A Tribe Called Quest
Queens group that fused jazz and hip-hop on classics like The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders.
Who are A Tribe Called Quest?
A Tribe Called Quest is a group from Queens, New York: Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White. They were part of the Native Tongues collective.
Known for
Their run of classic albums: People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990), The Low End Theory (1991) and Midnight Marauders (1993). In 2016 they returned with We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, released after Phife Dawg's death.
Style
Laid-back jazz samples and deep basslines, with Q-Tip's smooth voice and Phife's playful, punchy verses. Positive, witty and socially aware.
Impact
Tribe showed that hip-hop could be smart, relaxed and musical at a time when gangsta rap dominated. Their jazz-rap sound shaped artists from J Dilla to Kendrick Lamar.
Influences
- Jazz (bassist Ron Carter plays on The Low End Theory)
- De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers (Native Tongues)
