Scenario (A Tribe Called Quest)
Encyclopedia
"Scenario" is the third single from A Tribe Called Quest
's second album The Low End Theory
. The song features members of Leaders of the New School
. Matt Cibula of PopMatters
called the track hip hop's greatest posse cut
. The song is commonly considered a breakout moment for LONS member Busta Rhymes
.
The music video features cameo appearance
s by Spike Lee
, De La Soul
, Brand Nubian
, Fab 5 Freddy and Redman.
A remix
ed version of "Scenario" appeared on the B-side of the 12" single and cassette single as well as the limited edition release of the group's final album, The Love Movement
(1998). The remix also features Leaders of the New School
and newcomer rapper Kid Hood, who was murdered three days after recording his verse. Blender
magazine ranked the remix at number 216 in its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".
The song was featured in the soundtrack of the video game True Crime: New York City
.
Nicki Minaj
quotes Busta Rhymes' famous line, "Rawr, rawr, like a dungeon dragon", in her 2010 song "Roman's Revenge
". Busta Rhymes was later featured on the remix to said song, quoting some lines from his verse in "Scenario," and referring to himself as "the original dungeon dragon."
Parts of the song are also sampled in the song "Who's That? Brooown!" by rap group Das Racist
.
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 second album The Low End Theory
The 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:...
. The song features members of 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...
. Matt Cibula of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
called the track hip hop's greatest posse cut
Posse cut
A posse cut is a popular form of song in hip hop music that involves successive verses by four or more rappers.Tracks described as posse cuts by Rolling Stone include A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario", "Tha Shit" by The D.O.C., "Doin' Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers, and "Set It Off" by Snoop Dogg...
. The song is commonly considered a breakout moment for LONS member 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...
.
The music video features cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s by Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
, 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...
, 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...
, Fab 5 Freddy and Redman.
A remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed version of "Scenario" appeared on the B-side of the 12" single and cassette single as well as the limited edition release of the group's final album, The Love Movement
The Love Movement
The 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...
(1998). The remix also features 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...
and newcomer rapper Kid Hood, who was murdered three days after recording his verse. Blender
Blender (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....
magazine ranked the remix at number 216 in its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".
The song was featured in the soundtrack of the video game True Crime: New York City
True Crime: New York City
True Crime: New York City is an urban sandbox-style action-adventure videogame published by Activision and developed by Luxoflux for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube consoles and Windows based computers. It is the second game of the True Crime series, released after True Crime: Streets of LA...
.
Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
quotes Busta Rhymes' famous line, "Rawr, rawr, like a dungeon dragon", in her 2010 song "Roman's Revenge
Roman's Revenge
"Roman's Revenge" is a song performed by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj from her debut studio album Pink Friday. It was written by Minaj and rapper Eminem, who is also featured in the song, and was produced by Swizz Beatz. It was released exclusively on October 30, 2010 through the US iTunes store,...
". Busta Rhymes was later featured on the remix to said song, quoting some lines from his verse in "Scenario," and referring to himself as "the original dungeon dragon."
Parts of the song are also sampled in the song "Who's That? Brooown!" by rap group Das Racist
Das Racist
Das Racist is an alternative hip hop group based in Brooklyn, New York City, composed of MCs Himanshu Suri , and Victor Vazquez and hype man Ashok Kondabolu...
.
Samples
- "Oblighetto" by Jack McDuffJack McDuff"Brother" Jack McDuff was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s, often performing with an organ trio.-Career:...
- "Give It Up" by Kool & the GangKool & the GangKool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
- "Little Miss Lover" by Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
- "Blind Alley" by The EmotionsThe EmotionsThe Emotions are an American all female soul and R&B singing group. The group was formed in its current hometown of Chicago, Illinois originally consisting of the three Hutchinson sisters, all the children of Joseph and Lillian Hutchinson....
- "Ecstasy" by Ohio PlayersOhio PlayersThe Ohio Players were an American funk and R&B band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their double #1 hit songs "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster".- Biography :...
Charts
| Charts (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
57 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 34 |
| U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 42 |
| U.S. Hot Rap Singles | 6 |