If you asked a true Hip-Hop fan what their top five groups of all time were, it would be shocking if they left this group off the list. Today’s Hip-Hop throwback jam comes from two MC’s and one DJ, but not the ones you just thought of. I’m talking about Phife-Dawg, Q-Tip, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, collectively “A Tribe Called Quest“.

The Tribe joined forces all the way back in 1985 while Tip and Phife were attending high school in Queens. Tip was doing solo gigs, and sometimes used Ali Shaheed as his DJ. It didn’t take long before the three came together and started creating music history. They made five studio albums over a span of 10 years, before breaking up in 1998. Q-Tip was the only one from the group to have any solo success after they broke up, but their best work was done when together.

Their lyrics were smart, thought provoking, and cleverly funny. The production was ahead of it’s time, with samples from numerous classic Jazz artists and unmistakeable kick and snare drums guiding you through every song.

Today’s song isn’t one of their huge well-known hits, but it’s a song that “represent-represent-sents” what most of their songs sounded like and talked about. It’s from their best selling album “Midnight Marauders”, which produced possibly their best-known jam “Award Tour”. This song is the first song on the album, and every time I hear it come on I get extremely excited. Could be because I love the song, could be because I know there are about six more songs after it that make me feel the same way…

I hope you enjoy it as much as I always do!

Today’s Guest Poster, HockBoi, spends his days working on commercials in Detroit, and his nights listening to music and drinking in bars in Detroit. He’s a lover of Hip-Hop, but more importantly, any good music. To find him, email him or check his twitter @hockboi

a tribe called quest – steve biko (stir it up)

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