Welcome to another installment of Way Back Wednesday, where I remind you about some classic groups from way back...Those who know me personally are well aware of my admiration for A Tribe Called Quest. They are not only one of my favorite hip-hop groups, but one of my favorite groups of all time. "Award Tour" and "Bonita Applebum" hold special places in my heart. When Tribe first announced they'd be breaking up, I was shocked. One of the all time great groups calling it quits? I was in denial. Hip-hop would never be the same. I still get pumped to see new material from Q-Tip, Phife or Ali Shaheed, but it's still not Tribe, and in light of the 25th anniversary of their debut, this post is devoted exclusively to the NYC-area group.
Background: Q-Tip, Phife Dog, Ali Shaheed and Jarobi came together to form A Tribe Called Quest in 1985. Q-Tip and Phife grew up as childhood friends in Queens, N.Y. Q-Tip began his career as a solo emcee, and Shaheed lent a hand as his DJ. At the time, Phife was too busy pursuing his love of basketball to take music seriously. It wasn't until Jarobi joined the group that Phife finally put down the ball and picked up the mic. Oddly, the group's name didn't come from one of the four members, but from fellow hip-hop group Jungle Brothers. In 1989, Tribe signed a demo deal with notable label Geffen Records. The demo included "Can I Kick It" and "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo"— two soon-to-be hip-hop classics — but it didn't capture executives at Geffen and A Tribe Called Quest was given leave to shop it around to other companies. Jive Records was the fortunate label chosen, and it would reap the benefits for years to come. The group scaled back to three members after their first album dropped and Jarobi peaced out. Tribe was also a part of the Native Tongues collective with fellow posi-minded groups De La Soul and Jungle Brothers.
Notable Albums: The incredible career of A Tribe Called Quest took off in 1990, when Tribe dropped debut full-length, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, that was overlooked at the time. In fact, People's Instinctive Travels didn't earn gold certification until six years after its initial release. The album featured the aforementioned singles from their original demo ("Can I Kick It" and "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo") as well as "Bonita Applebum." All three live in the hearts of any real hip-hop follower.
Low End Theory dropped a mere year after their debut and showed no signs of a sophomore slump. Hip-hop magazine The Source gave the LP its ultimate stamp of approval with a 5-Mic review, branding it an instant classic. Q-Tip credited N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton as inspiration, while Tribe's critically acclaimed Low End Theory was boundary-pushing in its own right, one of the first records to merge hip hop beats with a laid-back jazz atmosphere. "Scenario,""Jazz (We've Got)," and "The Rhime" all spent time on the Rap Singles charts.
Midnight Marauders dropped in 1993. Now, Tribe has put out some incredible albums, but in my eyes, nothing tops Midnight Marauders. The LP saw critical and commercial success, especially hit single "Award Tour," which, to this day, stands as my favorite Tribe song; "Electric Relaxation" and "Oh My God" charted as well and the Queens trio added another classic album to the hip-hop pantheon. Beats, Rhymes, & Life dropped in 1996. The follow-up to their most successful album to date lacked the joyful, upbeat vibe of earlier LPs, and contained some of Tribe's darkest material. Q-Tip and Phife even addressed the heated East Coast-West Coast rivalry, though they were never active participants. The album also featured new super-producer team The Ummah, made up of Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed, and the late Jay Dee. The only singles were "Once Again" and "Stressed Out," but that didn't stop it from hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hip-Hop charts. There were grumblings that the legendary group may part ways after Tribe announced fifth LP The Love Movement, and the rumors were confirmed after the album's release in 1998. The Love Movement would be the last original recording from one of the most original groups that came out of the '90s and the album's biggest hit, "Find A Way," was played all over mainstream radio.
ATCQ reunited in 2004, 2006, and 2008, but for performing purposes only. The trio was also featured on Kanye West's Yeezus Tour in 2013, where they played a few sold-out shows in New York. This marked the last time Tribe members took the stage together. Hip hop will never be the same without these pioneers upping the game.
"I Left My Wallet In El Segundo"
"Can I Kick It?"
"Bonita Applebum"
"Scenario"
"Award Tour"
"Electric Relaxation"
"1nce Again" Feat. Tammy Lucas
"Find A Way"
*****
With so many great songs, it was difficult picking out which ones to include here... What's your favorite ATCQ song or video?