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)
The Chase Part II
A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
Dem cyan't touch we, no, dem cyan't touch we
Dem cyan't hold we, no, dem cyan't hold we
Dem cyan't touch we, no, dem cyan't touch we
Dem cyan't hold we, no, dem cyan't hold we
(Damn Phife, you got fat)
Yeah, I know it looks pathetic
Ali Shaheed Muhammad got me doing calisthenics
Needless to say boy I'm bad to the bone
Making love to my mic like Jarobi on the phone
But um, no time for jokes, there's bills to be paid
Hoes to be laid, punks to be sprayed
Chumps to attack, so my man watch your back
'93 means skills are a must, so never lack
Sit back and learn, come now watch the birdie
Your styles are incomplete, same as Vinny Testaverde
Battling, whenever, hot Damn
Give me the microphone bwoy, one time, bam!
Keep it on the cooler cos here come the heat
Lyrically in space, the jazz will pace the beat
As we proceed to elevate you we in 4/4
Run and tell your dad the Abstract's the bad
As we proceed to move your hind parts we know as ass
Poets got the gimmicks, but they lack the sassafrasTo make the average hardrocker, cock the Glock
And roam the city streets on the jury, they hot
I be ingredients, like sugar in candy
If your life is broke, girl I'll be the handy-dandy
That can mend you, my fee is a shower
For you, I scrub the back and I floss the butt crack
Make you shiny, spiffy in a jiff
Fucking with the Ab, you got the greatest of gifts
Ayo, my mic is sounding bugged, Bob Power, you there? (Yeah)
Adjust the bass and treble make my shit sound clear
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
Move back yourself man, come watch me drop it
For sure me a go do it, for sure me a go rock it
Me nuh deal with no changaram, bangaram business
I got soul on the end, like Jehovah's got the witness
Musically, the three, poetically we be
The enchantment on the airwaves, kids just fade
Obey the MCs, cos the MCs say
We flipping on niggas like we Super Dave
But noticing my stature, y'all niggas know we gotcha
Moving to the rapture, listen how we catch ya
Moving with the grace, here we go, let's begin
Making people jump out their goddamn skin
Lyrically, we bite like we Rin Tin Tin
Peace to Grand Pu and his many, many skins
Don't mark us for the "L" cos you know we get the wins
It's the Ab, Shaheed, and the Dawg for the blend
And I wanna say peace to my man Bob P, my man Jerod
And Skeff Anslem on the help out and we out like shout
Nine-trey, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I don't wanna say nine-trey
Cause my man Extra P said don't say the years
So, it's for eternity, know what I'm saying?
Rock rock on, everybody in Queens, rock rock on
Everybody in Brooklyn, rock rock on
Money Earnin' Mt. Vernon, rock rock on
Everybody in Jersey, rock rock on
Everybody in Philly rock rock on
Everybody in Houston, rock rock on
Everybody LA, rock rock on
Everybody in The Sand, rock rock on
Everybody in Egypt, rock rock on
Everybody Nigeria, rock rock on
Everybody in London, rock rock on
Everybody in Sweden, rock rock on
Everybody everywhere, rock rock on
To the niggas on the famous, rock rock on
Everybody no name, rock rock on
To the kids at Nu-Clear, rock rock on
To the The Cave rock rock on
McDonald's, rock rock on
This concludes Midnight Marauder Program
Press any key to return to the main menu
The Chase Part II is a rap song by A Tribe Called Quest that features creativity, wordplay, and a lyrical flow that matches the beat of the record. The lyrics discuss the MCs' skill-level, lifestyles, and their ability to out-rap other MCs in the rap community. The chorus "Them can't touch we" and "Them can't hold we," accompanied by the jazz-inspired beats, amplify the message that A Tribe Called Quest are unstoppable in their musical prowess.
Throughout the song, A Tribe Called Quest's members take turns with their verses, and their unique rhyme style makes each verse distinct. Phife, the then-chubby MC, makes a self-deprecating joke, showing the group's sense of humor. The lyrics address diverse social circles while also making pop culture references. For example, "Chumps to attack, so my man watch your back '93 means skills are a must, so never lack" refers to needing skills to survive in the rap industry in 1993, and "Your styles are incomplete, same as Vinny Testaverde" refers to Vinny Testaverde, a quarterback who switched teams frequently, much like many of the rappers in the early 90s.
Line by Line Meaning
Them can't touch we, no them can't touch we
We can't be touched or defeated.
Them can't hold we, no them cam't hold we
We can't be restrained or limited.
Yeah, I know it looks pathetic
I'm aware of my physical appearance and how it looks to others.
Ali Shaheed Muhammad got me doing calisthenics
Ali Shaheed Muhammad is helping me train physically.
Needless to say boy I'm bad to the bone
I'm extremely skilled and talented.
Making love to my mic like Jarobi on the phone
I'm passionate about my craft and value my microphone as it represents my art.
But um, no time for jokes, there's bills to be paid
I'm serious about my work as it supports my financial wellbeing.
Hoes to be laid, punks to be sprayed
I have romantic interests to pursue, and enemies to confront.
'93 means skills are a must, so never lack
It's imperative to maintain and improve one's skillset, especially in 1993.
Sit back and learn, come now watch the birdie
Observe and learn, I'm going to teach you something.
Your styles are incomplete, same as Vinny Testaverde
Your style is lacking like Vinny Testaverde's career.
Battling, whenever -- hot Damn!
We're always prepared to compete and put on a good show.
Keep it on the cooler cos here come the heat
Stay calm because things are about to get intense.
Lyrically in space the jazz will pace the beat
The lyrics and music are in sync and artfully crafted.
As we proceed to elevate you we in 4/4
As we continue performing, we're advancing the music and your enjoyment.
Obey the MCs, cos the MCs say
Follow the orders of the MCs, as they're in charge.
Peace to Grand Pu and his many many skins
Acknowledging Grand Pu's numerous romantic conquests.
It's the Ab, Shaheed, and the Dawg for the blend
A reference to the band's members and their collaboration.
And I wanna say peace to my man Bob P, my man Jerod
A shoutout to friends of the artist.
This concludes Midnight Marauder Program
The show is ending.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Steven R. Arrington, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, Victor Godsey, Buddy Hankerson, Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, Biz Markie, Malik Izaak Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tate Buitrago
on Electric Relaxation
another of my dads