Discovering A Tribe Called Quest

I must have been living under a rock. Like for real. As a child born in the early '80s you'd think I would have known about A Tribe Called Quest in the '90s... Not the case.

I have multiple friends who list these guys in their top mix of musical favorites when we have compared notes. So, I guess if you want to get technical, I have heard of them. I was just not familiar with their music.

A while back, a friend shared some MP3s of theirs with me. Talk about being hooked from the first moment you hear something. Again, if you want to get technical, it's probably not the first time I've heard them. I'm sure the tribe has been on many a movie soundtracks, the radio, etc.

I like Tribe's style, and their sound. In today's music realm, I find talent harder and harder to come by. If you don't look underground, I don't know if there is anything good out there. So, for me, I've been finding new music (and by that... I mean new to me) in old music.

A Tribe Called Quest Award Tour lyrics

[CHORUS]
We on Award Tour with Muhammad my man
Goin' each and every place with the mic' in their hand
New York, NJ, NC, VA
We on Award Tour with Muhammad my man
Goin' each and every place with the mic' in their hand
Oaktown, LA, San Fran, St. John

[Q-TIP]
People give your ears so I be sublime
It's enjoyable to know you in the concubinz
Niggaz' take off your coats, Ladies act like gems
Sit down Indian style as we recite these hymns
See, lyrically I'm Mario Andretti on the mo-mo
Ludicrously speedy or infectious with the slow-mo
Heard me in the eighties J. Beez on the promo
In my never endin' quest to get the paper on the caper
But now, let me take it to the Queens side
I'm takin' it to Brooklyn side
All the residential Quester's who invade the air
Hold up a second son cuz' we almost there
You can be a black man and lose all your soul
You can be white 'n' blue but don't crap the roll
See my shit is universal if you got knowledge or dolo
Of delf for self, see there's no one else
Who can drop it on the angle, acute at that
So, do dat' do dat' do do dat' dat' dat' (COME ON)
Do dat' do dat' do do dat' dat' dat' (OK)
Do dat' do dat' do do dat' dat' dat'
I'm buggin' out but let me get back `cuz they wettin' niggaz'
So run and tell the others `cuz we are the brothas'
I learned how to build mic's in my workshop class
So give me this award and let's not make it the last

[CHORUS]
We on Award Tour with Muhammad my man
Goin' each and every place with the mic' in their hand
Chinatown, Spokane, London, Tokyo
We on Award Tour with Muhammad my man
Goin' each and every place with the mic' in their hand
Houston, Delaware, DC, Dallas

[PHIFE]
Back in `89 I simply slid into place
Buddy, Buddy, Buddy all up in your face
Alot of kids was bustin' rhymes but they had no taste
Some said Quest was Wack, but now is that the case
I have a quest to have a mic' in my hand
Without that, it's like Kryptonite and Superman
So Shaheed come in with the sugar cuts
Phife Dawg's my name but on stage call me Dynomutt
When was the last time you heard the Phifer sloppy
Lyrics anonymous, you'll never hear me copy
Top notch baby, never comin' less
Sky's the limit, you got's to believe up in Quest
Sit back relax, get up off the path
If not that, here's the dancefloor, come move that ass
Non believer's you can check the stats
I roll with Shaheed and the brotha Abstract
Niggaz' know the time when Quest is in the jam
I never let a statue tell me how nice I am
Comin' with more hits than the Braves and the Yankees
Livin' mad phat like an oversized Bam-bi
The wackest crews try to dis, it makes me laugh
When my track record's longer than a DC-20 aircraft
So next time that you think you want somethin' here
Make somethin' differ, take that garbage to St. Elsewhere

[CHORUS]
We on Award Tour with Muhammad my man
Goin' each and every place with the mic' in their hand
SC, Maryland, New Orleans, Motown
We on Award Tour with Muhammad my man
Goin' each and every place with the mic' in their hand
Chinatown, Spokane, London, Tokyo
We on Award Tour with Muhammad my man
Goin' each and every place with the mic' in their hand
Houston, Delaware, DC, Dallas
We on Award Tour with Muhammad my man
Goin' each and every place with the mic' in their hand
New York, NJ, NC, VA

Download: A Tribe Called Quest MP3's