McCann
Les McCann
Les McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...
. Through these samples, the group employs the use of horns, Rhodes, bass guitar and vibes.
Although now critically acclaimed, at the time of its inception People's Instinctive Travels was met with mixed enthusiasm. Greg Tate of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
called the album "upliftingly dope" and "so sweet and lyrical, so user-friendly. You could play it in the background when you're reading Proust
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
." The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
also gave it a positive reception, even awarding it a five-mic rating - the magazine's highest possible rating. It was only the third album ever to receive this rating. However, Chuck Eddy of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
wrote that the album "is one of the least danceable rap albums ever" and he went on to say "it's impossible to imagine how people will put this music to use."
The album largely offended the record buying public, and for the time being the group remained in the shadows of their Native Tongue brethren, Jungle Brothers, and De La Soul. It would gain some momentum only after the release of the singles "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", and the group's later commercial success, eventually going gold six years after its release. After the release of the album, Jarobi left the lineup for personal reasons.The group soon changed its management from DJ Red Alert to Chris Lighty.
The Low End Theory
Following People's Instinctive Travels, the group continued to gather a loyal fan base through touring and guest appearances such as on De La Soul's "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"". "Check the Rhyme" was the lead single from the group's landmark second album, The Low End TheoryThe Low End Theory
The Low End Theory is the second album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released on September 24, 1991 through Jive Records, the album produced three singles: "Check the Rhime," "Jazz ," and "Scenario."-Conception:...
, released on September 24, 1991. Based around a sample from Average White Band's "Love Your Life", the song largely established the now familiar tag-team interplay between Q-Tip and Phife, as until then, most of the group's songs had only featured vocals by Q-Tip.
The two MCs, known for their engaging, and free-wheeling lyrical styles, began to focus on a range of social issues, from date rape
Date rape
"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....
("The Infamous Date Rape") to consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
("Skypager"). The songs were noticeably shorter, more abrupt, and bass-heavy. Guests on the album included Leaders of the New School
Leaders of the New School
Leaders of the New School was a Long Island, New York-based hip hop crew.-History:The crew was composed of Uniondale, New York, natives Charlie Brown and Dinco D ; North Amityville, New York native Cut Monitor Milo ; and Busta Rhymes , who was originally from Brooklyn, New York but later moved to...
(which included Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
), Brand Nubian
Brand Nubian
Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MC's: Grand Puba , Sadat X and Lord Jamar , and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere...
, and Vinia Mojica
Vinia Mojica
Vinia Mojica is a singer from Queens, New York, best known for her collaborations with the Native Tongues collective and other hip hop artists....
. By now, the group had mastered their pursuits of rare records from which to sample or gain ideas and inspiration. Their innovative sampling, layering, and structuring of jazz records led many critics to label their style as jazz rap
Jazz rap
Jazz rap is a sub-genre of hip hop which incorporates jazz influences, developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The lyrics are often based on political consciousness, Afrocentricity, and general positivism...
- a term which Q-Tip disapproved of, as although he felt it described groups such as Stetsasonic
Stetsasonic
Stetsasonic was an American hip hop group formed in 1979 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. It is remembered as one of the first hip hop crews to use a live band, and the group's positive, uplifting lyrics made it forerunners of alternative hip hop and jazz hip...
quite well, it misinterpreted Tribe themselves, who (aside from the song "Jazz (We've Got)
Jazz (We've Got)
"Jazz " is the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. A segment of the track "Buggin' Out" appeared in the music video. The sequences from "Jazz " are in black and white, while the "Buggin' Out" sequences are in full color...
") did not base most of their songs around the topic of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
Helping to gain exposure was a performance of the single "Scenario" with Leaders of the New School on The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
at the time, at the height of its popularity. The performance was particularly memorable for the expressive energy of Busta Rhymes, and his famous "raow! raow! Like a dungeon dragon!" line. Around this time, the group also began to make experimental and visually stylish music videos, one of the most memorable of which is the black-and-white promo clip for "Jazz (We've Got)", a duration of which is delegated to the song "Buggin' Out". This part of the video changes from black and white to color, and features the group members wearing prosthetics that make their eyeballs appear to be bulging out, relating to the song's theme about undergoing stressful situations.
Production wise, the album was a more confident effort than their debut, featuring less of a reliance on drum loops
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
, and contributions from jazz great Ron Carter
Ron Carter
Ron Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
on upright bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
. The album was produced by A Tribe Called Quest along with production from Skeff Anselm (co-production by A Tribe Called Quest), on two tracks. Producer Pete Rock
Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
also created the original rough draft version for "Jazz (We've Got)", and A Tribe Called Quest then recreated it. In contrast to most of the hip hop albums released in the early 90s, which featured rough beats that run at relatively fast tempos, such as the Bomb Squad-produced Amerikkka's Most Wanted, or the slow menacing funk beats of Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
, The Low End Theory featured low-key, bass-heavy, and plodding beats which emphasized the pensive nature of the record. The recording sessions and mixing for the album was handled by renown record engineer Bob Power at Greene Street Studios, and Soundtrack Studios, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
On its release, the album was met with a bevy of praises. Rolling Stone said of the album: "Each time Q-Tip rhymes over Carter's bass lines, the groove just gets deeper." The publication also named it #154 among the Best 500 Albums of All Time, and also as one of the Essential Recordings of the 90's. Further praises were given by Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
who listed it among the 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s. The praises continue to the present day with Allmusic calling it "one of the best hip-hop albums in history", and "a record that sounds better with each listen." Pop Matters music editor Dave Heaton has this to say about the album:
Among the accolades awarded to the album were:
- 5 Mic Album award from The SourceThe Source (magazine)The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
(1990) - #2 in Ego TripEgo trip (magazine)ego trip was the name of a hip hop magazine started in New York City in 1994. It lasted four years and 13 issues and distinguished itself based on its irreverence and defiant attitude, eventually adopting the tagline, "the arrogant voice of musical truth."-Description:The roots of the publication...
's Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 (1999) - #53 in BlenderBlender (magazine)Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
's 100 Greatest American Albums of All time (2002) - #56 in Pitchfork MediaPitchfork MediaPitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s (2003) - #154 in Rolling Stone
' s Best 500 Albums of All Time (2003) - Spin Magazine
- #32 in Top 90 Albums of the 90s (1999)
- #38 in Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years (2005)
- #87 in 100 Alternative Albums (1995)
Propelled by "Scenario", and positive word of mouth, The Low End Theory performed very well on the charts, being RIAA-certified gold on February 19, 1992 (it reached platinum status by 1995). It exceeded all expectations, most of all for an album that offered little to no concessions towards the mainstream. In the aftermath of their unqualified success, the group once again hit the road and contributed the song "Hot Sex
Hot Sex
"Hot Sex" is a single by hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. It was released in 1992 on the soundtrack for the film Boomerang and was later featured on the bonus disc of the group's fifth album The Love Movement in 1998....
" to the soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
vehicle Boomerang, in 1992.
Interrupting the proceedings was an encounter with new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
group Wreckx-N-Effect
Wreckx-N-Effect
Wreckx-N-Effect was a New Jack Swing Hip-Hop group who had the multi-platinum hit "Rump Shaker" in 1992/1993, which was produced by Teddy Riley.-History:...
(W-N-E), who had taken an exception to some lines in the song "Jazz (We've Got)". Viewed as a premier new jack swing group, W-N-E had misinterpreted the following couplets by Phife as a sideway diss:
- I'm all into my music cuz it's how I make papes
- Tryin' to make hits, like Kid Capri mix tapes
- Me sweat another? I do my own thing
- Strictly hardcore tracks, not a new jack swing
The misunderstanding resulted in a melee in which Q-Tip sustained an injury to one of his eyes. Thus, during the shooting of the promo clip for "Hot Sex", he wore a ski mask to cover up the abrasion. Soon after, Q-Tip was chosen to play the part of Markell, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's ill-fated partner, in the John Singleton-directed drama Poetic Justice, which also starred Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
. The minor part would nevertheless showcase Q-Tip's natural flair for acting and he would later receive offers for more diverse supporting roles. This film also allowed for a friendship to blossom between Q-Tip and Jackson, and the pair would go on to collaborate on her song "Got 'Til It's Gone
Got 'Til It's Gone
"Got 'til It's Gone" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, featuring American rapper Q-Tip and Canadian singer Joni Mitchell. It was released as the lead single from Jackson's sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope .-Song information:...
", from her album The Velvet Rope
The Velvet Rope
The Velvet Rope is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released October 7, 1997 by Virgin Records. Prior to its debut, Jackson had been at the center of a second high-profile bidding war over her recording contract...
, in 1997.
During the ascendancy of ATCQ, other Native Tongue members were experiencing career-lows. The Jungle Brothers, once the trailblazers of the collective, were now becoming disaffected with their label due to the under-promotion of their previous effort. In addition, they distanced themselves from the collective, and their music began to lean towards the emerging, European-influenced trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
sub-genre. However, ATCQ appeared to be maintaining an ongoing relationship with De La Soul.
Midnight Marauders
TrugoyDavid Jude Jolicoeur
David Jude Jolicoeur , also known under the stage name Trugoy and more recently Dave, is an American rapper, producer, and one third of groundbreaking hip hop trio De La Soul....
of De La Soul appeared on the refrain of "Award Tour", the group's lead single from their third album Midnight Marauders
Midnight Marauders
- Additional credits :- Accolades :The information is taken from Acclaimedmusic.netand other website links below. designates lists which are unordered.-Cover art:...
, released on November 9, 1993. Coming on the heels of The Low End Theory, the album was highly anticipated and many were anxious to see if the group could maintain their artistic integrity in light of their commercial success. Boosted by their raised profile, "Award Tour" became the group's highest charting single to date, and helped to land the album within the US Top Ten
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The critics proved to be as enthusiastic about the new set as the fans were. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said the album "sounds as fresh as their first... rappers Phife and Q-Tip manage to hold attention without resorting to gun references or expletives..." NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
called it their "most complete work to date" Likewise, Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
said "A Tribe Called Quest have expanded their vision with a lyrical gravitas and a musical lightness of touch that has hitherto eluded them across a whole album". The album was voted #21 by The Village Voice in that year's Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.
Musically, Midnight Marauders built upon many of the ideas that were present on The Low End Theory, although the results were noticeably different, and the music was more immediate. Whereas Theory had been an exercise in subdued minimalism, and simplicity, the grooves found on Marauders are mostly up tempo, and full of charging drums, suave basslines, melodious riffs, complementary horns, and catchy hooks, all delivered in an efficient 50 minute time frame. The intermittent voice of a tour guide (the titular 'midnight marauder') also serves to add further cohesion to the album.
The group was now famous for their unique choices of sample material on their albums and Midnight Marauders was no exception. Lead single "Award Tour" contained an infectiously sunny loop taken from Weldon Irvine
Weldon Irvine
Weldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr. , also known Master Wel, was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist and organist.-Biography:...
's "We Gettin' Down". Irvine, a little known but well-respected jazz virtuoso was enthused to have been sought by the group and lent his assistance towards the sampling of the song. Another outside musician to contribute to the record was Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
(credited as Raphael Wiggins) of Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné! is an American Soul/R&B group from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq on lead vocals and bass, and their cousin Timothy...
, on the song "Midnight". Aside from the aforementioned, producers Large Professor
Large Professor
Large Professor , also known as Large Pro and Xtra P, is a New York City-based hip hop record producer and emcee. He is also best known as a founding member of the influential underground hip hop group Main Source, and as a frequent collaborator with Nas...
, and Skeff Anselm handled two tracks - "Keep It Rollin'" and "8 Million Stories" respectively, the former also rapping over his production.
Lyrically, the album benefited from an even more confident duo in Phife Dawg and Q-Tip, whose nimble verbal interplay is utilized to its fullest on songs like "Electric Relaxation" and "Oh My God". Opening song "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" - which includes the lines "You know that I'm the rebel, throwin' out the wicked like God did the Devil" - is named after the slain South African human rights activist and political revolutionary Steve Biko
Steve Biko
Stephen Biko was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the...
. Some of the other topics on the album are police harassment and nocturnal activity ("Midnight"), religious faith ("God Lives Through"), and hip hop itself, as on the song "We Can Get Down" where Phife asks:
- How can a reverend preach, when a rev can't define
- The music of our youth from 1979
- We rap about what we see, meaning reality
- From people bustin' caps and like MandelaNelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
being free - Not every MC be with the negativity
- We have a slew of rappers pushin' positivity
Another song, the sometimes controversial "Sucka Nigga", deals with the candid use of the word "nigga
Nigga
Nigga is a term used in African American Vernacular English that began as an eye dialect form of the word nigger .- Use in language :In practice, its use and meaning are...
". In the song, Q-Tip notes the negative purpose of the word but subsequently emphasizes its subjective nature when he says:
- It means that we will never grow, you know the word dummy
- Other niggas in the community think its crummy
- But I don't, neither does the youth cause we
- Em-brace adversity it goes right with the race
- And being that we use it as a term of endearment
- Niggas start to bug to the dome as where the fear went
The three singles for the album received memorable music videos, such as the one for second single "Electric Relaxation" which was shot in black and white, and takes place mostly in a diner. The song was the cause of an amusing mystery, as few people were certain of what is said during the hook, which is more or less mumbled out by Q-Tip (although there is now a consensus that the words are "relax yourself girl, please settle down"). The third single to be released was "Oh My God", the video for which showed the group in a neighborhood setting and surrounded by young fans. It also included a cameo by a typically manic Busta Rhymes. The group performed as one of a handful of rap acts at the 1994 Lollapalooza Festival
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
, among acts such as The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
, Stereolab
Stereolab
Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
and The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
.
Intermission and The Ummah
Midnight Marauders remains A Tribe Called Quest's fastest-selling album; it was certified platinum on January 11, 1995, less than two years after its release (it had taken The Low End Theory about twice the amount of time to get such a certification). The album's success allowed the group a greater financial freedom and the members took a short break before the recording of their next album began. Q-Tip produced several tracks for other artists including "One LoveOne Love (Nas song)
"One Love" is a song by American hip hop rapper Nas, released October 25, 1994 on Columbia Records. It was issued as the fifth and final radio single in promotion of his debut studio album Illmatic . The song was produced by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, who also contributed vocals for the chorus...
" for Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, "Illusions (Remix)" for Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
, and three tracks on the Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
album The Infamous
The Infamous
Upon its release, The Infamous earned critical acclaim and was widely considered to be a cornerstone album of New York hardcore rap. Rolling Stone magazine originally rated the album 3½ out of 5 stars, and called it "a darkly nihilistic masterpiece". It, however, gave it a 5 out of 5 star rating in...
. He also went through a religious awakening and converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Tragedy would strike when an improperly disposed cigarette at a house party escalated into a full-blown fire, burning down his home, a vast record collection, and many works in progress. Friends and producers like Pete Rock
Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
and Large Professor
Large Professor
Large Professor , also known as Large Pro and Xtra P, is a New York City-based hip hop record producer and emcee. He is also best known as a founding member of the influential underground hip hop group Main Source, and as a frequent collaborator with Nas...
helped him building up a record collection by donating records to him.
Phife, who rapped on "Oh My God" that he owned "more condoms than TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
", made cameo appearances on that group's hugely successful album, Crazy Sexy Cool, in 1994. He would also marry his fiancee and relocate to Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Ali Shaheed Muhammad worked on outside projects with artists such as D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
(Brown Sugar), Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
("Where Ya At?"), and Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron
Gilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s...
("Don't Give Up"). The group contributed to The Show soundtrack in 1995, before returning the following year with their fourth album.
While on tour, Q-Tip's friend Amp Fiddler
Amp Fiddler
Joseph "Amp" Fiddler is an American keyboardist, singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan, U.S.. His musical styles include funk, soul, dance and electronica music. He is probably best known for his contributions to the band Enchantment, and as part of George Clinton’s...
would introduce him to a young producer from Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
named Jay Dee
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
. The pair clicked immediately and Q-Tip took the talented newcomer under his wing, and introduced him to the rest of Tribe, who agreed to the idea of forming a production unit and having Jay Dee as member, albeit under the guise of "The Ummah
The Ummah
The Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. Occasional members included Raphael Saadiq, and D'Angelo...
" (Arabic for "the [worldwide] Muslim community"). The Ummah would now handle all the production on the rest of the group's albums, although they would credit the production crew whether a song was a team effort by the three or a solo work from one of the producers. This was also the case for remixes and outside production the three members worked on during the few years The Ummah was active.
Beats, Rhymes and Life
Beats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and Life
Beats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth album of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the group's...
, the group's fourth album, was recorded during the turbulent East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry
East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry
The East Coast–West Coast Hip Hop Rivalry was a feud in the 1990s between artists and fans of the Eastcoast and Westcoast hip-hop scenes. Seeming focal points of the feud were East Coast-based rapper The Notorious B.I.G...
, which engulfed many rappers from both coasts and even some from in between. The group saw it fit to address these issues, a decision based partly on principle, but also probably based on the fact that, despite being from the East, they were well respected on both coasts. Cuts like "Get A Hold", and "Keep It Moving" contain references to the state of affairs, and are some of the most sober songs the group has ever recorded.
In addition to the heavier subject matter, The Ummah's production style was now a smoother (but darker) hybrid of the group's previous incarnations, where the snare possessed a much sharper crack on most tracks. Jay Dee, a big fan of the Tribe, appeared to have had a hand in re-shaping the sound, crafted in the shadow of The Low End Theory, with songs like the plucky "Keep It Moving", or the disconcertingly unaccented "Wordplay". While these new beats fit the album's direction, another ingredient left many puzzled. Consequence
Consequence (rapper)
Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life...
, Q-Tip's cousin, and an aspiring rapper, was present on no less than six songs, including the second single "Stressed Out
Stressed Out
"Stressed Out" was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's fourth album Beats, Rhymes and Life. The song featured Faith Evans on the chorus and production by The Ummah.-Music video:...
", which caused only Consequence to think he had been officially added to the lineup. This factor only magnified Phife's slightly reduced participation. After their breakup, Phife Dawg would reveal how he had begun to lose interest in recording as a part of the group by the fourth album:
The album shot straight to #1 in the charts and went gold by the end of the year; it would go platinum by 1998. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
, as was the lead single, "1nce Again
1nce Again
"1nce Again" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest, released as the first single from their fourth album Beats, Rhymes and Life. It contains samples of "I'm Your Pal" by Gary Burton and "Untitled" by Cannonball Adderley , while the chorus is sung by Tammy Lucas. The song was the first ATCQ single to...
", which received a nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
. Critical reactions were largely divided but mostly positive. While some welcomed the new material, others found it to be a step below their past work. Rolling Stone called it "near-flawless", going on to say that "few hip-hop acts have so sharply captured the surreal quality that defines what it means to be African-American, a quality in which poker-faced humor and giddy tragedy play tag team with reality." The Source awarded it 4 out of 5 mics and called The Ummah "the most proficient in the rap game at using samples as instruments in themselves". Despite his apparent lack of motivation Spin thought Phife sounded "tougher and more playful than ever", while Melody Maker saw the album as "providing both their best and worst thus far", and "magnetic yet frustrating". In a 1998 farewell article in The Source, Questlove, drummer for The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, summarized the album's partially frosty reception:
Following Beats, Rhymes and Life, the group appeared on the Men in Black
Men in Black (film)
Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film featured the creature effects...
soundtrack
Men in Black: The Album
-Sample Credits:*"Men in Black" featuress a sample from "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen written by Patrice Rushen, Terry McFadden and Fred Washington...
with the song "Same Ol' Thing", and released, The Jam, a 4-track EP which included the aforementioned song, "Mardi Gras At Midnight" (with Rah Digga
Rah Digga
Rah Digga is an American rapper. Well known as a long time member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes, she parted ways amicably with the group in 2007. She has been called "one of rap's most prominent women MCs" by Allmusic and "one of hip-hop's most skilled female MCs" in...
) and two songs from Beats, Rhymes and Life, "Get A Hold" and "Jam". 1997 also saw the first coming together of the three main Native Tongue groups since 1989, when the Jungle Brothers invited both Tribe and De La Soul to guest on "How Ya Want It We Got It", a cut from their album Raw Deluxe
Raw Deluxe (album)
Raw Deluxe is the fourth album by the Jungle Brothers, released on June 3, 1997 , on Gee Street Records. The group signed a new contract with the label when it was dropped by its previous label because of the extremely poor performance of its last two albums...
. The Ummah continued producing for a diverse range of artists such as Janet Jackson, Keith Murray
Keith Murray (rapper)
Keith Murray is an American rapper and a member of the rap trio Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon.-Music career:...
, Faith Evans
Faith Evans
Faith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B...
, and Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
.
The Love Movement and split
Prior to the unveiling of The Love Movement, the group announced that it would be their last album together. Fans were surprised, as the breakdown had been kept discreet. In an interview with The Source, the group cited their frustration with Jive Zomba as a significant factor in the breakup. Phife:The Love Movement was preceded by the fun-spirited "Find a Way"; a song memorable for its swirly otherworldly production and catchy staccato hook. It also received a stylish Paul Hunter-directed music video (the last video the group ever made). Musically, the somewhat somber tone of the previous album was largely absent and replaced by a familiar carefree optimism. Tracks like "Give Me", with Noreaga
N.O.R.E.
Victor Santiago, Jr., best known by his stage name N.O.R.E. or Noreaga , is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent...
exemplify the group's approach for much of the album. Driven by a pulsing beat, the opening song "Start It Up" was perhaps even more minimal than anything found on The Low End Theory. Likewise, "Against The World" relies on little more than crisply mixed down drums and a two note bassline. The theme of the album was firmly focused around the topic of love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
; love for oneself, love for another, love for mankind, love in the face of hate.
Critical reception for The Love Movement was fairly positive, although some factions viewed the album as too subtle to be thoroughly effective. Rolling Stone, for example, remarked that "the mature, accomplished niceness of The Love Movement proves that the Tribe still have the skills – they're just short on thrills." The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, in 1999.
Q-Tip
Under the management of Violator, Q-Tip launched a successful solo career, which saw two sizable hits ("Vivrant ThingVivrant Thing
"Vivrant Thing" is the first single released by Q-Tip on his debut solo album Amplified. The song is also featured in A Tribe Called Quest's 1999 compilation The Anthology. It was produced by Q-Tip himself, although Jay Dee was also in the credits...
", and "Breathe and Stop"), and the Gold-certified album Amplified, released in 1999. Some saw Q-Tip's arguably radio-friendly material as pandering to the mainstream; something his former group was highly respected for avoiding during their run. The album was produced by Q-Tip and Jay Dee (as The Ummah), and DJ Scratch
DJ Scratch
DJ Scratch is an American hip hop DJ and producer.-Career:DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ Champion, Grammy nominated, Multi Platinum Producer & The 2010 Master Of The Mix World Champion....
.
After Amplified, Q-Tip changed directions and recorded 2002's Kamaal the Abstract
Kamaal the Abstract
Kamaal/The Abstract is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Q-Tip, released September 15, 2009 on Battery Records. Recorded in 2001, the album is a departure from his solo debut album Amplified . Kamaal/The Abstract is an eclectic fusion album that features Q-Tip rapping, singing, and...
, an album which saw him in the role of singer and bandleader. Unlike his work with Tribe, or even his own solo work, Kamaal was constructed around live music, and "abstract" song concepts, all orchestrated by Q-Tip himself. Unfortunately, Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
refused to release the album, fearing it would be unmarketable coming from a rapper. Undeterred, Q-Tip recorded 2005's Open, a slightly more accessible album, featuring contributions from André 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
, Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
, and D'Angelo. Once again, the record was rejected by Arista, after which Q-Tip left the label. He subsequently signed to Motown/Universal
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
and released the largely self-produced The Renaissance
The Renaissance (Q-Tip album)
The Renaissance is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Q-Tip, released November 3, 2008, on Universal Motown Records. The follow-up to his solo debut album, Amplified , it was recorded after Q-Tip's Kamaal/The Abstract was initially shelved in 2002 by his former label Arista Records...
in late 2008.
Phife Dawg
Ironically, the most notable of Q-Tip's critics was Phife, who took his former partner to task on his solo album Ventilation: Da LPVentilation: Da LP
Ventilation: Da LP is the debut solo album of Phife Dawg. Reviews for Phife's album were mixed. Some praised him and the album for its new sound, lyrics and the rhythm of his rhymes. Though the album was not a commercial success, the singles "Bend Ova" and "Flawless" were minor hits.-Track...
, released in 2000. The Hi-Tek
Hi-Tek
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star...
-produced lead single, "Flawless", contained the lines "Go 'head, play yourself with them ho-like hooks / sing ballads if it's all about the Maxwell
Maxwell (musician)
Maxwell , is an American R&B, funk and neo soul musician. He played an important role in the development of the soul sub-genre, neo-soul.-Early life:...
look" (an allusion to Q-Tip's then afro hairstyle). Ventilation also included production by Jay Dee and Pete Rock. Q-Tip and Phife soon patched up their differences. Since then, Phife, who is diabetic
Diabetes insipidus
Diabetes insipidus is a condition characterized by excessive thirst and excretion of large amounts of severely diluted urine, with reduction of fluid intake having no effect on the concentration of the urine. There are several different types of DI, each with a different cause...
, has maintained a relatively low-profile whilst recording his long delayed follow-up album, Songs In The Key Of Phife: Volume 1 (Cheryl's Big Son).
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Teaming up with two other artists from former groups, Raphael Saadiq of Tony! Toni! Toné!, and Dawn RobinsonDawn Robinson
Dawn Robinson is an American R&B/soul/Dance-pop singer best known for her work as a member of hit Urban/Dance-pop group, En Vogue....
of En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
, Ali Shaheed's next project was the "supergroup" Lucy Pearl
Lucy Pearl
Lucy Pearl was an R&B supergroup formed in 1999, as the brainchild of former Tony! Toni! Toné! member Raphael Saadiq and D'Angelo. However, D'Angelo backed out of the group due to scheduling conflicts. The other members of Lucy Pearl were Dawn Robinson and Ali Shaheed Muhammad...
. The group scored a huge hit single with "Dance Tonight", and a warm hit with "Don't Mess With My Man", and their one and only self-titled album was certified Gold a few months after its release in 2000. Following a dispute between Saadiq and Robinson, the latter left the group and was replaced by Joi
Joi (singer)
Joi Elaine Gilliam , better known by her stage name Joi, is an American R&B/Rock singer, songwriter and record producer associated with the Dungeon Family collective based in Atlanta, Georgia, and as such often performs with OutKast, the Organized Noize production team, and Goodie Mob Joi Elaine...
, however this new incarnation would only last for the remainder of touring. Ali Shaheed then focused on developing a stable of artists, most of whom were showcased on his debut solo album Shaheedullah and Stereotypes, released independently in 2004.
Reunion
The group first reunited on November 13, 2004, headlining the Rock the BellsRock the Bells
Rock the Bells is an annual hip hop festival that originally took place in Southern California only, but has since toured throughout the world. The concert features a lineup of high-profile alternative hip hop artists, often headlined by a more mainstream artist...
concert held in the Angels Stadium parking lot in Anaheim, California. This was the night that Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
died, and as such the group opened up with a 10-minute tribute set to the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
and continued a 2-hour highly energetic show.
In 2006, the group reunited and performed several sold-out concerts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. A Tribe Called Quest was a co-headliner at the 2006 Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals, it takes place every Labor Day weekend at the 74-acre Seattle Center, which was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Seattle Center includes indoor theaters,...
festival in Seattle, but have not announced any plans to release a new album. The group is also appearing in 2K Sports' Bounce Tour promoting the NBA 2K7 game and a remix of their song, "Lyrics to Go", which is included in the game. According to Phife, ATCQ plans to release an album since they owe Jive Records one more in their six album contract. The date of its release is still unconfirmed, and Phife has urged fans to hold on as the group does not wish to release an LP which might damage their reputation. Speaking about the possibility of a new album showing up soon, Phife said:
ATCQ was the headlining act in 2008 at the Rock the Bells series of concerts, and were also co-headliners on the 2010 Rock the Bells festival series, alongside Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
and Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
.
Film
The group is the subject of a 2011 documentary entitled Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called QuestBeats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest is a documentary film directed by Michael Rapaport about an influential and groundbreaking hip hop group from New York City...
, directed by Michael Rapaport
Michael Rapaport
Michael David Rapaport is an American, actor, director and a comedian. He has acted in more than forty films since the early 1990s...
.
Albums
- 1990: People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of RhythmPeople's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of RhythmPeople's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by the alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released April 17, 1990 on Jive Records. Though the album was well-received critically, it had little mainstream appeal. The album did earn the band a devoted following,...
- 1991: The Low End TheoryThe Low End TheoryThe Low End Theory is the second album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released on September 24, 1991 through Jive Records, the album produced three singles: "Check the Rhime," "Jazz ," and "Scenario."-Conception:...
- 1993: Midnight MaraudersMidnight Marauders- Additional credits :- Accolades :The information is taken from Acclaimedmusic.netand other website links below. designates lists which are unordered.-Cover art:...
- 1996: Beats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth album of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the group's...
- 1998: The Love MovementThe Love MovementThe Love Movement is a 1998 album by hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. It was the group's fifth and final album of original material. Musically, it followed in the same vein as Beats, Rhymes and Life, featuring the smooth, jazzy beats of The Ummah. Critical reaction was mostly positive, for the...
Compilations
- 1992: Revised Quest for the Seasoned TravellerRevised Quest for the Seasoned TravellerRevised Quest for the Seasoned Traveller is a compilation of rare material released by A Tribe Called Quest in 1992.-Track listing:#"Bonita Applebum " – 5:33#"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo " – 5:57...
- 1999: The Anthology
- 2003: Hits, Rarities & Remixes
- 2006: The Lost TribesThe Lost Tribes (album)The Lost Tribes is a compilation of rare material by A Tribe Called Quest, released in Japan. As of 2006, "ICU " is the most recent Tribe song, which was released in 2003. "That Shit" is the only A Tribe Called Quest song released with vocals by Jay Dee. "Scenario " was the B-side to the original...
- 2008: The Best of A Tribe Called QuestThe Best Of A Tribe Called QuestThe Best of A Tribe Called Quest is a 2008 compilation album consisting of songs recorded by A Tribe Called Quest and released between 1988–1998.-Track listing:#"Can I Kick It?" – 4:12#"Bonita Applebum" – 3:36#"Vibes and Stuff" – 4:18...
External links
- A Tribe Called Quest - Official site
- A Tribe Called Quest at Jive Records
- A Tribe Called Quest at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...