A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens,New York City,in 1985,originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip,rapper Phife Dawg,DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad,and rapper Jarobi White. The group is regarded as a pioneer of alternative hip hop and merging jazz with hip hop,influencing numerous hip hop and R&B musicians.
The Low End Theory is the second studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest,released on September 24,1991,by Jive Records. Recording sessions for the album were held mostly at Battery Studios in New York City,from 1990 to 1991. The album was primarily produced by group member Q-Tip,with a minimalist sound that combines bass,drum breaks,and jazz samples,in a departure from the group's debut album,People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990). Lyrically,the album features social commentary,word play,humor,and interplay between Q-Tip and fellow member Phife Dawg.
The Native Tongues were a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded,good-natured Afrocentric lyrics,and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and jazz-influenced beats. Its principal members were the Jungle Brothers,De La Soul,A Tribe Called Quest,Monie Love,and Queen Latifah. The collective was also closely tied to the Universal Zulu Nation. Rolling Stone cites the track "Doin' Our Own Dang" as "the definitive Native Tongues posse cut".
Midnight Marauders is the third studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest,released on November 9,1993,by Jive Records. Recording sessions for the album occurred at Battery Studios,Platinum Island Studios and Scorcerer Sound in New York City. Its production was mainly handled by Q-Tip,with contributions from Skeff Anselm,Large Professor and the group's DJ,Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A culmination of the group's two previous albums,People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and The Low End Theory,it features an eclectic,gritty sound based on jazz,funk,soul and R&B samples,in addition to socially conscious,positively-minded,and humorous lyrics.
Dexter Raymond Mills Jr.,better known by his stage name Consequence,is an American rapper from Queens,New York City,New York. He is best known for his collaborative work with A Tribe Called Quest and Kanye West. He later squashed his feud with rapper Pusha T in 2016.
The Coming is the debut studio album by American rapper and record producer Busta Rhymes. It was released on March 26,1996,by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. The album contains contributions by Def Squad members Redman,Keith Murray,and Jamal;as well as Q-Tip,Zhané,Leaders of the New School,and several Flipmode Squad members. Production of the album was handled by DJ Scratch,Easy Mo Bee,and the Ummah,among others. It serves as Rhymes's first solo album after the breakup of Leaders of the New School two years prior,and his first full-length project after numerous guest appearances on other songs with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest,the Notorious B.I.G.,Heavy D and the Boyz,and Mary J. Blige.
"1nce Again" is a song by the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest,released as the first single from their fourth album Beats,Rhymes and Life.
"Award Tour" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest,released as the first single from their third album Midnight Marauders. The song features rapper Trugoy on the chorus,from the fellow Native Tongues group De La Soul. 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 Chase,Pt. 2",which notably features the first known verse by future Tribe collaborator Consequence. "Award Tour" remains Tribe's highest charting single to date on the Billboard Hot 100,peaking at number 47. It also topped the Billboard Dance Singles chart.
"Jazz (We've Got)" is the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. The original material sampled in the song was provided by Pete Rock,and was then recreated in a similar way by Q-Tip. Although Pete Rock is not officially credited,Q-Tip credits him in the outro of the track,rapping "Pete Rock for the beat,ya don't stop."Rolling Stone lists "Jazz (We've Got)" on their list of 20 essential songs from the group. On their list of 10 lyrics that prove Phife Dawg's talent,Pitchfork included a rhyme from "Jazz (We've Got)":"Make sure you have a system with some phat house speakers / So the new shit can rock,from Bronx to Massapequa." The article notes that,"these kinds of stunt rhymes may not have been the most common component of Phife's lyrical arsenal,but they were usually the most 'oh shit' moments in any given verse,since they sounded so unexpected without really feeling forced."
"Find a Way" is a song by A Tribe Called Quest,the first single from their fifth album The Love Movement. The New York Times' Ben Ratliff wrote that "Find a Way" "innocently wonders about the point at which friendship spills over into sex."
"Stressed Out" is the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's fourth album Beats,Rhymes and Life. The song was produced by The Ummah and features Faith Evans on the chorus.
"Bonita Applebum" is the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. The song contains samples of "Daylight" by RAMP,"Memory Band" by Rotary Connection,"Jagger the Dagger" by Eugene McDaniels and "Fool Yourself" by Little Feat. Rolling Stone featured "Bonita Applebum" on their list of 20 essential songs from the group.
"Check the Rhime" is the first single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. The song was written by group members Phife Dawg,Q-Tip,and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. It was recorded at the legendary Greene St. Recording studio in New York City. The song peaked at number 59 on Billboard on November 16,1991. Rolling Stone listed "Check the Rhime" as one of the group's 20 essential songs,noting that Phife Dawg "quickly proves himself Q-Tip's lyrical equal."
"Scenario" is the third single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. The song features members of the rap group 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 Leaders of the New School member Busta Rhymes,who was 19 when this song was released. Time included the song on its list of its All-TIME 100 Songs.
"Touch It" is a song by Busta Rhymes. Released on December 13,2005,it was the first single from Rhymes' Aftermath/Interscope debut,The Big Bang. The song reached number one in New Zealand,and number six in the United Kingdom. The song features a minimalistic beat provided by Swizz Beatz,and a sample from the song "Technologic" by electronic duo Daft Punk. "Touch It" in turn was incorporated into Daft Punk's live album,Alive 2007.
"Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released as his debut solo single and the lead single from his debut studio album The Coming on January 7,1996,by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. The song was both written and produced by Rhymes and Rashad Smith. It contains additional vocals by Flipmode Squad member and Rhymes' cousin Rampage,credited as Rampage the Last Boy Scout. A critical and commercial success,the song peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100,and also peaked at the same position in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. In the United States,the song was released with several remixes of the song and the song "Everything Remains Raw",also appearing on The Coming,as its B-side. The single received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 39th Grammy Awards,losing to "Hey Lover" by LL Cool J. In addition,its music video received a nomination for Breakthrough Video at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards.
"It's a Party" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes featuring American R&B duo Zhané. It was released as the second single from Rhymes' debut studio album The Coming on June 4,1996,by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. The song was written by Rhymes and Zhanémember Rene Neufville,and produced by Easy Mo Bee. Peaking at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100,it was a moderate success. The song was released as a double A-side single with several remixes and the album cut "Ill Vibe" featuring fellow rapper Q-Tip,which also appears on The Coming,as its B-side.
We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service is the sixth and final studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. It was released on November 11,2016,by Epic Records.
"We the People...." is a song by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest,and the first single from their sixth and final album,We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service. Produced by Q-Tip and co-produced by Blair Wells,the song contains a sample of the drum break of "Behind the Wall of Sleep" by Black Sabbath. The chorus of the politically-charged song parodies Donald Trump's presidential campaign. "We the People...." was critically acclaimed and included on several year-end lists by publications.
Forever is the posthumous second studio album by American rapper Phife Dawg. It was released on March 22,2022,the sixth anniversary of his death,by Smokin' Needles Records and AWAL. It features guest appearances by his bandmate Q-Tip,Busta Rhymes,Maseo and Posdnuos of De La Soul,Dwele,Angela Winbush,Redman,Illa J,and Little Brother,among others. The album was mostly complete at the time of Phife Dawg's death,and was later completed by his business partner and collaborator,DJ Rasta Root.
