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.
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released on April 10, 1990, on Jive Records. After forming the Native Tongues collective and collaborating on several projects, A Tribe Called Quest began recording sessions for People's Instinctive Travels in late 1989 at Calliope Studios with completion reached in early 1990. The album's laid back production encompassed a diverse range of samples which functioned as a template for the group's unorthodox lyrics.
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American rapper, record producer, singer, and DJ. Nicknamed the Abstract, he is noted for his innovative jazz-influenced style of hip hop production and his philosophical, esoteric and introspective lyrical themes. He embarked on his music career in the late 1980s, as an MC and main producer of the influential alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded the production team The Ummah, followed by the release of his gold-certified solo debut Amplified in 1999. In the following decade, he released the Grammy Award-nominated album The Renaissance (2008) and the experimental album Kamaal the Abstract (2009).
Beats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released on July 30, 1996, by Jive Records, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. Produced by The Ummah, the album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the group's earlier albums and is regarded as their darkest album in content. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 27, 1998.
Malik Izaak Taylor, known professionally as Phife Dawg, was an American rapper and a member of the group A Tribe Called Quest with Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. He was also known as the "Five-Foot Assassin" and the "Five-Footer," because he stood at just 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m).
"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."
Jarobi White is an American hip hop artist, chef, and a founding member of alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, alongside members Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. He left the group after the release of their debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm in order to pursue culinary arts, before returning for their last album, 2016's We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service. In the early 2010s, Jarobi formed evitaN with Dres, formerly of Black Sheep. Their first album, Speed of Life, was released in October 2012.
"Can I Kick It?" is a song by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released in October 1990 by Jive Records as the third single from their debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990). The song, which has a call and response chorus, was recorded in 1989, when the group members were aged 18-19. "Can I Kick It?" contains samples of "Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed, "What a Waste" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, "Spinning Wheel" by Dr. Lonnie Smith, "Dance of the Knights" by Sergei Prokofiev and "Sunshower" by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. Phife Dawg has stated that, because of the use of the "Walk on the Wild Side" sample, the group did not receive any money from the single, with Lou Reed instead claiming the profits. The music video for the song was directed by Jim Swaffield and filmed in New York City, featuring among others De La Soul.
"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.
"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is a song by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released as the debut single from their first album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990). The song contains a sample of "Funky" by The Chambers Brothers as the main hook.
Music from the Motion Picture Poetic Justice is the soundtrack to John Singleton's 1993 film Poetic Justice. It was released on June 29, 1993, through Epic Soundtrax, and consisted of a blend of hip hop and R&B music. The album peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 25, 1993.
Hits, Rarities & Remixes is a compilation album by A Tribe Called Quest. It features two previously unreleased songs as well as remixes and some of the group's more familiar songs. It also contains songs that were featured in movie soundtracks.
Revised Quest for the Seasoned Traveller is a compilation of rare material released by A Tribe Called Quest in 1992.
The Best of A Tribe Called Quest is a 2008 compilation album consisting of songs recorded by A Tribe Called Quest and released between 1988 and 1998.
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group, formed in 1985. They released six studio albums, five compilations, sixteen singles and two extended plays. The group was made up of rapper/main producer Q-Tip, the late rapper Phife Dawg and DJ/co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Phife Dawg was only persuaded to join when a fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, joined the group. In 1989 they signed a demo deal with Geffen Records, but not given a full-fledged recording contract. After receiving many offers, they opted for the Jive Records label, an independent rap label. In under a year, they managed to produce People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm to critical acclaim, but lukewarm sales, reaching #91 on the Billboard 200, though it did eventually achieve gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest is a 2011 documentary film about the music group A Tribe Called Quest, directed by Michael Rapaport. The film was released on July 8, 2011, by Sony Pictures Classics.
The following is a discography of production by Q-Tip, an American hip hop musician, record producer, and DJ. All songs credited as "produced by A Tribe Called Quest" were produced by Q-Tip, with the exception of "True Fuschnick", "Heavenly Father", and "La Schmoove" by Fu-Schnickens, which were produced by Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Q-Tip's contributions as a member of The Ummah production team are also listed. Q-Tip has also been credited under the pseudonyms "The Abstract", "The Lone Ranger", and "Qualiall".
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