In 1991, the group released its jazz-influenced second album, The Low End Theory, regarded for helping shape alternative hip hop in the 1990s. In 1998, the group broke up shortly before releasing its fifth album, The Love Movement, but in 2006, the group's original members reunited and toured the United States. In 2016, the group released its sixth and final album, We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, which was still incomplete when Phife Dawg died suddenly in March 2016, and was completed by the other members after his death. A Tribe Called Quest was the most commercially successful act in the Native Tongues collective, with all six of its albums certified either gold or platinum.
John Bush of AllMusic called them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s." The Source gave the group's debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990), a perfect rating of five 'mics,' marking the first time that the magazine awarded the rating. In 2005, A Tribe Called Quest received the Founders Award at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, and two years later, the group was honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors. In 2017, the group was awarded the Brit Award for International Group.
AllMusic critic John Bush called A Tribe Called Quest "without question the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s", further stating that the group "jump-started and perfected the hip-hop alternative to hardcore and gangsta rap." At a time when James Brown drum breaks and P-Funk basslines dominated hip hop production, the group successfully bridged the gap between jazz and hip hop, incorporating bebop and hard bop samples and recording with double bassist Ron Carter. The group's production influenced their contemporaries, thus changing the sound of hip hop; Dr. Dre produced his highly regarded debut The Chronic after being inspired by The Low End Theory, and Pete Rock stated, "There were times when I would walk into a record store and see Tip sitting on the floor with his glasses on, going through albums, looking for beats ... I was like, 'This guy is serious.' Being around [the group] made me step up and become even more serious than I was".
Lyrically, A Tribe Called Quest has been regarded for addressing many social issues through Q-Tip's philosophical viewpoints and Phife Dawg's everyman perspectives. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm influenced several hip hop artists; Scarface asserted that it "really made me want to rap", and Pharrell Williams expressed that it was "the turning point [which] made me see that music was art." Kierna Mayo, former editor-in-chief of Ebony, said that The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders "gave birth to neo-everything. ... That entire class of D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Maxwell, and Lauryn Hill—and moving on to André 3000, Kanye West, and Talib Kweli—everything that is left of everything begins with Tribe." The group has also been credited for helping launch the solo careers of Busta Rhymes, J Dilla and Consequence.
The group was the subject of the acclaimed 2011 documentary film Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, directed by Michael Rapaport.
Studio albums
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990)
The Low End Theory (1991)
Midnight Marauders (1993)
Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996)
The Love Movement (1998)
We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service (2016)
Against the World
A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right back at you
Drove around the block, drove a lot
Lookin' all around, don't see no cops
Whispered in your ear, a ghetto star
Sittin' on my lap inside of my car
Lookin' at my lips, take a taste
Run your fingers on the logo of my baseball hat
Moonlight dancin' inside of your eyes
Close your legs, I start to sigh
Now I reach down to unlace my Nikes
Kick off your Adidas cause that's what you like
Chris Tucker joke passed inside of my head
Put the thought away think of you instead
Hot outside, it's hot in here
Roll down the window the breeze in your hair
Your earrings shake, you a baby doll
You say you want me but did you want them all??
Make me feel special, I know that you can
Make me feel special like a prominent man
Prominent, dominant McCoy and I'm real
Another brotha's fan? Forget how he feel
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
Yeah the world, whole wide world
Dame un beso, s'il vous plait
Or can you hold my hand, it's better that way
If we was on video I'd press rewind
A nigga think about you all the time
Pidgeon dropped a note on top my head
RnB, pop, girl's a thoroughbred
Run around the track, let me slow you down
Pick you up
Raise your cup, let love erupt
Vol-ca-no, natural disaster
Fall in love with me? huh, well that's that ass
Wanna get you, inside my world
Process, straight, afro or curl
Stretch me out, phase me in
Forever you in need let me see you grin?
He fucked you, I'm a tap his chin
Make me feel special, I know that you can
Make me feel special like a prominent man
Prominent, dominant McCoy and I'm real
Another brotha's fan? forget he feel
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
Yeah the world, whole wide world
The lyrics to A Tribe Called Quest's "Against The World" tell the story of two people who are against the world and are united in their love for each other. The first verse describes a car ride where the two lovers are intimately connected, with the singer imagining their future together. The second verse starts with a request for a kiss and progresses to the singer expressing his deep love for the girl and his willingness to protect her against any threat.
The chorus is a declaration of the couple's resolve to face the world together against all odds. It reinforces the idea that they are stronger together and can withstand any challenge that the world might throw their way. The lyrics are infused with a sense of rebellion and defiance, with the couple willing to go against the norms and expectations of society for the sake of their love.
Overall, the song is a reflection of the power of love to unite people and give them the strength to face any challenge.
Line by Line Meaning
Back at you
In response to something, I am returning the same thing to you.
Drove around the block, drove a lot
I went for a drive around the block multiple times.
Lookin' all around, don't see no cops
I was looking around, but I didn't see any police officers.
Whispered in your ear, a ghetto star
I whispered to you that I am a star in the ghetto.
Sittin' on my lap inside of my car
You are sitting on my lap while we are inside my car.
Lookin' at my lips, take a taste
You are looking at my lips and then you take a taste.
Taste yours too, rub your back
You taste your own lips and then I rub your back.
Run your fingers on the logo of my baseball hat
You run your fingers on the logo of my baseball hat.
Moonlight dancin' inside of your eyes
The moonlight is reflecting inside of your eyes.
Close your legs, I start to sigh
When you close your legs, I begin to sigh.
Now I reach down to unlace my Nikes
I am going to unlace my Nikes now.
Kick off your Adidas cause that's what you like
You want me to kick off my Adidas because that's what you prefer.
Chris Tucker joke passed inside of my head
I thought of a joke Chris Tucker made.
Put the thought away think of you instead
I decided to forget about the joke and focus on you instead.
Hot outside, it's hot in here
It is hot outside and it is also hot inside the car.
Roll down the window the breeze in your hair
I roll down the window so that the breeze can blow through your hair.
Your earrings shake, you a baby doll
Your earrings shake and you look like a baby doll.
You say you want me but did you want them all??
You claim that you want me, but have you wanted other people too?
Make me feel special, I know that you can
I want you to make me feel special, and I believe that you have the ability to do so.
Make me feel special like a prominent man
I want to feel special like an important man.
Prominent, dominant McCoy and I'm real
I am a real and dominant person named McCoy who deserves to be recognized.
Another brotha's fan? Forget how he feel
Are you a fan of another guy? Don't worry about how he feels.
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
You and I will face the world together, even if it is against us. And we won't back down.
Yeah the world, whole wide world
I am referring to the entire world as we know it.
Dame un beso, s'il vous plait
Please give me a kiss in Spanish and French.
Or can you hold my hand, it's better that way
If you don't want to kiss me, then holding my hand would be just as good.
If we was on video I'd press rewind
If we were being recorded I would want to watch the moment again.
A nigga think about you all the time
I think about you all the time.
Pidgeon dropped a note on top my head
A pigeon dropped a note on my head.
RnB, pop, girl's a thoroughbred
You are a thoroughbred girl who enjoys both RnB and pop music.
Run around the track, let me slow you down
You are running around the track and I want to slow you down.
Pick you up
Raise your cup, let love erupt
I will pick you up and then we can celebrate our love together and let it flourish.
Vol-ca-no, natural disaster
Our love is like a volcano, a natural disaster that is bound to erupt.
Fall in love with me? huh, well that's that ass
If you fall in love with me, then that's it- you are mine.
Wanna get you, inside my world
I want to have you in my life, and bring you into my world.
Process, straight, afro or curl
No matter what kind of hair you have, I'm interested in you.
Stretch me out, phase me in
I want to completely open up to you and let you into my life.
Forever you in need let me see you grin?
I want to see you smile and be happy with me forever.
He fucked you, I'm a tap his chin
If someone else had relations with you, I will confront him.
Make me feel special, I know that you can
I want you to make me feel special, and I believe that you have the ability to do so.
Prominent, dominant McCoy and I'm real
I am a real and dominant person named McCoy who deserves to be recognized.
Another brotha's fan? Forget he feel
Are you a fan of another guy? Don't worry about how he feels.
Me and you girl go against the world
Against the world?
Hell yeah the world
You and I will face the world together, even if it is against us. And we won't back down.
Yeah the world, whole wide world
I am referring to the entire world as we know it.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COFFEY, FAREED, MOHAMMED, SIMON, SMITH, TAYLOR, YANCEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tate Buitrago
on Electric Relaxation
another of my dads