A Tribe Called Quest

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<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background-color: #f9f9f9;">Image:Sq-tribe-bw-boardwalk-press-jiv.jpg
</td></tr><tr><th>Origin</th><td>New York City, USA</td></tr><tr><th>Years active</th><td>1988 – 1998, 2006 – present</td></tr><tr><th>Genres</th><td>Hip-Hop, Alternative Rap</td></tr><tr><th>Labels</th><td>Jive Records</td></tr><tr><th>Members</th><td> Kamaal Fareed (Q-Tip)
Malik Taylor (Phife Dawg)
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Jarobi White</td></tr>

A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip-hop group of the 1990s, formed in 1988. The group is composed of rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but occasionally tours with the group. They released five albums during their ten-year career, three of which were very highly acclaimed, and disbanded in 1998. In 2006, the group reunited and toured the US.

1 Biography
2 Music samples
3 Discography
- 3.1 Albums
- 3.2 Compilations
4 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] 1988 - 1990: People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

Q-Tip and Phife had grown up together in Queens, and met Muhammad in high school. The group's name was coined in 1988 by The Jungle Brothers, whose members had attended the same school. Soon after, the group began performing live and recording on a local label. The group became a part of the Native Tongues family, a Hip-Hop artist collective famous for the socially-conscious and positive messages it delivered in its music, and whose membership included Tribe collaborators including the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul and the Leaders of the New School.

At the time of their inception, A Tribe Called Quest was unusual within the hip hop community for eschewing gangsta rap and macho posturing. They made their studio debut in 1990 with People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. This album was critically acclaimed and led to a strong fan following, especially following the release of their highly successful third single "Can I Kick It?".

[edit] 1991 - 1993: The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders

The group's sophomore album, The Low End Theory (1991) was a massive artistic success, appearing on several best of the year lists. Their lyrics focused on abstract and social issues such as the word "nigger", date rape and consumerism. Musically, the group helped pioneer the jazz rap style (along with groups such as Gang Starr and De La Soul). It is considered one of the most important hip-hop albums to date.^{[citation needed]} The Low End Theory was followed by another commercial success, Midnight Marauders (1993), which also gained positive reviews.

[edit] 1996 - 1998: Beats, Rhymes and Life and The Love Movement

Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996) and The Love Movement (1998), the group's final two albums, featured production by The Ummah and were less well-received than their predecessors. Following The Love Movement, the group disbanded. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg went on to pursue solo careers, while Muhammad founded the R&B group Lucy Pearl.

[edit] 2006: Reunion

In 2006, the group has reunited and performed at a few concerts around the U.S. A Tribe Called Quest was a co-headliner at the 2006 Bumbershoot festival in Seattle, but have not announced any plans to release a new album. The group is also appearing in 2K Sports' Bounce Tour promoting the NBA 2K7 game and remix of their song, "Lyrics to Go", which is on the game.

[edit] Music samples

What? (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Short sample of What?, from Low End Theory
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Jazz (We've Got) (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- A short sample of Jazz (We've Got), from Low End Theory
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Image:Atcq4.jpg

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Album cover	Album information
	People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm Released: April 17, 1990 Billboard 200 chart position: #91 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #23 Singles: "Bonita Applebum", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Can I Kick It?" RIAA Certification: Gold
	The Low End Theory Released: September 24, 1991 Billboard 200 chart position: #45 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #13 Singles: "Check the Rhime", "Jazz (We've Got)", "Scenario" RIAA Certification: Platinum
	Midnight Marauders Released: November 9, 1993 Billboard 200 chart position: #8 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1 Singles: "Award Tour", "Electric Relaxation", "Oh My God" RIAA Certification: Platinum
Image:Beats-Rhymes-and-Life-Cover.jpg	Beats, Rhymes and Life Released: July 30, 1996 Billboard 200 chart position: #1 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1 Singles: "Stressed Out", "1nce Again" RIAA Certification: Platinum
Image:The-Love-Movement-Cover.jpg	The Love Movement Released: September 29, 1998 Billboard 200 chart position: #3 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #3 Singles: "Find a Way" RIAA Certification: Gold

[edit] Compilations

Album cover	Album information
Image:ATCQtheanthology.jpg	The Anthology Released: October 26, 1999 Billboard 200 chart position: #81 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #28 Singles: "Award Tour" RIAA Certification:
Image:HitsRaritiesRemixesAlbum atcq.jpg	Hits, Rarities, and Remixes Released: June 17, 2003 Billboard 200 chart position: #190 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #51 Singles: "Check the Rhime" RIAA Certification:

[edit] External links

A Tribe Called Quest

Members: Q-Tip | Phife Dawg | Ali Shaheed Muhammad | Jarobi White

Albums: People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm | The Low End Theory | Midnight Marauders | Beats, Rhymes and Life | The Love Movement

Compilations: The Anthology | Hits, Rarities, and Remixes