"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...

's 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,...

. It contains a sample of "Funky" by The Chambers Brothers

The Chambers Brothers

The Chambers Brothers is a soul-music group, best known for its 1968 hit record, the 11-minute long song "Time Has Come Today". The group was part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions with modern psychedelic and rock elements, spawning a heady mix...

.

Music video

All of the music video is narrated, and the story is as follows. The group is at a police station and Q-Tip tells the story (i.e. the song). Initially, his mother wins a game show prize and goes on a month long cruise trip. After her departure, Q-Tip calls Ali and they take a road trip across America in Q-Tip's mother's car. The group gets lost on the way and Q-Tip asks a dwarf with a sombrero for directions. He tells them that they are in El Segundo

El Segundo, California

El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...

 and a mile away, there is a fast food station. They get there and eat, Q-Tip pays for the lunch. Q-Tip is distracted by an attractive woman and forgets his wallet before they leave. The waitress then takes his wallet off the counter. They return home and Q-Tip drops Ali off at his home. Then, Q-Tip realizes that his wallet is missing and he rounds up the group to get it back. When they get back to El Segundo, they want to stay longer, and the video fades out.

Limited edition vinyl

There was a limited edition "transparent green" vinyl pressing of this single backed by a B-side track called "Pubic Enemy". This was a song about somebody catching an STD

Sexually transmitted disease

Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...

 (most likely crabs

Crab louse

Crab lice are parasitic insects notorious for infesting human pubic hair. The species may also live on other areas with hair, including the eyelashes. They feed exclusively on blood...

). The backing rhythm sample behind this track is "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" by Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo.

Later samples

"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo (Vampire Mix)", produced by Fatboy Slim

Fatboy Slim

Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...

, was sampled for Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...

's 2008 hit "A Milli

A Milli

"A Milli", abbreviated occasionally as "Milli", is the second official single, and the official street single from Lil Wayne's sixth studio album, Tha Carter III.-Background:...

".

Mention in movies

• In the remake of the movie "The Ladykillers
  The Ladykillers (2004 film)
  The Ladykillers is a 2004 dark comedy film directed, written and produced by the Coen brothers and stars Tom Hanks, with a supporting cast that includes J. K. Simmons, Marlon Wayans, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst and Irma P. Hall...
  
  " (directed by the Coen brothers
  Coen Brothers
  Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
  
  ), the old lady Ms. Marva Munson is seen filing a complaint at the local police station. She says that her neighbors are playing "that hippity hop music" too loud and that the lyrics "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" do not make any sense anyway. Later on, when meeting prospective tennant Professor G. H. Dorr (played by Tom Hanks
  Tom Hanks
  Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
  
  ), she brings up the title again as an example of music she does not like to listen to.

• In the tv show Sleeper Cell, one of the member of the cell is a fan with this song, and sings it twice in the first season, even performing it on stage at a karaoke bar.

External links

• "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" music video at YouTube
  YouTube
  YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
  
  
• Lyrics