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A Tribe Called Quest was an 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 formed in
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, in 1985,Q-Tip
Red Bull Music Academy. Accessed on January 4, 2019.
originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip,Exclusive: Q-Tip Interview
MOOVMNT.com. Retrieved on June 25, 2017.
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. A Tribe Called Quest came to prominence as members of the Native Tongues collective, which they co-founded in 1988. The group's debut album, '' People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' (1990), established them as a critically acclaimed act, earning the first five 'mic' rating in '' The Source''s history. In 1991, the group saw commercial success with its jazz-infused second album, '' The Low End Theory'', which heavily shaped alternative hip hop in the 1990s. It was followed by the similarly successful and influential '' Midnight Marauders'' (1993), and '' Beats, Rhymes and Life'' (1996), which topped the ''Billboard'' 200. In 1998, the group disbanded shortly before releasing its fifth album '' The Love Movement'', but in 2006, the original members reunited and toured sporadically for the next seven years. In 2016, the group released its sixth and final album, '' We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service'', which received critical acclaim and became its second album to top the ''Billboard'' 200; it featured posthumous contributions from Phife Dawg, who died eight months before its release. A Tribe Called Quest was the most commercially successful act in the Native Tongues, with all six of its albums certified either gold or platinum. John Bush of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
called them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s", and Kris Ex of ''
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'' regarded them as "one of the greatest acts that hip-hop has ever produced". In 2005, A Tribe Called Quest received the Founders Award at the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, and two years later, the group was honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors. In 2017, the group was awarded the Brit Award for International Group. A Tribe Called Quest was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
in 2024.


History


1985–1990: Formation, Native Tongues, and ''People's Instinctive Travels''

Q-Tip (Kamaal Fareed) and Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor) were childhood friends who grew up together in the St. Albans neighbourhood of
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Initially, Q-Tip performed as a
battle rap Battle rap (also known as rap battling)Edwards, Paul, 2009, p. 25. is a type of rapping performed between two or more performers that incorporates boasts, insults, wordplay and Diss (music), disses originating in the African Americans, African-Amer ...
per, under the name MC Love Child, occasionally teaming up with Murry Bergtraum High School classmate Ali Shaheed Muhammad as a rapper and DJ duo. In 1985, the duo began making demos over Q-Tip's pause tape beats. Phife Dawg later joined them, though he didn't become a full member until neighbourhood friend Jarobi White joined; the group dubbed themselves "Crush Connection" and later "Quest". The group's final name, A Tribe Called Quest, was coined in 1988 by
Jungle Brothers Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop trio composed of Michael Small (Mike Gee), Nathaniel Hall (Afrika Baby Bam) and Sammy Burwell (DJ Sammy B). Hailed as pioneers of the fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and house music, they were the first hip-hop g ...
, who attended the same high school as Q-Tip and Muhammad; that year, Q-Tip made his first recorded appearances on Jungle Brothers' songs "Black Is Black" and "The Promo". Shortly after, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, Queen Latifah and Monie Love formed the Native Tongues collective, known for their like-minded
Afrocentrism Afrocentrism is a worldview that is centered on the history of people of African descent or a view that favors it over non-African civilizations. It is in some respects a response to Eurocentric attitudes about African people and their hist ...
, positivity and eclectic sampling. In 1989, Phife Dawg made his first recorded appearance on the song "Buddy (Native Tongue Decision)", the remix of De La Soul's single " Buddy". A Tribe Called Quest hired Kool DJ Red Alert as their first manager. In early 1989, the group signed a demo deal with
Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
and produced a five-song demo, which included future single " I Left My Wallet in El Segundo". Geffen decided against offering the group a recording contract, and the group was granted permission to shop for a deal elsewhere. After receiving lucrative offers for multi-album deals from a variety of labels, the group opted for a modest deal offered by Jive Records. Jive was then known as an independent rap label that partly owed its success to building the careers of artists
Boogie Down Productions Boogie Down Productions (BDP) was an American hip-hop group formed in the Bronx, New York City, in 1986. It originally consisted of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, five months after the ...
and
Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by his stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late ...
. Later that year, the group released their first 12" single, "Description of a Fool". Their debut album, '' People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'', released on April 10, 1990, was marked by a playful lyrical approach and light-hearted content such as safe sex, vegetarianism and youthful experiences. The music was an eclectic mix of jazz, funk, soul and rock samples. The album was met with critical acclaim; '' The Source'' rated it five mics, becoming the first album to receive the magazine's highest rating. ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
''s review stated that "This is not rap, it's near perfection." The album only gained momentum after the release of the singles " Bonita Applebum" and " Can I Kick It?", eventually achieving
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
certification in 1996.


1991–1993: ''The Low End Theory'', ''Midnight Marauders'', and commercial success

A Tribe Called Quest's second album, '' The Low End Theory'', was released on September 24, 1991, with " Check the Rhime" as the lead single; the song largely established the lyrical interplay between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Until then, most of the group's songs had only featured vocals by Q-Tip, but Q-Tip encouraged Phife Dawg to increase his participation despite his recent
diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
diagnosis. Musically, the album fused hip hop with the laid-back atmosphere of jazz, particularly
bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...
and hard bop, combined with a minimalist approach to production that stripped the sound down to vocals, drums and bass. Mixing engineer Bob Power played a major role on the album, as he was tasked with removing surface noise and static that is typically heard on hip hop songs sampled from old vinyl records. During the recording sessions, White left the group to pursue a career in
culinary arts Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called chefs or ...
, and they hired Chris Lighty as their new manager after signing to Rush Artist Management. Lyrically, the group focused on a range of social issues, from
date rape Date rape is a form of acquaintance rape and dating violence. The two phrases are often used interchangeably, but date rape specifically refers to a rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between ...
("The Infamous Date Rape") to
consumerism Consumerism is a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon that is typical of industrialized societies. It is characterized by the continuous acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing quantities. In contemporary consumer society, the ...
("Skypager"), while also criticizing the hip hop industry on several songs. Guests on the album included Leaders of the New School, Brand Nubian, Vinia Mojica and
Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...
, who played
double bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...
on the song "Verses from the Abstract". Additional singles included " Jazz (We've Got)" and "
Scenario In the performing arts, a scenario (, ; ; from Italian , "that which is pinned to the scenery") is a synoptical collage of an event or series of actions and events. In the ''commedia dell'arte'', it was an outline of entrances, exits, and actio ...
"; a live performance of "Scenario" with Leaders of the New School on '' The Arsenio Hall Show'' led to greater popularity. Leaders member
Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...
attracted attention with his verse in the song, which led to him launching a successful solo career. ''The Low End Theory'' received widespread acclaim from critics. ''The Source'' gave the group its second consecutive five mic rating, praising their "progressive sound" and "streetwise edge", also noting that "Those who questioned Phife's microphone techniques on the first album will swallow those doubts as he practically steals the show on this one." The album peaked at #45 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified gold on February 19, 1992; it reached
platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
status by 1995. In the aftermath of their success, the group contributed the song " Hot Sex" to the soundtrack for the film ''
Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...
'' in 1992. Conrad Tillard, then known variously as the Hip Hop Minister and Conrad Muhammad, became a fixture in hip-hop in 1993 after he arranged a meeting and a truce in a feud between rising bands Wreckx-N-Effect and A Tribe Called Quest, that Tillard said threatened to turn
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
into a "war zone". A Tribe Called Quest released their third album, '' Midnight Marauders'', on November 9, 1993. The lead single, " Award Tour", became the group's highest-charting single and helped to land the album at #8 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The production, still rooted in jazz, was a return to the eclectic sounds found on ''People's Instinctive Travels'', with a more prominent funk influence, including grittier drums. The voice of a "tour guide", on the intro and at the end of several tracks, added further cohesion to the album. ''Midnight Marauders'' saw improved lyrical interplay between Phife Dawg and Q-Tip, as evidenced on the singles " Electric Relaxation" and " Oh My God"; the popularity of "Electric Relaxation" led to it becoming the opening theme song for the sitcom ''
The Wayans Bros. ''The Wayans Bros.'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 11, 1995, to May 20, 1999. The series starred real life brothers Shawn Wayans, Shawn and Marlon Wayans, comedian John Witherspoon (actor), John Withe ...
'', from 1995 to 1996. Topics on the album include police harassment ("Midnight"), religious faith ("God Lives Through"), hip hop ("We Can Get Down") and use of the word nigga ("Sucka Nigga"). Guests on the album include Large Professor, Busta Rhymes and
Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to prominence as a vocalist and bassist for the R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné!, which he formed with h ...
(credited as Raphael Wiggins). The album received widespread acclaim from critics. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' called the album "as fresh as their first", while ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
'' stated "A Tribe Called Quest have expanded their vision with a lyrical gravitas and a musical lightness of touch that has hitherto eluded them across a whole album". The album was ranked #21 by ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' in that year's
Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...
critics' poll. ''Midnight Marauders'' became A Tribe Called Quest's fastest-selling album; it was certified platinum on January 11, 1995, only 14 months after its release.


1994–1995: Intermission and the Ummah

At the 1994 Source Awards,
Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
and his group Thug Life performed their song "Out on Bail", interrupting A Tribe Called Quest as they accepted the award for Group of the Year; it was later found that this apparent act of disrespect was accidental. That summer, the group performed as one of a handful of hip hop acts on the
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
tour, among acts such as
The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The ...
,
Stereolab Stereolab are an English people, Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound incorporates repetitive motorik beats with the use of vintage electronic keybo ...
and
The Verve The Verve were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Wigan in 1990 by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bass guitarist Simon Jones (musician), Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboard player Sim ...
. While on tour, keyboardist Amp Fiddler introduced Q-Tip to a young producer from
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
named Jay Dee. At the suggestion of Q-Tip, Jay Dee later joined him and Muhammad, forming a production unit known as The Ummah (
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
for "the orldwide
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
community"), in which each member produced songs individually and received a songwriting credit for their work. The Ummah handled the production of A Tribe Called Quest's next two albums. During this period, group members contributed to several notable outside projects with production and guest verses. Phife Dawg, who rapped on "Oh My God" that he owned "more condoms than
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...
", made an appearance on the song "Intro-lude" from that group's album, '' CrazySexyCool'', in 1994. That year, Q-Tip produced the single " One Love" from
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...
' debut album '' Illmatic'' and appeared on the song " Get It Together" by
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
, from their album '' Ill Communication''. In 1995, Muhammad co-produced the single "
Brown Sugar Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content or produced by t ...
" from
D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...
's debut album of the same name, and Q-Tip produced three songs for
Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American Hip-hop, hip hop duo formed in Queens, New York (state), New York in 1990. Consisting of rappers/songwriters/record producers Prodigy (rapper), Prodigy and Havoc (musician), Havoc, they are considered to be among the pr ...
while serving as a mixing engineer for their album ''
The Infamous ''The Infamous'' (stylized as ''The Infamous...'') is the second studio album by the American hip hop duo Mobb Deep, released on April 25, 1995, by BMG, RCA Records and Loud Records. The album features guest appearances by Nas, Raekwon, Gho ...
''. The group contributed "Glamour and Glitz" to '' The Show: The Soundtrack'' that year, before returning the following year with their next album.


1996–1998: ''Beats, Rhymes and Life'', ''The Love Movement'', and breakup

'' Beats, Rhymes and Life'', the group's fourth album, was released on July 30, 1996, supported by the singles " 1nce Again" and "
Stressed Out "Stressed Out" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. Produced by Mike Elizondo and recorded at studios in Los Angeles and London, it was released as a promotional single from their fourth studio album, ''Blu ...
". It was recorded during the turbulent East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry, with the tracks "Get a Hold", "Keeping It Moving" and "Baby Phife's Return" referring to it. The Ummah's production style, a minimalist R&B and jazz-infused sound, was a departure from the group's previous albums. Jay Dee, a big fan of A Tribe Called Quest, contributed five beats to the album, including both singles. Lyrically, the album featured a less playful, more philosophical approach by the group. Consequence, Q-Tip's cousin, and an aspiring rapper, was present on six songs. Phife Dawg later stated that this period was when he began to lose interest in the group: The album debuted at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and went gold before the end of the year; it was certified platinum in 1998. Critical reception was divided, but mostly positive; ''Rolling Stone'' called the album "near-flawless", while ''The Source'' awarded it four mics. ''Melody Maker'' felt that it provided "both their best and worst thus far". It was nominated for Best Rap Album and "1nce Again" was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1997 Grammy Awards. In 1997, the group was featured on the Fugees single " Rumble in the Jungle", alongside Busta Rhymes and John Forté, from the '' When We Were Kings'' soundtrack. They also appeared on the soundtrack '' Men in Black: The Album'', with the song "Same Ol' Thing". In Europe, they released ''The Jam EP'', which included the aforementioned song, "Mardi Gras at Midnight" (featuring Rah Digga) and two songs from ''Beats, Rhymes and Life'', "Get a Hold" and "Jam". That year also saw the first reunion of the three Native Tongues groups since 1989, when Jungle Brothers invited A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul to guest on "How Ya Want It We Got It", a song from their album '' Raw Deluxe''. A month before '' The Love Movement'' was released on September 29, 1998, the group announced that it would be their final album. The group cited their frustration with Jive as a significant factor in the breakup. The album, which was centered on the theme of love, was promoted by the single " Find a Way", a song that "innocently wonders about the point at which friendship spills over into sex". Musically, the album saw the return of The Ummah's stripped-down production style from ''Beats, Rhymes and Life''. Guest appearances by Busta Rhymes, Redman and Noreaga helped to balance the subdued tone of the album. ''The Love Movement'' was certified gold on November 1, 1998, just over a month after its release. Critical reception was mostly positive; ''Rolling Stone'' remarked that "the mature, accomplished niceness of ''The Love Movement'' proves that the Tribe still have the skills – they're just short on thrills." The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1999 Grammy Awards.


1999–2005: Solo projects and brief return to recording

Under the management of Violator, Q-Tip launched a successful solo career, which saw two ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hits, " Vivrant Thing" and " Breathe and Stop", and the release of the gold-certified album '' Amplified'' in late 1999. The album featured production by Q-Tip, Jay Dee and
DJ Scratch George Spivey (born June 21, 1968), known professionally as DJ Scratch, is an American hip hop music, hip hop DJ and producer from Brooklyn, New York. DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ champion, the 2010 M ...
. Despite receiving mostly positive reviews, the album was criticized by the hip hop community for its mainstream sound. The most notable of Q-Tip's critics was Phife Dawg, who took his former partner to task on his solo album '' Ventilation: Da LP'', released in 2000. The Hi-Tek-produced lead single, " Flawless", contained the lines "Go 'head, play yourself with them ho-like hooks / sing ballads if it's all about the
Maxwell Maxwell may refer to: People * Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist * Justice Maxwell (disambiguation) * Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage of N ...
look". ''Ventilation'' included production by Jay Dee and Pete Rock. Teaming up with two other artists from former groups,
Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to prominence as a vocalist and bassist for the R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné!, which he formed with h ...
of Tony! Toni! Toné! and Dawn Robinson of En Vogue, Muhammad's next project was Lucy Pearl. The group scored two hit singles with " Dance Tonight" and " Don't Mess with My Man", from their self-titled album, which was certified gold a few months after its release in 2000. Following a dispute between Saadiq and Robinson, the latter left the group and was replaced by Joi; however, this new incarnation would only last for the remainder of touring. In 2001, Q-Tip changed directions and recorded '' Kamaal the Abstract'', an album which saw him in the role of singer and bandleader. Unlike his work with A Tribe Called Quest, or his previous solo work, ''Kamaal'' was constructed around live music and abstract song concepts.
Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...
refused to release the album, doubting its commercial potential, resulting in Q-Tip leaving the label.Q-Tip on finally getting his second album out
''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
''. Accessed on April 20, 2017.
The following year, he recorded the song "What Lies Beneath" for the '' Soundbombing III'' compilation, in which he responded to Phife Dawg's comments on "Flawless". In 2003, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg put aside their differences and A Tribe Called Quest briefly returned to the studio, recording the song "I C U (Doin' It)", featuring
Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
. It was intended to be the first single from the Violator compilation, ''V3: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly'', however, the album was not released. Undeterred by the shelving of ''Kamaal the Abstract'', Q-Tip recorded ''Open'' in late 2003, planning to release it the next year. It featured contributions from André 3000,
Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...
and D'Angelo. However, his label, DreamWorks Records, got bought out by
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
, which eventually led to ''Open'' also getting shelved. On August 27, 2004, A Tribe Called Quest headlined the Street Scene music festival in
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
. Muhammad focused on developing a stable of artists, most of whom were showcased on his debut solo album, '' Shaheedullah and Stereotypes'', released later that year. In 2005, the group received the Founders Award at the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' R&B/Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.


2006–2013: Reunion and touring

In 2006, the group reunited as a touring band, in part, to help Phife Dawg with his mounting medical expenses. They co-headlined that year's
Bumbershoot Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals, it takes place every Labor Day (United States), Labor Day weekend (leading up to and ...
festival in Seattle and performed several sold-out concerts in the U.S., Canada and Japan. The group also appeared on the 2K Sports Bounce Tour, promoting the '' NBA 2K7'' video game, with a
Dan the Automator Daniel M. Nakamura (born August 29, 1966), better known by his stage name Dan the Automator, is an American record producer. He is the founder of the publishing company Sharkman Music and the record label 75 Ark. Early life Daniel M. Nakamura wa ...
remix of their song "Lyrics to Go" appearing on the game's soundtrack. According to Phife Dawg at the time, A Tribe Called Quest planned to release an album, as they owed Jive one more in their six-album contract. Speaking about the possibility of a new album showing up that year, Phife Dawg said: In 2007, A Tribe Called Quest was honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors, with a tribute performance by Busta Rhymes, Common,
Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, record producer and Music education, music educator. Born and raised in Chicago, he gained mainstream recognition for his gue ...
and
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
. The group was named the headlining act for the 2008 Rock the Bells tour. That year, Phife Dawg received a kidney transplant from his wife. In late 2008, Q-Tip released his long-awaited second album, '' The Renaissance'', on Universal Motown Records. After being shelved for seven years, ''Kamaal the Abstract'' was finally released in 2009, on Battery Records. The group co-headlined the 2010 Rock the Bells tour. Phife Dawg planned to release his follow-up album, ''Songs in the Key of Phife: Volume 1 (Cheryl's Big Son)'', that year; however, his health issues delayed the release of the album. The group was the subject of the 2011 documentary, '' Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest'', directed by Michael Rapaport. In 2012, Q-Tip signed to
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
's GOOD Music label and prepared the release of his new album, ''The Last Zulu'', which later became heavily delayed. At the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards, the group took part in a tribute performance for former manager Chris Lighty, who had recently died. In 2013, the group performed at a handful of select festivals throughout the summer, including Wireless Festival, Yahoo! Wireless in London, Splash! (festival), Splash! in Germany, OpenAir Frauenfeld in Switzerland, and in Los Angeles. In November 2013, two of the four New York shows for West's The Yeezus Tour, Yeezus Tour featured A Tribe Called Quest as supporting acts. According to statements made by Q-Tip at the time, these were intended to be A Tribe Called Quest's final performances.


2015–2017: ''We Got It from Here'', death of Phife Dawg, and final tour

On November 13, 2015, A Tribe Called Quest reunited to perform on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon''. That day, the group reissued ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'', in commemoration of its 25th anniversary. The reissue included remixes by Pharrell Williams, J. Cole and CeeLo Green. In addition, they participated in an r/IAmA, AMA on Reddit, where users asked the group questions. On the night of their ''Tonight Show'' appearance, the same night of the November 2015 Paris attacks, terrorist attacks in Paris, the group felt "charged" and put aside their differences, deciding to record a new album, '' We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service'', in secrecy. Muhammad was unable to attend recording sessions for the album, as he was producing the Luke Cage (soundtrack), ''Luke Cage'' soundtrack with Adrian Younge at the time. Phife Dawg died on March 22, 2016, due to complications relating to diabetes. The album was incomplete when Phife Dawg died, but the surviving members continued to work on it following his death. That August, Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid revealed that the label would be releasing a new A Tribe Called Quest album in the near future. ''We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service'' was subsequently announced in October, with a release date of November 11, 2016; it became the group's second album to debut at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The day after its release, the group appeared on ''Saturday Night Live'' and performed in front of a mural of Phife Dawg. ''We Got It from Here'' featured guest appearances by André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, Elton John, Kanye West, Anderson .Paak, Talib Kweli, Consequence and Busta Rhymes. Promoted by the hit single "We the People.... (song), We the People....", which opposed Donald Trump's Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign, presidential campaign, the album received widespread acclaim from critics. Lyrically, ''Rolling Stone'' believed that the group "maintain the attitude of the Bohemian everydude funkonauts" that inspired many prominent hip hop artists.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
praised the album's "visionary and pleasingly weird production", which drew from several different genres and sample sources. Speaking with ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', Q-Tip revealed plans for the group to do a final world tour, to promote the album and honor Phife Dawg, before permanently disbanding. It was also announced that a new Phife Dawg solo album, ''Forever (Phife Dawg album), Forever'', mostly completed before his death, would be released in the near future; the album was released in 2022. On February 12, 2017, A Tribe Called Quest performed alongside Anderson .Paak, Busta Rhymes and Consequence at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Later that month, the group won the award for best Brit Award for International Group, International Group at the 2017 Brit Awards. On May 22, 2017, ''We Got It from Here'' achieved gold certification, making all six of the group's albums Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA-certified. The group performed at a number of festivals throughout the summer; they performed their final concert on September 9, 2017, at Bestival in Dorset, England. After disbanding, a short film for the album's opening track, "The Space Program (song), The Space Program", was released on March 29, 2018, and billed as the group's final video.


Legacy

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
critic John Bush called A Tribe Called Quest "without question the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s", further stating that the group "jump-started and perfected the hip-hop alternative to hardcore hip hop, hardcore and gangsta rap." At a time when James Brown break (music), drum breaks and P-Funk basslines dominated hip hop production, the group successfully bridged the gap between jazz and hip hop, incorporating
bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...
and hard bop samples and recording with double bassist
Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...
. The group's production influenced their contemporaries, thus changing the sound of hip hop; Dr. Dre produced his highly regarded debut ''The Chronic'' after being inspired by ''The Low End Theory'', and Pete Rock stated, "There were times when I would walk into a record store and see Tip sitting on the floor with his glasses on, going through albums, looking for beats ... I was like, 'This guy is serious.' Being around [the group] made me step up and become even more serious than I was." Elton John regarded them as "the seminal hip-hop band of all-time". Lyrically, A Tribe Called Quest has been regarded for addressing many social issues through Q-Tip's philosophical viewpoints and Phife Dawg's everyman perspectives. ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' influenced several notable hip hop artists; Scarface (rapper), Scarface asserted that it "really made me want to rap", and
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
expressed that it was "the turning point [which] made me see that music was art." Kierna Mayo, former editor-in-chief of ''Ebony (magazine), Ebony'', said that ''The Low End Theory'' and ''Midnight Marauders'' "gave birth to neo soul, neo-everything.... That entire class of
D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...
,
Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
,
Maxwell Maxwell may refer to: People * Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist * Justice Maxwell (disambiguation) * Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage of N ...
, and Lauryn Hill—and moving on to André 3000,
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
, and Talib Kweli—everything that is out of left field, left of everything begins with Tribe." The group has also been credited for helping launch the solo careers of
Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...
, J Dilla and Consequence.Beats, Rhymes And Life was A Tribe Called Quest's commercial peak—and first misstep
. ''The A.V. Club''. Accessed on April 2, 2019.
The Roots drummer Questlove, Ahmir Thompson's stage name "Questlove" was inspired by A Tribe Called Quest, whom he cited as his favorite group, stating, "They're my The Beatles, Beatles." The group's name serves as the inspiration for the name of electronic music group A Tribe Called Red, now known as The Halluci Nation. In 2003, ''The Low End Theory'' was ranked 153rd on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, ''Rolling Stone'''s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In a revised 2020 list, its ranking moved up to 43rd, and ''Midnight Marauders'' was added to the list at 201st. The group's single "Can I Kick It?" was ranked 292nd on the 2021 revision of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, ''Rolling Stone'''s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2022, ''The Low End Theory'' was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry. In 2024, A Tribe Called Quest was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
.


Members

* Q-Tip – vocals, production (1985–1998, 2006–2013, 2015–2017) * Ali Shaheed Muhammad – turntables, co-production (1985–1998, 2006–2013, 2015–2017) * Phife Dawg – vocals (1985–1998, 2006–2013, 2015–2016; died 2016) * Jarobi White – vocals (1985–1991, 2006–2013, 2015–2017)


Discography

Studio albums * '' People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' (1990) * '' The Low End Theory'' (1991) * '' Midnight Marauders'' (1993) * '' Beats, Rhymes and Life'' (1996) * '' The Love Movement'' (1998) * '' We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service'' (2016)


Awards and nominations


''Billboard'' R&B/Hip-Hop Awards

, - , rowspan="2", 2005 , A Tribe Called Quest , Founders Award , , -


Brit Awards

, - , 2017 Brit Awards, 2017 , A Tribe Called Quest , Brit Award for International Group, International Group , , -


Grammy Awards

, - , rowspan="2", 39th Annual Grammy Awards, 1997 , ''Beats, Rhymes and Life'' , Best Rap Album , , - , "1nce Again" , Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group , , - , 41st Annual Grammy Awards, 1999 , ''The Love Movement'' , Best Rap Album , , - , 54th Annual Grammy Awards, 2012 , '' Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest'' , Grammy Award for Best Music Film, Best Long Form Music Video , , -


Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

, - , rowspan="1", 2022 , Performer , Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , , - , 2023 , Performer , Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , , - , 2024 , Performer , Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , , -


''The Source'' Awards

, - , rowspan="2", 1994 Source Awards, 1994 , A Tribe Called Quest , Group of the Year , , -


Filmography

*'' Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest'' (2011)


Apparel collaborations

*In celebration of ''People's Instinctive Travels'' 25th anniversary in 2015, Stüssy worked with A Tribe Called Quest to create a line featuring hats, sweaters and t-shirts of classic photos, lyrics and their iconic logo. *Teaming up with longtime collaborator Pharrell Williams, the group partnered with Billionaire Boys Club (clothing retailer), Billionaire Boys Club to make "The Space Program" capsule in 2018. *Paying tribute to the rap group, Vans made a line of footwear in 2018, in honor of their album artwork and lyrics. *In 2022, Peloton Interactive, Peloton announced a collaboration with A Tribe Called Quest, which included a line of apparel. *In 2009, Jordan Brand released ATCQ Jordan 1 special colorway, this sneaker gets its inspiration from A Tribe Called Quest’s cover art from the album Midnight Marauders.


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tribe Called Quest, A A Tribe Called Quest, African-American musical quartets Alternative hip-hop groups Brit Award winners Hip-hop groups from New York City Jive Records artists Epic Records artists Musical groups established in 1985 Musical groups disestablished in 1998 Musical groups reestablished in 2006 Musical groups disestablished in 2013 Musical quartets from New York (state) Native Tongues members Progressive rappers East Coast hip-hop groups Psychedelic rap groups Musical groups from Queens, New York Musical groups reestablished in 2015 Musical groups disestablished in 2017 1985 establishments in New York City Wild Pitch Records artists