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)
Bonita Applebum
A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do I lust for you?
Am I a sinner because I do the two?
Can you let me know
Right now, please
Bonita Applebum?
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, I said you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, I said you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita, Bonita, Bonita
Hey, Bonita, glad to meet ya
For the cunning, stunning you, miss, I must beseech ya, mhm
Hey, being with you is a top priority
Ain't no need to question the authority, mhm
Chairman of the board, the chief of affections
You got mine's to swing in your direction
Hey, you're like a hip hop song, you know?
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, I said you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, I said you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, I said you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita, Bonita, Bonita
38-24-37 (mmm, mmm, mmm)
You and me, hun, we're a match made in Heaven
I like to kiss ya where some brothers won't
Listen, I like to tell ya things some brothers don't, mhm
If only you could see through your elaborate eyes
Only you and me, hun, the love never dies
Satisfaction, I have the right tactics
And if you need 'em, I got crazy prophylactics
So far, I hope you like rap songs
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, I said you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, I said you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, I said you gotta put me on
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
Bonita, Bonita, Bonita
(Sex, sex)
(Sex, freaks)
(Freaks, peace)
In A Tribe Called Quest's song Bonita Applebum, the lyrics suggest a man's desire for a woman named Bonita Applebum. The first stanza poses a question about the nature of the man's feelings, questioning whether he loves or lusts after her, and asking if he is a sinner for doing both. The following stanzas express the man's strong desire to be with Bonita and be put on by her. He praises her beauty and places her as his top priority. He sees himself as the "chairman of the board" and "chief of affections," wanting to be with Bonita and win her over. In the final stanza, he gives his measurements and talks about his tactics, wanting to be with Bonita and have a sexual relationship with her.
The lyrics of Bonita Applebum reflect common themes of love and desire for a woman, but the song is unique in its approach. Rather than being overly sexual or aggressive, the tone is playful and laid back. The lyrics are clever, mixing clever metaphors and wordplay with simpler phrases related to desire. The repetition of the name Bonita and the catchy melody make the song memorable and easy to sing along to. Overall, Bonita Applebum is a classic example of A Tribe Called Quest's mix of smooth beats, catchy hooks, and intelligent lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Do I love you?
Do I have genuine feelings of love for you?
Do I lust for you?
Do I have a strong desire for you?
Am I a sinner because I do the two?
Is it morally wrong to have both love and lust for you?
Can you let me know
Can you answer my questions about your feelings towards me?
Right now, please
I am eager to hear your answer immediately.
Bonita Applebum?
I am referring to you, Bonita Applebum.
Hey, Bonita, glad to meet ya
Hello, Bonita, I am happy to meet you.
For the cunning, stunning you, miss, I must beseech ya, mhm
I am requesting your attention because I find you attractive and impressive, Miss Bonita.
Hey, being with you is a top priority
Spending time with you is extremely important to me.
Ain't no need to question the authority, mhm
You can trust me and my decisions in our relationship, Bonita.
Chairman of the board, the chief of affections
I am the in-charge of our romance and loving emotions, Bonita.
You got mine's to swing in your direction
I am interested in aligning my thoughts and feelings with yours.
Hey, you're like a hip hop song, you know?
Bonita, you are as amazing as a classic hip hop song.
38-24-37 (mmm, mmm, mmm)
The numbers refer to your body measurements that I find attractive, Bonita.
You and me, hun, we're a match made in Heaven
We make an outstanding couple, honey.
I like to kiss ya where some brothers won't
I have specific desires for where to kiss you that not all men may have.
Listen, I like to tell ya things some brothers don't, mhm
I am open and honest with you, even about subjects some men may be hesitant to talk about.
If only you could see through your elaborate eyes
If only Bonita could see her own beauty and worth as I do.
Only you and me, hun, the love never dies
Our love is eternal, honey, and no one else can compete with what we share.
Satisfaction, I have the right tactics
I know how to satisfy you, Bonita, and I have the best approach for doing so.
And if you need 'em, I got crazy prophylactics
I have protection to keep us both safe during sexual activity.
So far, I hope you like rap songs
I hope our relationship is going well, and that you enjoy the same things I do.
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on
I am asking you to give me a chance in our relationship, Bonita.
(Sex, sex)
This is a repeated reference to sexual activity.
(Sex, freaks)
Another reference to sex, and possibly to unconventional sexual behavior.
(Freaks, peace)
A reference to embracing differences and living peacefully with them.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Charles Stepney, Edwin Birdsong, Kamaal Fareed, Roy Ayers, Walter Booker, William Allen, Ali Muhammad
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joey Collins
Hearing this back in 1990 must have been like hearing the future, because this still sounds fresh today, like genuinely still amazing
loluwild wydtho
Unbelievable how Tip wrote and produced this tune when he was only 15 years old! Genius!
Labas Vakaras
i think that he was 19 at the time
carl
TheGoratas Still a great record!!
No face No case
He was 18 when he recorded it but in the music video He was 19:)
Archol
This is 1990, he was 20
The#1ZeldaFan
@Social Jetlag
You'd be surprised
Forest The Luchadore
Ridiculous how smooth this beat is..
Toon Vdh
@Juana Grun lol
FelsG0D
@Juana Grun daaamn