A Tribe Called Quest

Biography

A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985. The original members were rapper and main producer Q-Tip (Kamaal Fareed), rapper Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor), DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg were childhood friends, and they met Muhammad in high school. The group's name was coined by their high school friends, the Jungle Brothers, with whom they, along with De La Soul, formed the collective known as the Native Tongues. This collective was known for its positive, Afrocentric lyrics and eclectic sampling.

Musical Career

A Tribe Called Quest signed with Jive Records in 1989 and released their debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, in 1990. The album was a critical success, earning the first-ever five-mic rating from The Source magazine, and featured standout tracks like "Bonita Applebum" and "Can I Kick It?". Jarobi White left the group after this album to pursue a career in culinary arts.

Their second album, The Low End Theory (1991), is widely regarded as a classic and a landmark album in hip-hop for its fusion of hip-hop with jazz. This album saw increased lyrical interplay between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Their third album, Midnight Marauders (1993), was also a commercial and critical success, featuring a more prominent funk influence. It was released on the same day as the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

The group's sound began to evolve with their fourth album, Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996), which had a darker tone and featured production from The Ummah, a production collective that included Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and the late J Dilla. Their fifth album, The Love Movement (1998), was centered on the theme of love and was announced as their final album before their breakup.

Breakup and Reunions

The group disbanded in 1998, citing creative differences and frustration with their record label, Jive. The members pursued solo projects. However, they reunited in 2006 for a tour and continued to perform sporadically over the next several years. The tensions within the group during this period were chronicled in the 2011 documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, directed by Michael Rapaport.

Final Album and Legacy

In 2015, the group secretly began working on a new album. Tragically, Phife Dawg passed away on March 22, 2016, from complications related to diabetes. The remaining members completed the album, We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, which was released in November 2016 to widespread critical acclaim. The album featured guest appearances from artists like André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, and Elton John. A Tribe Called Quest is regarded as a pioneer of alternative and jazz rap, influencing a vast number of artists across hip hop and R&B. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.