A Tribe Called Quest
Queens, New York City, United States
jazz rap · east coast hip hop · old school hip hop · hip hop
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip-hop group formed in 1985 in Queens, New York City, comprised of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White. Widely regarded as pioneers of alternative hip-hop and jazz rap, they were central figures in the Native Tongues collective and challenged the conventions of the genre with their Afrocentric themes and laid-back sound. Their landmark albums — including The Low End Theory (1991) and Midnight Marauders (1993) — blended jazz samples with socially conscious lyricism and helped shape a generation of artists. Following an acclaimed run of influential albums in the 1990s, the group released their final critically praised project, We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, in 2016. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024, with all six of their studio albums certified gold or platinum by the RIAA.
