"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is a song by American

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

group

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip< ...

, released as the debut single from their first album, ''

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm ''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, by Jive Records. After forming the Native Tongues collective and collaborating on s ...

'' (1990). The song contains a sample of "

Funky Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the mi ...

" by

The Chambers Brothers The Chambers Brothers are an American psychedelic soul band, best known for their eleven-minute 1968 psychedelic soul hit " Time Has Come Today". The group was part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions ...

as the main hook.

Critical reception

James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to: Dukes *James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland *James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman *James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), Sco ...

from ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

'' felt that "this mildly amusing story telling slow rap was always at times

raggamuffin Ragamuffin or Raggamuffin is a euphemism for a Street children, child of the street. The term may also refer to: Film * ''The Ragamuffin'', a 1916 American silent film by William C. deMille * ''Ragamuffin'', a 2014 film directed by David Schultz ...

accented amidst the Mexican coloring of its subject matter, and is more so than ever now that it's out here again in

Norman Cook Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of samples from eclectic genres, combined ...

's brand new bassily booming Vampire Mix (bpm)". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' included the song on their list of 20 essential songs from the group, noting, " -Tipprecisely describes every aspect of an ill-fated road trip...Not bad for a kid barely out of his teens rapping about an exotic-sounding place he learned about from its use as a frequent punch line on ''

Sanford and Son ''Sanford and Son'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom '' Steptoe and Son'', which initially aired on BBC1 in the United Kingdom from 1962 to ...

''."

Tracklist

Original version * 7" single # "Pubic Enemy" (Radio) (3:45) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Radio) (4:11) * 12" and cassette single # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Feature Length) (5:05) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Talkie) (4:10) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Silent) (4:08) # "Pubic Enemy" (Saturday Night Virus Discomix) (4:16) # "Pubic Enemy" (Talkie) (3:45) # "Pubic Enemy" (Silent) (3:46) * 12" promo # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Extended) (5:05) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Radio) (4:10) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Instrumental) (4:08) # "Pubic Enemy" (Extended) (4:16) # "Pubic Enemy" (Radio) (3:45) # "Pubic Enemy" (Instrumental) (3:46) * UK 12" maxi # "Pubic Enemy" (Saturday Night Virus Disco Mix) (4:16) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Extended) (4:35) # "Pubic Enemy" (Silent) (3:46) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Silent) (4:07) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Excerpt) (0:32) * UK CD maxi # "Pubic Enemy (Radio Version) (3:49) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Radio) (4:13) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Excerpt) (0:33) # "Pubic Enemy" (Extended) (4:17) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Extended) (4:35) * CD promo # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Radio) (4:10) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Extended) (4:35) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Instrumental) (4:08) Norman Cook remix * 7" and cassette single # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (3:42) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Talkie) (4:10) * 12" single # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Vampire Mix) (5:54) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Talkie) (4:10) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Silent) (4:08) * 12" Independence version # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Independence Mix) (5:38) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Drum Pan Mix) (5:52) * CD single # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (3:42) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Vampire Mix) (5:54) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Talkie) (4:10) # "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" (Silent) (4:08)

Music video

The entire

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is narrated. The group finds themselves at a police station where

Q-Tip Cotton swabs (American English) or cotton buds (British English), also Q-tips ( proprietary eponym), are wads of cotton wrapped around a short rod made of wood, rolled paper, or plastic. They are most commonly used for ear cleaning, although th ...

begins his story. The tale starts with Q-Tip's mother winning a game show prize and leaving on a month-long cruise trip. After her departure, Q-Tip calls

Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...

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 four-foot tall person with a

sombrero In English, a , ; ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high, pointed crown; an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck, and shoulders of the w ...

for directions. Then, at a nearby

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

, 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 off Ali. Only then does Q-Tip realize that his wallet is missing and he rounds up the group to get it back. When they get back to

El Segundo, California El Segundo ( , ; ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments. The population was 17,272 as of t ...

they want to stay longer, and the video fades out.

Charts

References

External links

"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" music video
at

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

LyricsMusic video filming locations
{{authority control 1990 songs 1990 debut singles A Tribe Called Quest songs Jive Records singles Song recordings produced by Q-Tip (musician) Songs written by Q-Tip (musician) Fatboy Slim songs Songs written by Ali Shaheed Muhammad Songs about California