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 Hillโand moving on to Andrรฉ 3000, Kanye West, and Talib Kweliโeverything 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)
Keeping It Moving
A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It seems that some don't understand what I'm talking about
How you get west coast nigga, from west coast hater?
I could never dis a whole coast, my time is too greater(true)
Yeah, we from the east, the land of originators
You also from the west, the land of innovators
The only difference of the two is the style of the rap
Plus the musical track, this beef shit is so wack
Let me let y'all brothers know I ain't no west coast disser
Another thing I'm not is a damn ass kisser
So listen to my words as I set things straight
I ain't got no beef, so don't come in my face
Keep it moving, yeah to the k.i.m.
Keep it moving, yeah yeah to the k.i.m.
I ain't got no time for schuckin and jivin
Keep it moving, keep it moving, yeah yeah to the k.i.m.
Keep it moving, yeah yeah to the k.i.m.
I ain't got no time for schuckin and jivin
Hip hop, a way of life
It doesn't tell you how to raise a child or treat a wife
I verbalize over, rhyme friendly
That puts a listener in a frenzy, so pop me in your benzi
You dig it? get wit it or get your melon splitted
If you ever try to combat, sir walter moves the king
We got the illy team that doesn't even sweat the gleam
Or glamor, we'll figure 4 your ass like Greg the hammer
Man, we rocking joints like the who or Santana
Keep jams packed and hotter than Havana
Positivity is the key in the lock
Put your hand on it, turn it to the right, ak
We doing daredevil dandies on these mics
Peace out to the whole hiero who's puffin on the hydro
Yeah dun, we moving how we like
Since the days of rocking hi-los, we keeping things on pyro, fire
As we move with zeal and desire
Now, the hip hop plan, hope you compiler
Son, we having tunnel vision but my sight is real real broad
Cause I can't afford to miss that call
Making moves, not movies, as get on the ball
And we keeping things covered like a female shawl
When I watch hockey, yo, I just look for the brawl
Quest, quest and you know we signin out y'all
Keep it moving, yeah to the k.i.m.
Keep it moving, yeah yeah to the k.i.m.
I ain't got no time for schuckin and jivin
Keep it moving, keep it moving, yeah yeah to the k.i.m.
Keep it moving, yeah yeah to the k.i.m.
I ain't got no time for schuckin and jivin
The pharcyde, you know we do it up, uh, you know we do it up, uh
The hiero, you know we do it up, yeah yeah, you know we do it up
Yeah, to the Mobb Deep, the infamous, we do it up, yeah yeah
You know we do it up
To my peoples know naim, yeah, you know we do it up, uh uh
You know we do it up
To my man DJ Quik, uh, you know we do it up, uh uh, a do, a do it up
To my man biz mark, yeah yeah, you know we do it up, uh uh
You know we do it up
To my man ike love love, you know we do it up, yeah yeah
You know we do it up
And my man extra p, p, you know we do it up, uh uh uh-uh, uh, uh up
I can't forget Dr. Dre, uh, you know we do it up
Mc eight, uh, you know we do it up
Shelly Mae, uh, you know we do it up
Muhammad, uh, you know we do it up
In "Keeping It Moving," A Tribe Called Quest emphasizes the importance of focusing on the positive and keeping one's sights on the bigger picture. The lyrics begin by acknowledging how some people do not understand the group's message on the West Coast, suggesting that there are some who confuse "west coast nigga" with "west coast hater." However, the singer notes that he could never disapprove of an entire coast based on his preferences in music. The only difference between the East Coast, where he's from, and the West Coast is the style of rap and music. He goes on to address how beef in the hip hop community is unnecessary and "wack." The singer then shifts his focus to his own skills, describing his rhymes as "verbaliz[ing] over, rhyme friendly/That puts a listener in a frenzy." He warns listeners that if they try to "combat," they'll lose. The song ends with a message of positivity and love for his contemporaries in the hip hop community. The track's final message is to continue "keeping it moving."
Line by Line Meaning
Something for your earhole, so you can clean them shits out
I'm bringing something new to the table, so listen up and pay attention.
It seems that some don't understand what I'm talking about
People may not get the point of what I'm saying.
How you get west coast nigga, from west coast hater?
How can someone go from disliking the west coast to wanting to be like them?
I could never dis a whole coast, my time is too greater(true)
I would never insult an entire region, my time is too valuable for that.
Yeah, we from the east, the land of originators
We represent the east coast, where hip hop first originated.
You also from the west, the land of innovators
You come from the west coast, known for its innovation in hip hop.
The only difference of the two is the style of the rap
The only thing that sets the coasts apart is the style of their music.
Plus the musical track, this beef shit is so wack
What really matters in hip hop is the music, not feuds between artists.
Let me let y'all brothers know I ain't no west coast disser
I want to make it clear that I have no ill feelings towards the west coast.
Another thing I'm not is a damn ass kisser
I'm not going to blindly praise anyone or anything.
So listen to my words as I set things straight
Pay attention to what I'm saying, because I'm clearing things up.
I ain't got no beef, so don't come in my face
I don't have any problems, so don't confront me about anything.
Hip hop, a way of life
Hip hop is more than just music, it's a lifestyle.
It doesn't tell you how to raise a child or treat a wife
Hip hop doesn't dictate how you should behave in your personal life.
I verbalize over, rhyme friendly
I rap in a way that's easy to understand and enjoy.
That puts a listener in a frenzy, so pop me in your benzi
My music gets people hyped up, so play it in your car.
You dig it? get wit it or get your melon splitted
Do you understand? Either join in or be left behind.
If you ever try to combat, sir walter moves the king
If anyone tries to start something, I'm ready to fight back and defend myself.
We got the illy team that doesn't even sweat the gleam
We have a great team that doesn't care about fame or fortune.
Or glamor, we'll figure 4 your ass like Greg the hammer
We're not about the glitz and glamour, but we'll still take you down like a wrestler.
Man, we rocking joints like the who or Santana
We make music that's just as legendary as bands like The Who or Santana.
Keep jams packed and hotter than Havana
Our music is always filled with energy and heat.
Positivity is the key in the lock
Being positive is important in life and in hip hop.
Put your hand on it, turn it to the right, ak
Try being positive and see how it changes things.
We doing daredevil dandies on these mics
We're taking risks and putting on a show when we perform.
Peace out to the whole hiero who's puffin on the hydro
Shoutout to our friends in Hieroglyphics who are smoking weed.
Yeah dun, we moving how we like
We do what we want and don't care what others say.
Since the days of rocking hi-los, we keeping things on pyro, fire
We've been making great music since the early days of hip hop and we're still hot as ever.
As we move with zeal and desire
We keep pushing forward with passion and determination.
Now, the hip hop plan, hope you compiler
Here's our plan for hip hop, I hope you understand it.
Son, we having tunnel vision but my sight is real real broad
We're focused on our goals, but we're also aware of the bigger picture.
Cause I can't afford to miss that call
I don't want to miss out on any opportunities.
Making moves, not movies, as get on the ball
We're trying to make things happen, rather than just talk about them.
And we keeping things covered like a female shawl
We're keeping things under wraps and not revealing everything.
When I watch hockey, yo, I just look for the brawl
I'm not really into hockey, but I like the fights in the game.
Quest, quest and you know we signin out y'all
We're signing off, but you know we'll be back.
The pharcyde, you know we do it up, uh, you know we do it up, uh
We're giving shoutouts to The Pharcyde and letting people know we respect them.
The hiero, you know we do it up, yeah yeah, you know we do it up
We're showing love and respect to Hieroglyphics and what they do for hip hop.
To the Mobb Deep, the infamous, we do it up, yeah yeah
We're giving respect to Mobb Deep and their contributions to hip hop.
To my peoples know naim, yeah, you know we do it up, uh uh
We're shouting out our friend Naim and showing him love.
To my man DJ Quik, uh, you know we do it up, uh uh, a do, a do it up
We're giving respect to DJ Quik and his work in hip hop.
To my man biz mark, yeah yeah, you know we do it up, uh uh
We're showing love to Biz Markie and his contributions to the genre.
To my man ike love love, you know we do it up, yeah yeah
We're giving respect to Ike Love and showing love to him.
And my man extra p, p, you know we do it up, uh uh uh-uh, uh, uh up
We're showing love and respect to Extra P and his work in hip hop.
I can't forget Dr. Dre, uh, you know we do it up
We're showing respect to Dr. Dre and his contributions to hip hop.
Mc eight, uh, you know we do it up
We're showing love to MC Eiht and his work in hip hop.
Shelly Mae, uh, you know we do it up
We're giving a shoutout to Shelly Mae and showing her some love.
Muhammad, uh, you know we do it up
We're showing respect to Muhammad and his contributions to hip hop.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALI SHAHEED JONES-MUHAMMAD, DEXTER RAYMOND JR. MILLS, JAMES DEWITT YANCEY, KAMAAL IBN JOHN FAREED, MALIK IZAAK TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@acesoul1689
ATCQ Forever Phife rest in beats your music will always lives on forever my brotha word up
@alsonluhlanga3563
From southern Africa Swaziland.. I agree with you FULLY ON THAT.. ๐๐๐๐๐น๐น
@theFRACTALREIGN
Q-Tip X DiLLA COLLAB AT ITS FINEST
๐'s ๐ฏ
r.i.p.
DiLLA
PHIFE
@allaboutbuckets
This funky beat gonna be in my head for a bit
@nerstylist6941
tribe always wiser than their years and ahead of their time
@DaRealBigRif
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n2PqGp6c6g.... #FACTS....
@TheStreetFoolosopher-dn9rf
Naw Q Tip started it by talking reckless on them mixtapes
@HugeDike
so there they go one of gods very own prototypes. a mutant never meant for mass production. to rare to live to funky to die. a true gem that transcends humanity in ways that those who hear it for the first time today will never understand. long live atcq
@Smegma_pirate
The illest album ever rip diggy
@aidanfox9505
The Westcoast Connection diss.