Hip-Hop Group & Jazz-Rap Innovators; Creators of "The Low End Theory"; Grammy & Brit Award Honorees
A Tribe Called Quest Biography
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip-hop group formed in St. Albans, Queens, New York, originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip (Kamaal Ibn John Fareed), rapper Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor), DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White. Childhood friends Q-Tip and Phife Dawg brought the group together in the mid-1980s, and the quartet became a cornerstone of the Native Tongues collective, a movement that also included De La Soul, Queen Latifah, and Jungle Brothers. While many peers gravitated toward harder, more aggressive styles, A Tribe Called Quest developed a distinctive sound by blending laid-back, smooth beats with introspective messages, combining jazz, funk, and R&B with social and political consciousness.
The group's debut album, "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm," earned a five-mic rating from The Source, marking the first time the magazine awarded that distinction. Their jazz-influenced second album, "The Low End Theory," is regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums, featuring jazz musician Ron Carter on double bass and including tracks such as "Check the Rhime" and "Scenario." Their third album, "Midnight Marauders," further established their legacy, with the lead single "Award Tour" becoming their highest-charting single and the album reaching the top ten of the Billboard 200. Across their initial run, the group released five albums in eight years, with their first three recognized as hip-hop milestones. All six of their studio albums achieved gold or platinum certification by the RIAA, making them the most commercially successful act to emerge from the Native Tongues collective.
After disbanding in the late 1990s, the original members reunited and toured the United States. The Michael Rapaport-directed documentary, "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest," brought renewed attention to their story. Following the passing of founding member Phife Dawg from complications related to diabetes, the remaining members completed their sixth and final album, "We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service." The album topped the Billboard 200 and received critical acclaim, featuring guest contributions from Kendrick Lamar, André 3000, Kanye West, Elton John, and Jack White.
A Tribe Called Quest maintained a prominent public presence in their final chapter. At the Grammy Awards, the surviving members performed alongside Anderson .Paak and Busta Rhymes in a politically charged set that included "Award Tour" and "We the People." The group dedicated the performance to Phife Dawg, whose image was projected throughout the Staples Center. That year, they received the Brit Award for International Group and performed their final concert at Bestival in Dorset, England. Previous honors include the Founders Award at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards and recognition at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors.
A Tribe Called Quest's influence on hip-hop and popular music is widely acknowledged. Critics at Pitchfork have described them as one of the greatest acts in hip-hop, and their impact extends to artists such as Dr. Dre, Pharrell Williams, Lauryn Hill, Kanye West, Erykah Badu, and Talib Kweli. The group is credited with helping launch the careers of Busta Rhymes, J Dilla, and Consequence. By popularizing the fusion of hip-hop and jazz and championing conscious, community-rooted lyricism, A Tribe Called Quest expanded the boundaries of hip-hop and left a lasting mark on the genre.
A Tribe Called Quest Videos
-
How do I book A Tribe Called Quest to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like A Tribe Called Quest for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for A Tribe Called Quest, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for A Tribe Called Quest or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for A Tribe Called Quest
Speaking fees for A Tribe Called Quest, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book A Tribe Called Quest are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire A Tribe Called Quest, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does A Tribe Called Quest speak about?
A Tribe Called Quest is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Music -
Where does A Tribe Called Quest travel from?
A Tribe Called Quest generally travels from Queens, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is A Tribe Called Quest’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like A Tribe Called Quest for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book A Tribe Called Quest for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host A Tribe Called Quest or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
A Tribe Called Quest is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book A Tribe Called Quest for your event is available upon request. A Tribe Called Quest generally travels from Queens, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Nine Vicious, PartyOf2, Papoose, Jay Rock and Slim Jxmmi. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling A Tribe Called Quest for an upcoming live or virtual event.
This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.








