#hip hop 50 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cyarskaren52 · 9 months

Text

Check the rhyme and this playlist

A Tribe Called Quest is one of the most influential Hip Hop groups of all time, an act that paved the way for countless rappers to be simply themselves. They laid the blueprint for both quirky and thoughtful alternative rap with lyrical content that was funny, observant, abstract, and full of lightheared confidence. Sonically, Tribe’s production masterfully connected jazz and Hip Hop like no other group before them.

Part of the alternative rap click, The Native Tongues, Tribe solidified their jubilant arrival with their eclectic, exuberant 1990 debut, People’s Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythms, which boasted a couple of Tribe classics and was a showcase for rapper/producer Q-Tip’s brand of playful, inspirational lyricism.

But it was their two subsequent releases, widely regarded as two of the best, most influential Hip Hop albums of all time—1991’s The Low End Theory and 1993’s Midnight Mauraders— that cemented their place as innovators with a unique ear for linking fluid, bottom-heavy jazz, with Hip Hop drums and sensibilities. Following original member Jarobi White’s departure, their sophomore effort also served as a further introduction to Phife’s lighthearted, boastful rhyme skills, which would continue throughout Tribe’s career.

Combined with their quirky, self-reflection, Tribe’s core sound was completely its own, and over the years has proven to be both timeless and endlessly influential.

“We’re all [Q-Tip’s] sons,” Pharrell Williams has said. “Myself, J Dilla, Kanye, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Tribe albums.”

We’ve combed through their catalog to offer 25 of their dopest songs.

#26

"RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE" FUGEES FEAT. A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, BUSTA RHYMES, JOHN FORTE [BONUS SONG]

Our BONUS SONG pick is a celebrated classic guest spot! Two of the 90s greatest rap crews join forces on the "When We Were Kings" soundtrack

#25

"THE DONALD" FEAT. BUSTA RHYMES

A tribute to the late Phife Dawg, “The Donald” properly closes out Tribe’s final album, with a fitting feature from frequent collaborator, Busta Rhymes. Tip remembers his friend on the second verse: “We gon' celebrate him, elevate him, papa had to levitate him/Give him his and don't debate him/Top dog is the way to rate him…”

#24

"GET A HOLD"

J Dilla’s longtime friend and collaborator DJ Houseshoes said it took him about 12 minutes to make what became “Get A Hold” from Tribe’s fourth album, Beats, Rhymes and Life. The beat is one on the album that helped signal a shift in Tribe’s sound when Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed, Dilla formed the production unit, The Ummah.

#23

"STRESSED OUT" FEAT. FAITH EVANS

Tensions were high by the time Tribe released Beats, Rhymes, and Life. But the group’s fourth album did have moments when everything was in tune, including on “Stressed Out” featuring Faith Evans who interpolates Anita Baker’s classic “Good Love” for the hook.

DROP YOUR EMAIL

TO STAY IN THE KNOW

SUBMIT

#22

"IF THE PAPES COME"

Experimental in both lyrics and production, “If The Papes Come” (the B-Side to “Can I Kick It?”) offers the other side of Tribe’s genius, showcasing their propensity to test musical boundaries and color outside the lines, or at least re-shape them.

#21

"BUTTER"

Phife shines on “Butter,” a solid addition to the classic Midnight Mauraders, where he spins a familiar ��back then you didn’t want me, now you all up on me” tale: “I remember when girls were goodie two shoes/but now they turning freaks/ All of a sudden (we love you Phife)/ease off ho, my name’s Malik…”

#20

"STEVE BIKO (STIR IT UP)"

A dope beginning to a quintessential Hip Hop album, “Steve Biko (Stir It Up)” (named for the famous South African freedom fighter) is a proper reminder of the creative energy Tribe brought to the table.

#19

"VIBES 'N STUFF"

A track that embodies the energy of The Low End Theory, “Vibes and Stuff” is a laid-back groove dedicated to Scott LaRock and Trouble T Roy, where Q-Tip shines with bars about staying true to self: “Here I am ghetto, full with a lot of steam/Think I gotta, I think I gotta, I think I gotta scream/Cause that’s how good it feels child/Let your hair down, so we can get buck wild/Do your ill dance, don’t think about the next man…”

#18

"FOOTPRINTS"

Flipping Donald Byrd’s “Think Twice” before Erykah Badu offered her own rendition on "Worldwide Underground," “Footprints” is an early example of Tip’s lyrical prowess, and a groovy standout on their debut.

#17

"LYRICS TO GO"

Q-Tip has never hidden his love for iconic singer Minne Riperton, sampling her work on a few of Tribe’s biggest hits, including this one from Midnight Mauraders. He samples “Inside My Love” on the track, which was the B-Side to “Oh My God.”

#16

"EXCURSIONS"

While Tribe wasn’t the only rap act that was incorporating jazz into their music, what they were doing was specific and unique, a vision that came to life on their second album, The Low End Theory. The album got its name because Q-Tip was leaning heavily into the bottom of his production, or the low end, bass-heavy sound that’s used on “Excursions,” the album’s opening track that signaled the direction Tribe was headed in subsequent years.

#15

"HOT SEX"

It’s not necessarily known as a Tribe standard but “Hot Sex,” featured on the 1992 hit soundtrack for "Boomerang," was an early introduction of the group to casual rap fans. It was also featured as a bonus track on The Love Movement years later, and helped set up the sound Q-Tip would play around with on his 1999 solo debut, "Amplified."

#14

"WE THE PEOPLE..."

The lead single from their final album, "We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service," was Tribe’s stamp on the politically-charged music that dominated music in 2016. The song dropped a couple of weeks after Trump was elected, and became even more appropriate, a rallying cry that cemented exactly where Tribe stands when it comes to socio-political issues, with Tip in top form over the grinding track.

#13

"I LEFT MY WALLET IN EL SEGUNDO"

Q-Tip’s off-beat storytelling is on display on this memorable entry from their debut album, which also is a wink at the classic series, Sanford & Son.

#12

"SUCKA NIGGA"

More than most Tribe tracks, “Sucka Nigga” gives a clear look into what Q-Tip’s solo run would sound like, especially on 2008’s "The Renaissance."

#11

"SPACE PROGRAM"

Released in November 2016, We Got It From Here… Thank You For Your Service, Tribe’s final album, dropped eight months after Phife’s death from complications due to diabetes. While the album featured a number of high-profile appearances (Kendrick Lamar, Anderson.Paak, Andre 3000, Elton John)it was at its brightest when Tribe kept it in-house. “Space Program” triumphantly opens the album, with the celebratory but thought-provoking sound that made Q-Tip famous. Lyrically, they’re sharper than ever: “There ain’t a space program for niggas/We stuck here nigga,” they recite on the hook, ever observant, and always on point.

#10

"FIND A WAY"

The lead single from their fifth album, 1998’s "The Love Movement" (the last album to be released during Phife’s lifetime) “Find My Way” is the culmination of everything producer J. Dilla did best — incorporating mellow, jazzy instrumentation over stark drums that hit hard. “Find A Way.” Add what was already stellar production to a catchy hook and easy, love-friendly lyrics from Tip and Phife, and you have an undisputed heavyweight in Tribe’s catalog.

"OH MY GOD" FEAT. BUSTA RHYMES

“Scenario” isn’t the only place where Busta shines on a Tribe record, as evidenced on “Oh My God,” the third single released from "Midnight Marauders." Over a sample of Kool & The Gang’s “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight,” Q-Tip offers a nice summation of who is on the track’s opening bars: “I’m a Black intellect, but unrefined…”

"1NCE AGAIN" FEAT. TAMMY LUCAS

The lead single from their fourth album, Beats, Rhymes and Life, “1nce Again” is a mellow groove and a bright spot on the album. It notably features production from J Dilla (working with the production collective The Ummah which also included Ali Shaheed and Q-Tip).

"CAN I KICK IT?"

One of the most immediately recognizable songs from their debut, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythms, “Can I Kick It” is a hallmark Tribe track that offers the best the group had to offer— a groovy Hip-Hop track with laid-back rhymes.

"AWARD TOUR"

The second the opening chords drop, it’s apparent something really cool is happening with the production and when the drums beat on, it completely makes sense that “Award Tour” was the lead single from the classic "Midnight Marauders," and was Tribe declaring their place with the people but also letting everyone know they weren’t to be toyed with. Phife declares on the second verse: “Never let a statue tell me how nice I am…” which takes on new meaning when you consider they’ve never won a Grammy.

"JAZZ (WE GOT)"

One of the main reasons Tribe is recognized as a pioneering group is because more than any other artists, they brilliantly showed the connection between jazz and Hip Hop, as was the case on the second single from The Low End Theory, “Jazz (We’ve Got).” Pete Rock provided the original sample (which is why Q-Tip shouts him out at the end), although Q-Tip re-worked it to come up with one of the group’s laid-back standouts.

"SCENARIO" FEAT. LEADERS OF THE NEW SCHOOL

Widely considered one of the greatest posse cuts of all time, “Scenario,” which was the third single from "The Low End Theory," also served as a launchpad for Busta Rhyme’s solo career.

"BONITA APPLEBUM"

Sensual and chill, “Bonita Applebum,” the second single from Tribe’s debut album, "The People’s Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm," was a sexy-cool love letter that hit at the core of what Tribe offered. It was original, sweet but not corny, and different from what everybody else was doing at the time.

"ELECTRIC RELAXATION"

A classic entry in Tribe’s discography, “Electric Relaxation” was the second single from "Midnight Mauraders," and is basically a perfect song. Phife recalled walking into his Grandma’s house, where Q-Tip was in the basement working on the beat, which samples Ronnie Foster’s “Mystic Brew,” and immediately recognizing it was something special. It’s Phife and Q-Tip at their best, trading back-and-forth verses that birthed classic one-liners like Phife’s endlessly quoted opening: “I like them brown, Puerto Rican or Haitian…”

"CHECK THE RHIME"

“Check The Rhime” isn’t just a quintessential Tribe song, it’s an essential Hip Hop song. From the slick sample of Minnie Riperton’s “Baby This Love” bass line, to the lyrics, which are chock-full of famous one-liners (“record industry rule No. 4080” chief among them), and the smooth back-and-forth between Tip and Phife, this is a classic example of the energy, charisma, and chemistry Tribe brought to music.

Sent from my iPhone

#hip hop 50 #today in hip hop history #todayinhiphophistory #hiphop #hip-hop #hip hop #hip hop music #hip hop history #hip hop culture #music #history #music history #television #rap #rapper #emcee #mc

9 notes · View notes