A Tribe Called Quest

New York natives from Queens, Q-Tip , Phife Dawg , and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of Brooklyn, formed A Tribe Called Quest in 1985. The group is one of hip-hop’s most legendary, beloved and revered of all time. Easily recognized for their unique approach to rap music by employing jazz-infused soundscapes to Afrocentric rhymes, ATCQ was largely responsible for the popularity of a new genre that dominated the East Coast sound of the early 1990s. The group was selected as inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2024.

Sonically, ATCQ was a decisive and welcomed tangent of jazz, bass-heavy rhythmic vibes and eclectic sampling when compared to the mundane recycling of soul loops, breaks and vocals of their contemporaries.

Lyrically, emcees Q-Tip and Phife Dawg addressed social issues relevant to young blacks such as use of the n word and its relevance, date rape and other interpersonal relationships, industry politics and consumerism with infectious energy and fun and having a good time while still promoting positivity. ATCQ composed a number of successful singles and albums with their creative approach to rap music.

In 1990, the group released Peoples Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. Their sophomore effort, The Low End Theory is considered one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history and was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry. Susequent albums include Midnight Marauders, Beats, Rhymes and Life, The Love Movement, and We Got it From Here - Thank You 4 Your Service, which was incomplete at the time of the death of Phife Dawg but released after the surviving members of the group continued to work on it.

Today, the power of their music is still evident in the numerous hip hop and R&B artists they influenced.