Since 1989, when they first energized rap music with their groundbreaking style, A Tribe Called Quest have
unleashed a brand of Hip-Hop that refuses to exclude anyone. Their boundary-busting gold CD, Peoples Instinctive Travels and Paths of
Rhythm(1990), and their two platinum albums, The Low End Theory (1991) and Midnight Marauders (1993), have changed the way Hip-Hop
feels and matters. Six years later, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Phife's musical and intellectual journey progresses with the
long-awaited and much-anticipated CD, Beats, Rhymes and Life.
Beats, Rhymes and Life is the kind of music fans have come to expect from this pioneering crew. Kicking off with the cautionary warning to
Hip-Hop wanna-bees "Phoney Rappers" and concluding with the languid "Stressed Out," Beats, Rhymes and Life is wise. Purposeful.
Passionate. Experimental. Soulful. And very cool. In a world brimming with personalities and grooves of the week, A Tribe Called Quest
have created an album that elevates the game of Hip-Hop by refusing to play by the preconceived rules.
If there is a theme woven through Beats, Rhymes and Life's colorful fabric, its the exploration of self. Of community. Of society. Of Hip-Hop
as a way of life and an industry. "I feel like each album has been a growth," says Q-Tip, who along with Phife, handles the microphone.
"There may not have been vast differences but we've always brought something new to the table. And one of the things we're bringing this
time is that were 26, trying to be 26. We're not acting like we're 17. That's fooling yourself and lying to the public. Were trying to grow and be
more responsible and make music that represents that."
That growth is heard in tracks like "The Crew," which vividly depicts the violence that has engulfed America. The song is an indication of A
Tribe Called Quest's more lyrically defined approach. "It's time to be a little less subliminal," offers Ali, Tribe's DJ. That urgency also flavors
"Stressed Out," which features Consequence (Q-Tip's cousin) and soul diva Faith Evans. "'Stressed Out' is trying to say something," says
Q-Tip, "and maybe it's said in a way that our fans wouldn't expect. That's O.K., the message is there."
The first single is "1nce Again", which features singer Tammy Lucas. The song, which refers to 1991's Check the Rhime (The Low End
Theory) is straight up A Tribe Called Quest: fluid, funky and filled with free-styling lyrics. "We're just buggin out and we thought it would be
fresh to go back to Check the Rhime," says Phife. "'1nce Again' just felt right."
Although it's been three years since Midnight Marauders, A Tribe Called Quest have been busy. Phife, who now calls Atlanta his home, is a
self-possessed sports fiend. To that end, he's done several print interviews with major sports figures. Ali, whose collaboration with
nouveau-soul singer D'Angelo earned him accolades, also serves as the Director of East Coast A&R of Quest Records. In addition, Ali and
Q-Tip have done music for Busta Rhymes and Tony, Toni, Tone under their newly formed production company, The Umnah. Collectively and
individually, the members of A Tribe Called Quest are making their impact felt.
If there's a theme running through A Tribe Called Quest's career, it's cohesion. That desire for unity explains how they have built a bridge
between the ghettos and the suburbs and how they are headlining this summer's House of Blues Smokin' Grooves Tour and wowed
alternative fans on 1994s Lollapalooza. A Tribe Called Quest have been revered by The New York Times and The Source and by injecting
rap with jazz and subtle R&B shadings have redefined Hip-Hop while staying true to its roots. Ask A Tribe Called Quest how they
accomplish all this and Q-Tip, who recently converted to the Islamic faith, has the answer: "The prophet Muhammad said that the best thing
for Muslims to do is to seek the middle course. When you seek the middle course it means you're not too far left. You're not too far right.
You're recognizing that you're not perfect. You're recognizing your humanistic qualities, different nuances to your emotions. We make
ourselves vulnerable with the music and everyone can dig that." Beats, Rhymes and Life. Now dig this.
