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)
Steppin' It Up (ft. Busta Rhym
A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And mastered the real way you slap the bitchest niggas backwards
Hah! Uh-oh, aiyyo, whenever Busta Rhymes say so (mmmhmm)
When we move yes (mmmhmm) sometimes we lay low (mmmhmm) aiyyo (yo)
Big up my little nigga Pedro
Make you after the L like turkey, cheese and to-ma-to (to)
Fuck is that? Especially for niggas that will pay no
Attention to instructions, like they still wan' disobey y'all
But then I could grow about five feet more with an extra dick!
One dick to hold in my hand when I'm rockin the mic
The extra dick to blow up the pussy for the rest of the night
Then I return with more lyrics like a bunch of rough niggas
They tough niggas that snuff niggas (hah)
I know the club got enough niggas (huh!)
To slap your face, expert, who the next jerk, to make me
Exert heat? FUKKIT, let me network!
Ha-hah!
Yo Reggie Noble
Feel me, yo Busta Bus
What up?
Yo Phife Dawg, yo it's time to step up
Yo what the fuck, ungh!
Check it here, peep the four-man transaction (action)
Phife diggy Dawg, we on some Todd Shaw mackin (mackin)
You know my stee', there's no time for relaxin (relaxin)
Word to Reggie (Phife Dawg) yo it's time for some action
Girl swing yo' ass, I can feel you climaxin (climaxin)
Don't even front, you know you wanna make it happen (make it happen!)
Yo Busta Bus, do you hear Violator faxin? (mad faxin)
Eighty G's for one show (eighty G's yo) that's satisfaction (satisfaction)
Now which emcee feel like he fuckin with dis heah? (This here)
Word to Queens, I keep shit hot like a canish, yeah (Nish yeah!)
Malik is back, I'm here to make you look foolish (foolish)
My roughest niggas in the Apple (Apple) on Coolidge (Coolidge)
Remember White Shadow? My click stay sharper than an arrow (c'mon)
Plus in Trinidad I'm treated like the Mighty Sparrow (uh-huh)
Freestylin son, like there was no tommorrow (fuck it up nigga fuck it up)
Hence the reason why your bitch ass would love to follow (what?)
Two different toasters in your chest will make your shit hollow
How's about them apples, oh is it too hard to swallow?
Push your wig back, word to Big Moot and Bolo
Billy Razor, Fudge Lover, on down to Shine Lightro (Love Movement)
Yo Bootsy takes this mic from this fool see, make him run it
Five-foot invasion son, you can't run from it
Yo Reggie Noble
Blaoowww, yo Phife diggy!
What up?
Yo yo Kamal it's your time to step up!
Check it out, the original, shit, we makin it
Takin it, to the extremes, we breakin it
When we get, inside a zone then you feel that it's good
All you jelly cats stop marinatin my wood
Niggazm grab the mic with loads of malarky
I bring the knowledge and wield the anarchy
Put it on pooh-butts who's unsettled with ignorance
Give the last sentence with poignance and diligence
Eighteen wheelin through niggas like truckers
Breakin ankles, put it on like we at the ruckus
Guaranteein that shorty can move it around
In the place that gets you hot but leaves you here on the ground
Contenders don't you even think to challenge the crown
Of these brothers who so elequently hold the beat down
Fuck the rigamarole, we vyin for the control
We the musical equation of the whole entire nation
Yo Phife Dawg
Yes Kamaal
Busta Bus
What up?
Yo Reggie Noble yo it's time to step up
Yo yo
I'm just a ill nigga who don't got it all up stairs
Riding dick, get the balls til they come in pairs
Oh yeah, throw the goggles on these engineers
Cause it might, get kinda wet when I spit this here
Yo, I'm six-foot-one with a big ass gun
To carry it you'd need a waistline the size of Big Pun
But I move crowds without a gun
Like if -- The New York State Lottery is ninety nine million!
Hah-hah, yo, when it's time to flow I suprise and blow
Five hundred thousand units off a dime a trow
Forty below, I'm thorough when it's time to throw
The caboose, I'm even hard to be touched by a masousse
Whoo-whoo! Funk Doc gets the money
And best believe I went through more trees than Sonny
Me, Kamal, Busta Bus, Phife Dawg
Shittin, pussy niggas get Lysol!
Heh heh heh
The first verse of A Tribe Called Quest's "Steppin' It Up" features guest Busta Rhymes boasting about his lyrical prowess and dominance over other rappers. Busta is known for his fast-paced, intricate rhyming style, and he showcases it here with lines like "I know the club got enough niggas/To slap your face, expert, who the next jerk, to make me/Exert heat?", boasting that he could take on any challenger. He also makes some raunchy, tongue-in-cheek references to sex with lines like "One dick to hold in my hand when I'm rockin the mic/The extra dick to blow up the pussy for the rest of the night." The second verse features the members of A Tribe Called Quest taking turns to flex their lyrical muscles, with each member rapping a few bars about their skills and their place in the hip-hop pantheon.
The song's title, "Steppin' It Up," suggests that the rappers are leveling up their game, perhaps in response to some perceived challenge. The overall mood of the song is one of braggadocio and confidence, with the rappers asserting their skills and daring anyone to challenge them. The lyrics are full of clever wordplay and references to hip-hop culture, and they showcase the distinct styles and personalities of the rappers involved.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I plas-ter, the little bas-tard
I skillfully put down and dominate weakling rappers
And mastered the real way you slap the bitchest niggas backwards
I am an expert at taking down even the most arrogant rappers
Hah! Uh-oh, aiyyo, whenever Busta Rhymes say so (mmmhmm)
Busta Rhymes is about to take over and do his thing
When we move yes (mmmhmm) sometimes we lay low (mmmhmm) aiyyo (yo)
We can move aggressively or play it cool depending on the situation
Big up my little nigga Pedro
Shoutout to my friend Pedro
Make you after the L like turkey, cheese and to-ma-to (to)
Defeat you so easily it's like making a sandwich
Fuck is that? Especially for niggas that will pay no
What kind of nonsense is that? Particularly directed at those who don't listen
Attention to instructions, like they still wan' disobey y'all
They don't listen to advice and still want to go against the group
Wonder twin powers activate real quick
We're powerful like the Wonder Twins and activate our skills quickly
But then I could grow about five feet more with an extra dick!
I'm so confident and powerful that I could even grow an extra appendage
One dick to hold in my hand when I'm rockin the mic
One extra appendage to control the mic while performing
The extra dick to blow up the pussy for the rest of the night
Another appendage for sexual activity after the show
Then I return with more lyrics like a bunch of rough niggas
I come back strong with more lyrics like a group of tough men
They tough niggas that snuff niggas (hah)
They're tough guys who can take down weaker people
I know the club got enough niggas (huh!)
The club has plenty of people to handle any situation
To slap your face, expert, who the next jerk, to make me
We can handle any challenge and defeat any fool
Exert heat? FUKKIT, let me network!
No need to be violent when we can just network and use our skills
Phife diggy Dawg, we on some Todd Shaw mackin (mackin)
We're on some Too $hort-style flirting and seducing
You know my stee', there's no time for relaxin (relaxin)
I move with a sense of urgency and don't have time to chill
Word to Reggie (Phife Dawg) yo it's time for some action
Let's get moving and take action
Girl swing yo' ass, I can feel you climaxin (climaxin)
Let's get the party going and make you dance and enjoy yourself
Don't even front, you know you wanna make it happen (make it happen!)
Don't pretend like you don't want to join in the fun
Eighty G's for one show (eighty G's yo) that's satisfaction (satisfaction)
We're making a lot of money and that's satisfying
Now which emcee feel like he fuckin with dis heah? (This here)
Who thinks they can compete with us? Not many
Word to Queens, I keep shit hot like a canish, yeah (Nish yeah!)
Shoutout to Queens, where I keep things fiery like a canish (spicy sausage)
My roughest niggas in the Apple (Apple) on Coolidge (Coolidge)
My toughest guys in New York City are on Coolidge
Remember White Shadow? My click stay sharper than an arrow (c'mon)
Remember the basketball coach from White Shadow? We're even sharper than him
Plus in Trinidad I'm treated like the Mighty Sparrow (uh-huh)
In Trinidad, I'm respected like the legendary calypso singer, Mighty Sparrow
Freestylin son, like there was no tommorrow (fuck it up nigga fuck it up)
Rapping off the top of my head like there's no tomorrow
Hence the reason why your bitch ass would love to follow (what?)
That's why you want to follow me and be like me
Two different toasters in your chest will make your shit hollow
Getting shot with guns will leave your chest damaged and empty
How's about them apples, oh is it too hard to swallow?
How do you like that? Is that too difficult to accept?
Push your wig back, word to Big Moot and Bolo
We're going to knock you out and take you down
Shittin, pussy niggas get Lysol!
We dominate and take down weak rappers easily
Yo yo Kamal it's your time to step up!
Kamal, it's your turn to take action
Check it out, the original, shit, we makin it
We're the original and we're making our mark in the industry
Takin it, to the extremes, we breakin it
Pushing to the limits and breaking barriers
When we get, inside a zone then you feel that it's good
When we get into our zone, we're unstoppable and it feels good
All you jelly cats stop marinatin my wood
Stop worrying about what I'm doing and focus on yourselves
Niggazm grab the mic with loads of malarky
Other rappers just talk nonsense when they grab the mic
I bring the knowledge and wield the anarchy
I bring wisdom and control the chaos
Put it on pooh-butts who's unsettled with ignorance
I challenge those who are ignorant and insecure
Give the last sentence with poignance and diligence
End each verse with impactful and thoughtful words
Eighteen wheelin through niggas like truckers
We're powerful and unstoppable like truck drivers on the highway
Breakin ankles, put it on like we at the ruckus
We're leaving our mark and dominating like we're in a fight
Guaranteein that shorty can move it around
Promise that the ladies will dance and have a good time
In the place that gets you hot but leaves you here on the ground
In the club where things get heated but people end up on the ground
Contenders don't you even think to challenge the crown
Other rappers shouldn't even try to compete with us
Of these brothers who so elequently hold the beat down
We skillfully control and dominate the music
Fuck the rigamarole, we vyin for the control
We're not interested in the nonsense, we're focused on being in control
We the musical equation of the whole entire nation
We represent and embody the music of an entire nation
I move crowds without a gun
I can control and influence a large audience without violence
Like if -- The New York State Lottery is ninety nine million!
I have the power to captivate and excite a crowd with my words
When it's time to flow I suprise and blow
When it's time to rap, I surprise and impress
Five hundred thousand units off a dime a trow
Sell lots of records at a low price
Forty below, I'm thorough when it's time to throw
Even in the coldest conditions, I'm still skilled at rapping
The caboose, I'm even hard to be touched by a masousse
I'm so good and powerful that even a massage can't slow me down
Funk Doc gets the money
I make a lot of money because of my skills and popularity
And best believe I went through more trees than Sonny
I've smoked more weed than the legendary musician, Sonny Rollins
Me, Kamal, Busta Bus, Phife Dawg
We're a powerful and talented group of rappers
Heh heh heh
Just a simple expression of laughter
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, DELLA MUSIC PUBLISHING, LLC
Written by: HAL GALPER, JAMES DEWITT YANCEY, KAMAAL IBN JOHN FAREED, ALI SHAHEED JONES-MUHAMMAD, MALIK IZAAK TAYLOR, REGGIE NOBLE, TREVOR SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AJO87
Redman shines on this, fits this beat perfectly!
@definitelynottigerwhitten5865
Ye but phifeee
@matthewporter8672
No doubt. Reds always underrated I feel. Great example of what he's about. I love the "went through more trees than Sonny" line! Absolutely hilarious. Fife kills it too!
@ichris2011
One of phife’s nastiest verses
@randomness4588
1998 forever 💯 this album will b played in the 2030’s to remind the kids who the real ones was
@1trl2
Still knock 23 years later, everybody was 1 upping each other. Rest peacefully Phife Diggy Dawg!🙏🕊
@Power-9Hunnid
Happy 49th Birthday to Busta Rhymes 2021!!!!!
@sidework1
Busta + Dilla = The perfect marriage
@Erandros
thank you dan for this gem
@jonduflee8920
So dope 💪💯 redman is the 🐐