Diggin in the Cassettes: The Love Movement

Tribe's last album (until recently!) is probably their weakest, but it is still endlessly playable and better than the majority of rappers' entire discographies.

Prof Thug's Diggin in the Cassettes Vol. 5

A Tribe Called Quest - The Love Movement

Released on September 29, 1998, this was one of the last cassettes I ever purchased.

This album continued their sonic evolution; it is most similar in sound to their last album, again featuring the laid-back, jazz-oriented beats of The Ummah, but it was not as gloomy in tone and message. It is a return to their lighter, more playful themes and lyrics. As the title implies, the focus is on love and positivity.

Unfortunately, there was a serious tension just underneath the surface. In the documentary about the group, they discuss how Q-Tip and Phife's friendship was falling apart. At one point Tip claims about their last album: "How we gonna name it The Love Movement when there was no love anymore?"
I thought I would be able to pick up on that fractured relationship while listening to it now, but on wax, their chemistry was still intact. It's true that something was definitely off about this album, but there is no noticeable friction between the two, and it is still an excellent album. The songs aren't as memorable as previous efforts, but as always, the beats and lyrics provide high quality hip hop. There's more guests than usual, Consequence has disappeared, and the music is a little more traditional boom bap rather than the jazzier, groovier jams of their earlier albums, but those aren't bad things. They just make it feel less like a "pure" Tribe album. However, if this was a debut, it would be undoubtedly labeled a classic. And looking back, it is a remarkable closing act.



One issue that shouldn't affect the album but undoubtedly does is the album art. Gone are the red, black, and green characters and creative art. It's a simple white cover with plain, grey lettering and what look like small zodiac symbols at the bottom.

The inside is gray with white lettering.

Super bland. Now let's take a closer look at that inside cover:

Yup. That's the group doing their best Kobe in LA Times Magazine impressions. Tip is barefoot. Ali Shaheed seems to be wrapped in a towel and wearing sandals. Phife looks like he's staring at Ali's sandals, about to roast him (WHAT ARE THOOOOOOSE?!) but then he remembered that he's wearing white jeans. This looks like some New Age, adult contemporary shit.

I'm being a little harsh, but this was a marked departure for the group. On the other hand, this was right after the start of the "Jiggy era." with the shiny suits and ultra commercialism. So in a sense, they still bucked the trends of the modern music scene, they just did it in a mature, adult way. That's not as much fun, sure, but it's real, and that is pure Tribe.

Their musical themes similarly grew; their focus on love is understandable and commendable. They lost the aggressiveness of the last album, maybe because they, like many of us, were heartbroken at the deaths in rap. Or maybe they got a better record deal. Or maybe they knew this was their last album (until now!) and they were relieved. Whatever the case, this has a much more positive outlook than Beats, Rhymes and Life.

I was devastated when I learned this would be their last album, but it did encourage me to see them on their "farewell tour" at the Palladium in Worcester. Slum Village even opened for them! I had just heard about them; they were being called the torchbearers for the Native Tongue sound. Sadly, two of their members (Dilla and Baatin) have since died, along with Phife of course. It was an incredible show and I'm glad I got the chance to see them all.

Let's get into the movement!

We could all use a little more love these days. And Crown.

Start It Up


Terrific opener, but what else did you expect on a Tribe album? It opens with a quiet, spooky voice saying I hope yall ready...are yall ready? Then the bass and drums kick in. It's a serious head nodder and a great adrenaline boost. Q-Tip's verse has a staccato flow that emphasizes the first word of each bar on the drum kick. It's definitely a different vibe. Maybe it's his off-kilter flow or the off-kilter drum pattern? The drums hit you in the chest, and combined with Tip's emphatic jabs (get it off your chest, say it "Tribe Called Quest!") it makes me want to get up and throw elbows. Besides maybe Scenario, I never really felt that with Tribe music.

Tip introduces the movement for love and encourages people to get off your ass and let's start.

An important message that resonates today.


Find A Way


This is the album's lead single and lone video. It has a light, airy organ (or maybe harp?) sample playing throughout over Dilla's deep bass and drum kicks. The chorus has a great melody and it's easy to sing along with. Now you caught my heart for the evening, kissed my cheek moved in you confused things. It's real playful and pop-ish, like an updated Bonita Applebum.

This set the tone of the album. As the album art suggested, it's kind of adult contemporary rap, but not nearly as corny as Father MC or PM Dawn.

Phife and Tip each take a turn with the chorus at different parts of the song, and they deliver verses with typically great wordplay. It was an excellent lead single and apparently accomplished its goal, considering the album reached gold status a month after its release.

Da Booty


Tip starts off with a silly riddle about, well, booty. The chorus is simply Da booty, da da booty, da boot Ta ay with Tip shouting in the background. 

There's all types of drums knocking: kicks, snares, bass. Definitely a huge Dilla influence.

Much like the last song, this is a good representation of the album as a whole: great drums, mellowed out samples, and playful raps.

Da booty...if you is a crook then you taking it!

The biggest difference on the album are the beats. They are a little more skittish, less of the straight grooves of the first 3 albums; instead of the feeling of constantly pushing forward, many of the beats feel like they are constantly starting and stopping. They push forward then pull back. It's also evident in their flows; they are more staccato than usual. Again, still really good, just different.

Steppin' It Up feat. Busta Rhymes, Redman


I said this for every album so far, but damn, the sequencing and transitions are ridiculously good. The first note of this song comes in right after the last note of the previous song, so it's a seamless continuation, like a different movement of the same symphony.

This is another hard knocking, deep bass, jittery drum gem. Busta Rhymes and Tribe is a hall of fame connection on its own, plus they throw Redman in there? My favorite rapper ever? Just unfair. Excessive. I wasn't ready for this collabo when it came out and I forgot how incredible it was.

This is undoubtedly a classic, but it has more of a typical Golden Era/Dilla vibe than a Tribe vibe, per se. That's one of the only drawbacks of the album: it has a less distinctive Tribe sound. That's where the disconnect is, and why it's not as memorable as their previous efforts.

Still, Redman ends the song with:

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!

...so it still has its share of memorable moments.

Like It like That


This is a solid jam for this album, but would have been average on previous albums..

It has a similar drum pattern as the last couple songs, but with a crazy reverberating sample on top. Tip kills it from the get go. Phife helps out with the chorus, a simple Do you like it? Then Tip responds, say yeah if you like it like that!

At times there's a cool echo effect on Tip's voice, which works well with the reverberating sample. The whole song has a psychedelic vibe. It has really good energy and Tip is on point for his two verses.

Common Ground (Get It Goin' On)


What you doin here...get from my face Tip raps while a kazoo sound effect plays in the background. This is a mediocre beat, with a somewhat annoying organ/keyboard groove throughout. The stuttering drums on this and some of the other tracks are not the greatest fit, either.

For the first verse, Tip raps a bar, then a group of voices reply on the next bar. When Phife does his verse, he uses the same flow, but instead of a group of voices replying, the kazoo replies. It's also somewhat annoying. The chorus is lackluster, too.

I still like it, but this might be my least favorite Tribe song.


Give Me feat. N.O.R.E.


Did I speak too soon? This is an interesting song. I didn't like it when I first heard it, mostly because of the chorus. Tip reinterprets I-Level and Boyz II Men, singing off-key Give Me...just Give Me... Nore Phife Dawg and Abstract. Tip sounds like he's the lead in a community theater musical. Plus, the chorus doesn't even really make sense.

But that's also kinda what makes it great? Like, a few glasses of Crown and I'm crooning right along with him, no cares in the world.

This was long before horrible singing was the wave in rap (Fetty Wap, Drake, Lil Yachty, Drake).  I was always a little thrown off by Tip's singing on the chorus, but it had an undeniable charm, too. It was inspiring: if he wasn't afraid to sing and sound like that, I could sing, too. Hello, future parody music video career.

Not to mention, Nore is always a top tier guest rapper, and he spits two verses here! Love Movement no doubt. 

There is cool scratching at the beginning and end, and everyone does their thing on the verses. Overall, it isn't the best song on the album, and it has a sound that's very distinct from their usual vibe, but it's one of the more memorable songs.


4 Moms feat. Spanky


I still dont know who the hell Spanky is, but this is a cool,  mellow, funky groove to play out side one of the cassette. On the first album, they'd let the end of songs play out for a while. It was a cool way to build atmosphere and create transitions. This serves a similar purpose but it is the first time they had a track that was strictly instrumental. I wish they did more of this, but I also kinda wish they rapped on this. They would've rode this groove beautifully; plus there's a great electric guitar sample near the end that could've come in real nice on the hook. But I digress.

Flip the tape!

His Name Is Mutty Ranks

Phife starts off side two in his infamous patois Live and direct! Live and direct! Do you know what live and direct mean?!?!

The beat has that dope little keyboard boop boop ba doop ba doop doop badoop da doop doop thing over classic hip hop drums. There's also that scratchy, almost echo-like effect on Phife's voice as he raps, making it sound like it's a live recording at the park.

After a typically great verse, he sings for a bit at the end say you not ready for this yet boy and it's over. A short and sweet, hard-hitting Phife solo. This was one of my faves for sure.

Pad & Pen feat D-Life


D-Life acts as the host, a la DJ Red Alert, and does the introduction and adlibs throughout. It continues with that live block party feel that was established on the last song. There's a reverberating, seemingly downbeat keyboard note played throughout, over a funky, upbeat groove. It makes for an interesting mix.

Phife and Tip go back and forth on their verses then handle the chorus together. The song is an ode to the art of hip hop and the importance of friendship.  My pad and my pen, the beat and the blend, the party won't end, so Keep gettin ends, Building with friends. It's hard to believe they were in turmoil.

As Phife says, though, Comedy can quickly turn to tragedy. Ain't that the truth.

Busta's Lament


This has a great start with the horns and drums, cutting in and out before the beat actually starts. It does that a few times throughout the song to emphasize a lyric or hook. The beat is really centered on that horn. It's a mellow head-nodder.

Phife and Tip have great verses, but the best part of the song are the several breakdowns.
After Phife's verse, the guys do a mini hook (Just) get it together, get it together (just) get it together. Then Tip does the chorus and there's another breakdown with the Busta yo yo yo yo sample. At the very end, rapper Know Naim (more like Horrible Name) gives a shoutout to the woooorrlld. It all comes together for a cool, laid-back jam.

Hot 4 U


This is another mediocre song. The rhymes are subpar; they are mostly just talking about girls and their own talents on the mic or in bed. Basically, it's just another day with Phife, anyway, although, to be fair, I'd give up a lot for just another day with Phife.

At certain parts, especially the chorus, there's this rising high pitched sound that keeps building and eventually peaks, then starts to come back down. It's kind of like a teakettle (making the song hot for you). There's also a cool xylophone sound during the chorus. Again, even the mediocre songs have many highlights.

Against the World


Back at you, right back at you.

This is dope. Me and you girl we go against the world. Yea the world.

This is another staccato beat. It makes you bop rather than groove. There's all sorts of sounds: the brush drum shooka shooka shook shooka, the little keyboard (?) doot doot at the end of each bar, the female voice responding to the guys on the chorus, Tip speaking French.

This is a great example of their still potent chemistry. Tip and Phife exchange lyrics, often going back and forth on the same bar. Tip: Prominent. Phife: Dominant. Sometimes they even finish each other's sentences.

There's also the cool effect when they say Slow you doowwwwwwwwwn...and the whole song slows to a full stop, then starts back up when they say pick you up! Even on their most "mature" album, they were always willing to experiment with sounds and styles.

The Love


Tip talks to us at the beginning So many people right now motivated to do some bullshit for some bullshit ass reasons. But we bout to put it into a love perspective.

Then the chorus starts We do it all for the love yall! Whether white, black, spanish, aint a thug yall! Tip proves again that he's very much underrated when it comes to rap choruses.

This has a ultra-positive vibe and it's impossible not to at least somewhat enjoy a song like this. It's another laid back beat with more straightforward drums and a light, jazzy sample; some might even call it pretty. On the verses, Tip shouts out some adlibs and often doubles up on the lyrics, so it's like two Tips rhyming. It's a cool effect but it leads to the question: where's Phife? Maybe he felt it would be hypocritical to appear on a song about "doing it all for the love"? Or maybe I'm reading too much into it? There's always a few Q-Tip solos on every album, so I don't really know.

Regardless, this is one of those timeless Tribe album cuts that could have easily been a single.

Rock Rock Y'all feat Punchline, Jane Doe, Wordsworth, Mos Def


This has a cool guitar sample over the drums. It's mellow, but funky enough to be enjoyable for the entirety of the song, unlike many posse cut beats.

Rock rock yall freak freak yall to the beat yall it's unique yall.

It's no Scenario, but it's a cool posse cut and album closer, so there are definite similarities.

Punchline has a good opening verse with some solid...punchlines. Jane Doe is above average and spits a quick "lyrical miracle" type verse. Wordsworth is next, and he does this interesting rising octave to falling octave in his bars. He's got some funny lines as well. Tip follows up with a typically solid verse, and then the closer: MOS DEF! This was one of the first times I heard him and I was an immediate fan.

They chant the chorus again and the song fades out. The song, and especially the chorus, is a throwback to block parties and the early Golden Era of rap. As usual, it seems simple on the surface, but there are a lot of layers to peel back. They are referencing old school rap while introducing the new school of rappers, closing out their careers by repping the history and passing the torch. Beautfiul.

Then there's 6 minutes of silence to preserve continuity. Cassette technology, baby!

If you had the CD, on the other hand, your lucky, keep-up-with-modern-techonology ass got all these bonus tracks:

Scenario Remix (feat Kid Hood and Leaders of the New School) 

Money Maker

Hot Sex

Oh My God [Remix] 

Jazz (We've Got) (Re-Recording Radio) 

One Two Shit (feat Busta Rhymes)

Look at that! You think I wasn't pissed when my friend put in his CD and a damn Scenario Remix started playing?! I DIDN'T KNOW THE SCENARIO REMIX EXISTED UNTIL 1998! I was clueless about a remix to my favorite song ever for 7 years! That is my greatest fault as a hip hop fan.  This really forced me to reconsider my preferred media. I had no choice at this point. I got my first CDs and CD player later that year for Christmas. ATCQ and the cassette era were both over.

Damn. Really solid way to go out though.


4 THUGS out of 5


Alas, the era of the mp3 is here and a new ATCQ album has arrived! Rejoice!

I Love You All...Class Dismissed. 

Diggin in the Cassettes: Beats, Rhymes, and Life

I love this album. Released on July 30, 1996, it was A Tribe Called Quest's 4th album overall, and their 3rd best in my opinion. Their sound and content had increasingly gotten a little darker, but also more commercial in some cases. It reached #1 on Billboard, attained platinum status, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Album.

Prof Thug's Diggin in the Cassettes Vol. 4

A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes, and Life

The album cover made it clear that this would be darker than previous albums. 

It is far from a perfect album, but the title is perfect for Tribe, and I personally consider it a classic.

The album was their first to feature work from The Ummah, a production group made of Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jay Dee aka J Dilla. Once again, Tribe's sound was able to evolve without losing the overall Tribe essence and feel.

I was in high school at the time, so the darker, more aggressive vibe worked well for me. The industry continued to dampen their spirits, and a grittier sound was more en vogue at the time, with artists like Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang, and 2Pac dominating the soundscape. Not to mention, this was released during the (largely exaggerated, but commercially profitable) East Coast vs West Coast feud. Songs about leaving your wallet in a diner just weren't gonna cut it.

There was still a sense of playfulness, especially on songs like Word Play and The Hop, but a lot of the joyfulness from the previous albums was nonexistent. A major theme of the album is pressure (The Pressure, Stressed Out); pressure from the music industry, pressure from their relationships, pressure from society in general.  It had been 3 years since their last album and things were different. Hearing that their relationship started to fall apart during this era made sense. Phife moved to Atlanta. Q-Tip's cousin was brought into the fold. It was a different vibe.

But it was still Tribe, and Tribe is always great.


Phony Rappers (featuring Consequence)

Another. Great. Opening. Song.

I'm pretty sure I used this as an opening song for one of my legendary HAYO mixtapes (if ya don't know, ya better assssk).

It has great energy. Tip starts talking about running into people who want to challenge him as an MC. It seems there's a sanitation yard full of trash talkers. Phife tells a similar story. Money please I get loose off of orange juice. They are showing their superior skills on the mic compared to all other rappers, but this is a much harder approach that they've ever taken. The beat is a little more aggressive than ever before, too.

The chorus comes in over those crazy, almost discordant keys. Phony rappers who do not write, phony rappers, who do not excite. phony rappers you know they type.phony rappers.

On the last verse Phife goes back and forth with this new cat. His voice is a bit high, raspy, and a little mush-mouthed. He can rap and it's a dope verse, but...who is he? Why is he here? It turns out he's Q-Tip's cousin, Consequence. Ok, cool. Adding another voice definitely altered the vibe a little, though.

At the end of the song there's a sampled voice that comes in with aclosing statement:

This feeling of embarrassment..This shyness and bashfulness…
If you take that out of the people then these people will do whatever they want to do
And that is the very definition of America. A people who have no shame and therefore do whatever they want to do.

Man, if that doesn't sum up America right now, I don't know what does....


Get a Hold


Drifting drifting drifting drifting....drifting back. suddenly. 

And then this song comes in to offer us hope...or maybe current events have cause me to imbue new meaning into the song. Either way, it's a great song with some great insight:

Your lust for the riches make a nigga feel sick
Down to his zealots, upchuck and then spit
Denouncing my beliefs, well then your wig get split

It's a really laid back, zoned out beat. Q-Tip is on his grown man shit. Respect me for that and let me do my thing...We all got faults don't ever front try to think that your perfect. 

He also mentions my record company be on some true jerk shit, and says We hitting, yo bust how we too strong to be broken, Occasional malfunction pressure time, we ain't joking.

Tip acknowledges that things have changed (in society, with the group) but that they are too strong to let it get them down. To deal with stress and pressure, they must take control. That feeling hangs heavy over this album.


Motivators

This is a more uptempo, upbeat song. Definitely more playful than the first two songs. Tip, Phife, and Consequences trade bars back and forth. They all join in on the chorus we be the number one motivators over a jazzy sample.

Q-Tip: Will yall fall off?
Phife: Will Laura fuck Urkel?

So yeah, they're never too serious, thankfully.

Consequence also has a great pop culture reference While you be frogging like Bud-wei-ser and later shouts out Queens and various famous athletes, proving that he really did fit with the Tribe vibe. 


Jam (featuring Consequence)


As always, there's fantastic sequencing on the album. The last song flows perfectly into this, another uptempo, funky beat.

There's a little phone call introduction, with 2 girls talking about what they are doing that night. Then the guys start in and tell a story about their day and a night spent partying. At the end of the song/night, they see a bunch of people about to get into a fight. They decide to exit the party when the cops show up. The song ends with the guys drunkenly talking and getting in their car to leave.

This lives up to its name. It has a great vibe. There's no chorus or hook, just a jazzy little breakdown between verses. It's real simple and mellow, but it makes me happy, and that's what a good "jam" should do.

Crew


This beat has a very J Dilla vibe to it. Q-Tip talks about beef between good friends (foreshadowing?).

It's just one verse of him confronting a friend who slept with his wife. At the end a scene plays out with Tip yelling at the guy and friends trying to hold him back. Tip keeps screaming and threatening the guy, then shots ring out.

To say this is a tad darker than previous Tribe songs is an understatement.


The Pressure


This is probably my favorite song on the album. It starts with some scratching and a simple bass line Dun dun dun. Dun dun dun. Dun. Then a bunch of samples start up, layered on top of each other. Such a banger.

Tip starts off with a typically great verse. Then Phife comes in every dog has its day but fuck that its my year. Wooo they kill this song! They didn't miss a step lyrically on this album. Listening to it now is so refreshing. So damn good.

We feeling pressures in here, you know we feelin pressure.

Just look at the album cover. It was the Tribe trying to find their place in a world of chaos. They were dealing with fame and success and adulthood and a changing music industry, trying to navigate through it all successfully.


1nce Again 

This was the first single. It was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo/Group. I was very excited about the album when I first heard the single. It was incredible. It starts off with a little remix of their infamous Check the Rhime back-and-forth hook: ya on point Phife, once again Tip, watch me bust they shit. The same thing with a little more edge.

Then comes the ooooooh ya did to me once again my friend by Tammy Lucas. She handles the chorus later as well.

Phife kills a verse then Tip kills a verse then its back to the chorus. Then Phife kills a verse, Tip kills a verse, then they do the back and forth call again, then it ends on the chorus. Terrific song structure.

It's definitely a little more commercial than the typical Tribe song, but it never lost the Tribe feel. It had more singing than usual but they had singing before (Vinia Mojica). It also had dope rapping, scratches, great drums, and a couple samples, so it was just plain ol' good hip hop. It wasn't quite as good as previous singles, and it's a shame the Grammy's took so long to give them credit, but this is an undeniable classic.

Mind Power (featuring Consequence)


So funky....mmmmmm...so funky....said mmmmmmm.

There are many great sounds on this song, especially that great main horn sample. And I  love how the various horn samples come in and out through the song.

This is somewhat fast paced and all three have some great lines. Phife has a particularly hilarious verse here. He references the Berenstain Bears. He gives a shoutout to Linden Blvd and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Oh, and just because the album is a little harder than previous ventures, they are not trying to portray a fake tough guy image. Phife claims:

Now, all that Glock totin' trash you talk will not prevail
It's stale, you'll either be dead or in jail
I keeps it realer than the logo on milk
Denouncin tough guy wannabes that look smoother than silk

It ends with Tip repeating Uh uh Mind power! then he states Kickin willy is good all throughout your whole hood but we gotta start with the spirit first yall.

As usual, Tribe was never overly religious or spiritual, but the idea of a spirit (that funk,that rhythm) that lives through their music is always a key theme. That spirit is always apparent in their lyrics, in their voices. It is the spirit that lives through their beats, rhymes, and lives.

The Hop


Damn this song is good. Another great transition. It starts with the deep bass boom boom boom boom and Tip exclaiming Yeah, move your body, inside the party, We 'bout to bring it to you kid like we never ever did.

Tip then starts his verse Inside the ghetto or in a sunny meadow I'ma make ya move whether women or fellow. 

You can't deny the rhythm, the spirit of the Tribe.

Tip handles the chorus You gotta do the hop, you move to the beat, you don't stop, Now everybody here, you do the hop. The groove can not be stopped dammit! Tip has some of the greatest rapped choruses in history.

Phife once again murders his verse, stabbing up the track like his name is OJ Simpson. You? You're freeloading like Kato Kaelin. He gives props to Das Efx, Method Man, and Megadeth. Word is bond I am the baddest. With verses like this, he was, man. He really was.

Its the hottest thang thang thang!

Keeping It Moving


Something for your ear hole so you can clean them shits out. From Q-Tip. Ha.

Tip addresses some people who thought he dissed the West Coast (I think it was Westside Connection, that awful Ice Cube side group that instigated most of the Coastal beef). I don't know what the exact reference is but Tip assures people that he's no west coast disser or damn ass kisser.

Tip exclaims Hip Hop...a way of life. On later versions, it says hip hop could never be a way of life. I always wondered why they added that, or if it was intended to be there originally. Anyways, Tip is essentially saying there is more to life than just rap, in an attempt to ease tensions between coasts. Positivity is the key in the lock, Put your hand on it, turn it to the right, ak. But he also reminds people that they are not to be messed with on the mic: Figure 4 your ass like Greg the Hammer. His references here are on par with Phife's best references.

He ends by giving shoutouts to other rappers, many from the West Coast. Pharcyde ya know we do it up. Hiero ya kow we do it up. 

He also says I aint got no time for shuckin and jivin, basically saying let's stop this song and dance/beef bullshit that the industry takes so much pleasure in. It's a powerful reference to black entertainers from the past who had to shuck and jive to please their bosses and white audiences.  

Baby Phife's Return


This is a very late-90s J Dilla sounding beat. There are lots of samples layered throughout the song. It was never my favorite; it's nothing too special as far as Tribe songs go, but it's good.

Consequence handles the chorus while Phife handles the lyrics.

Crushin MCs as if my name was Sargent Slaughter (how great is that?!)
Keep shit hotter...than a sauna
Or better yet, the hormones on your Christian daughter
Hey, I tried to warn her

An average Tribe song, so still better than most.


Separate/Together

The beats have started to get a little lackluster, but this is still a great song.

Tip starts off with some bars about wack rappers (another common theme on the album) and addresses male-female relations: So brothers hold your heads high when you get down, Don't violate these women cuz we need them around, It's all of us together, not the one without the other. He follows that with the chorus we got to do our do, not separate together, then sings a little melody about sticking together through hard times.

A short but sweet little jam.

What Really Goes On


A great, jazzy, mellow beat with the bump the bump the bump bump yall. This is another Q-Tip solo. With no Phife, or Consequence for that matter, combined with a similar beat as the preceding songs, there is a slight lull in the album. All of the songs are good, but it gets a little monotonous.

Now when I say the beats are a little lackluster, or the songs are monotonous. I only mean that in comparison to their previous albums. Honestly, this song (and the few songs before it) are better than most on their debut; however, immediately prior to this album, they had 2 of my favorite albums ever back to back, so it's a little hard to maintain that level. Plus, I was into a much bigger variety of hip hop at that time. It was hard to stand out in hip hop in 1996.

But I want to stress (ha get it!) that it's still a great song and album.

Word Play (featuring Consequence)


This was another of my favorites on the album. It reflects the changes from their prior albums (featuring Consequence, a little darker beat, more aggressive, battle-type rhymes) but it did those things better here than on most songs.

They address wack rappers, big themselves up, talk about how to properly rap, and rap the chorus together. It still manages to be a little more moody, so it's not all fun and games, but it's a return to the more playful tone they always did so well.

Consequence definitely adds a youthful vibe; maybe they felt they had lost a step and needed a shot of youthful vigor, or maybe they needed a third wheel to take some tension off their relationship. It just feels like they don't have the same chemistry as before. It's a little more serious.

Stressed Out (featuring Consequence & Faith Evans)

And this is the most serious of all. They address stressful situations they've been through and/or are going through, and Faith Evans sings the chorus.

The music industry had officially gotten to them, in a couple ways. I'm sure the label pushed for the R&B collaboration, and their years of dealing with the label at least partially inspired the theme of the song and album.

The album version has a lot of Consequence. The video version had Phife as well. Needless to say, I was a little upset when I watched the video and saw Phife spit a classic verse: Dunn-da-lie, dunn-da-lo, dunn-da-lie, dunn-da-lee, Me no look for trouble but trouble done follow me. Eventually I found a DJ Clue mixtape that featured the video version, so all was well with the world.

Faith sings us out as the beat plays on. I think "airy" describes it best. There's even what sounds like an organ playing throughout, so it's rather spiritual. The lyrics evoke that sense of spirituality as well we gonna make it, ya know we gonna make it.

Really good song but a definite departure from their previous work, on many levels. It had an obvious commercial appeal, featuring a popular R&B singer on the chorus, and a breezy, radio-friendly beat, while addressing serious issues like mental health.

As far as sequencing goes, though, it's a great way to end the album.


On it's own, this album is a definite classic. In the Tribe's discography, it's only their 3rd or 4th best. I can still enjoy it immensely, and it's superior to soooo much music out there, but their two previous albums set an incomparable standard. Regardless, I highly recommend giving this album your time.

4.5 THUGS out of 5

I Love You All...Class Dismissed.

2016 ELECTION!!! KILL ME!!!

I hate the Electoral College, but this year I will use my Electoral College Privilege to vote my conscience.

It's already over in Connecticut, so why wouldn't I?

What I want to do here is explain my position on the presidential election. This is more for my sake than anyone else, so please don't look to me for an endorsement or any advice (unless it's to vote for your local representatives; you should definitely do that).

My presidential vote has never meant a thing because I live in an overwhelmingly Democratic state. CT hasn't voted for a Republican president since 1988. So call me jaded or whatever, but that reality has made me more steadfast about voting for someone who actually represents my beliefs and policies.

Just to be clear, if my previous posts haven't done so already, I believe Donald Trump and his supporters are a threat to our country and common decency and must be stopped. There's no question about that. I'm not gonna even waste any more time explaining why I would never vote for Trump. Its a sad state of affairs that anyone with a functioning brain even has to spend time denouncing him. There is no rational argument to letting this buffoonish, boorish, clownish conman lead a country. None.

The thing that I'm struggling with, the thing I have agonized over for months, is which woman I will give my vote to. If I was in a swing state, I would probably give in and vote for Clinton because ultimately, I agree that defeating Chump and his deranged minions is the most important goal here. But my state will do that without my help. Plus, I think there are a lot of people with policies just as dangerous as Trump's. In fact, they may be even more dangerous because they know how to put a more acceptable spin on those policies. Mike Pence can come out of the debate with the respect of Democrats because he talks like a normal human being, even though he signed a law that made it mandatory to have funerary services for aborted fetuses, in an attempt to ultimately ban abortions all together. So is Trump an existential threat? Sure. but more for his buffoonishness than anything. The insane policies and racism and sexism are not exclusive to him. Guys like Pence scare me just as much as Trump.

However, Clinton scares me, too. Mostly, the rush to elect her and look past everything she has ever done just to defeat Trump scares me. Democrats refuse to acknowledge her many flaws; yet if she was a Republican, they would probably be calling for her arrest as well. Many Democrats wanted Bush thrown in jail for his actions in the Middle East. Now, they are touting the endorsement of  Paul Wolfowitz, the architect of the Iraq War, as a good thing, and saying things like "W wasn't that bad!" What??

Remember when Democrats were against war? I 'member. Now, Obama has so many bombing campaigns that we can hardly keep track, and most Democrats don't utter a word against it. His legacy will be uniting both Dems and GOP to support countless undeclared wars. Awesome.

I believe Hillary Clinton will ensure the status quo in regards to foreign policy, as well as corporatism, money in politics, the wealth gap, and deportations. Yet, the focus on the absolute abomination named Trump is letting the horrible policies of Clinton and other Democrats go by unquestioned. I refuse to let it all slide.

That said, I don't have anything against people who vote for Clinton simply to stop him. I have long wrestled with doing that myself.

But I can't vote for a person and a party that has let me and my country down continuously. I can't reward someone for colluding with the DNC and debate moderators. I can't reward a campaign that continuously shuns and demeans progressives in order to assuage conservatives. I can't reward a campaign that sounds the alarms of a renewed war with Russia whenever the poll numbers go down (it's 2016 and Dems have finally embraced McCarthyism!). I can't reward a candidate who voted for the Iraq War, then campaigned on the fact that she now realizes Iraq was a mistake, yet wants to continue the same type of interventions. A candidate that has vowed to put boots on the ground in Syria. A candidate who was behind the disastrous intervention in Libya. A candidate who is perfectly fine with helping Saudi Arabia bomb children in Yemen.

So, because of the idiotic electoral college, I'm going to use my privileged position to vote my conscience and maybe give a 3rd party a boost that will give them more political power going forward. If we never take a stand against the two party, "lesser of two evils" system, we'll forever be stuck with two parties and a choice between the lesser of two evils.

"You're throwing your vote away!" is always the response. The funny thing is, Republicans and Democrats both say it, but especially if they think you'd vote for their candidate if not for the 3rd party. I've seen both "A vote for Stein is a vote for Trump!" and "A vote for Stein is a vote for Hillary!" I could've sworn a vote for Jill Stein is a vote for Jill Stein, but what do I know.

I've also seen a lot of "If Hillary loses it's on the 3rd party voters!" That one baffles me. So its not on the Democrats for not getting enough votes, or on the GOP for supporting a racist, sexist con artist even after most of them denounced him in public displays of "courage"? It's not on the millions of people who are bafflingly stupid enough to vote for Trump? It's on 3rd party voters? It's like when Nader voters get blamed for Al Gore's loss in 2000. They don't mention the unprecedented ruling from the Supreme Court that stopped the recount that would have given Gore the presidency. They don't mention the 300,000 Democrats in Florida who voted for Bush, or the malfunctioning voting machines, or hanging chads. No, 3rd party voters get blamed. That's complete horseshit. To me, it speaks to the fact that Clinton supporters just aren't confident in their candidate. I could even go so far as to say that many Clinton voters feel guilty for compromising their beliefs. But I won't do that. Ultimately, we are on the same side, so why would I attack them? Clinton supporters should ask themselves the same thing.

So for me, it comes down to two options, and neither involve a sentient spray tan or a plain old moron.

I've voted for someone who I don't completely agree with before, and this year I will do it again. I understand that nobody is perfect and that we will never have a candidate who represents every single one of our beliefs. But how long will we accept "lesser of two evils" as our sole reasoning for voting for a candidate? Every election we are told, "3rd party is a good option, but not this year, there's too much at stake." There's always a lot at stake, that's the point of elections! That's like telling people to "wait for the right moment" for civil rights. They don't mean "wait," they mean "never gonna happen."

This year, there is a pile of dog shit running for president, so that mindset is at least somewhat reasonable. I know Chump can not be allowed to win. Shaming people into voting for Clinton is not the solution, though. I despise when people try to shame 3rd party voters, usually leveraging LGBT folks and other minorities as a weapon to guilt people into supporting a center-right candidate, using oppressed groups to prop up a politician with a highly questionable relationship with said minorities. The idea that Clinton and the Democrats care much about these groups is laughable. Or it would be if it weren't so sad. So yeah, I recognize my privilege as a 35 year old straight white male. And I know (I fucking know) that Trump is worse. But I also know that Democrats in North Carolina helped pass the anti-trans bathroom bill. Bill Clinton passed Don't Ask Don't Tell, and the Defense of Marriage Act. There are still states that can fire you for being gay. Will Clinton change that? I certainly hope so, but LGBT activists and the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, not Democrats. Clinton expressed a desire to create policies to diminish police brutality, but will she? Her leaked emails show that her campaign directed its operatives to express support for Black Lives Matter but to make sure they didn't pledge support for any policy proposals. That tells me all I need to know about her. I realize all politicians pander, but she takes it to another level.

This is one of the biggest problems with Hillary, her public vs private positions. Say one thing, do another. It's been a gripe against her for years, and we saw in her emails that it is literally how she approaches her job.

Then there's her policy on immigration. Trump's wall is the stupidest proposal in American politics. But what have the Dems done? Obama, with the help of Clinton, has deported more people than any other president. Honestly, I don't know why Republicans don't love these two. Clinton also refused to allow refugees from Latin American countries, mostly children, even though her policies played a huge part of said refugee crisis. She helped the right-wing military coup in Honduras but won't help the people affected by it? Even when basically every humanitarian group in the world asks her not to, she will still deport your Latino ass, kids.

Thankfully, most Democrats are accepting of Muslim refugees. That is a big difference in the parties, and I'm thankful for most Democrat's stance. However, most never acknowledge the fact that Democrat policies have created these refugees. So, allowing them to come here is literally the least they can do.

Then there's Haiti. Not only did Hillary fuck them over as Secretary of the State, but the Clinton Foundation got in on the action, too. Speaking of the Clinton Foundation...they do some great things. They also do some very sketchy things, like forget to claim a million dollar donation from the oppressive regime Qatar.

The thing is, Trump and other GOPers blow the truth out of proportion so we don't look into these things as closely as we should. "Trump says the Clinton Foundation took $500 million for a hospital that was never built!" Well, no, but as the article in that link explains, they certainly did screw up bigly.

She also had a ridiculous response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Read that response in full. This is the savior of the oppressed? This is who we have to vote for on behalf of minorities everywhere? Are you fucking kidding me? She, and many Democrats, prioritize business and corporate rights over individual rights, each and every time. They claim to be for the people, but when it comes down to it, they want the money. Do I even need to go into her connections to Wall Street and the Democrats disgraceful acquiescence to disastrous Wall Street policies? She says she wants to strengthen the laughably weak Dodd-Frank Act, but she won't reinstate Glass Steagall or anything like it. So we'll see if she reigns them in at all or if we see another market crash in a couple years.

Sadly, her response to Dakota Access is in line with her environmental policies as well. Democrats push for climate change policies while allowing more offshore drilling than ever before. Clinton supports fracking, even though the very state she served in the Senate banned it. So yeah, it's great that Democrats believe in climate change publicly, but their policies ensure nothing productive will be done to stop it.

What almost makes me vote for her (besides the insanity of a possible Trump presidency) are the absurd conspiracies concocted by Republicans over the years. They have tried any and everything to bring her down, and she keeps going. I respect that. I dislike her for policy reasons, not bullshit conceived to sell books and keep the GOP in power. I don't blame her for Benghazi. I blame our government as a whole, just like I blame our government for the numerous deaths at embassies over the years, not to mention the numerous deaths of soldiers and civilians. That's not on her alone. Not to mention, they've had more congressional hearings on Benghazi than they did on 9/11 and they've found nothing to charge her with. Enough already.

I also don't care much about her emails. There's nothing groundbreaking there. However, her entire approach to the emails, from having a private server to stonewalling investigators to deleting emails, speaks to her personality and approach to governance. It's highly off-putting. Expect even less transparency than usual when she's in charge.

Regardless, I don't want her thrown in jail over that. Neither does the FBI.

I don't think she's evil or a literal witch (seriously, this is a real claim being made right now). Honestly, the attacks on her have done more to encourage me to vote for her than anything her campaign has done. Just seeing her attackers cry and whine for another 4-8 years might make it all worth it. I would vote for her in a heartbeat if there was a guarantee that Sean Hannity would televise his mental breakdown and subsequent stroke.

The one area that I fully support Clinton, and Democrats, is reproductive rights. That is very important to me, and again, if I was in a swing state, that alone would get me to vote for her. Women should have the right to choose, but more importantly, they should have access to healthcare. Plain and simple. The Democrats are the only sane ones on this matter.

Which brings me to one last point against Hillary. I think her husband's actions are often held against her unfairly. It's not fair to blame Hillary for her husband's misguided policies (mass incarceration, welfare reform). It's also not her fault he's a scumbag. I don't knock her for staying with him, even though I often think it was politically motivated. I don't know their relationship; maybe there is a deep love there. What I can't defend is her behavior towards her husband's accusers, and the overall willingness of Democrats to look the other way when it comes to Bill's behavior. It's not fair to equate Donald's behavior with Hillary's (she didn't cheat or sexually assault anyone) but it's a little hypocritical of Democrats to act like they don't have a long history with supporting a crude, powerful, predatory man.

It's also not fair to shame people into voting for her based on the premise that a vote for her is a vote against hate. Yes, Trumpers are a hateful bunch. But voting for Hillary is not going to stop the hate that Trump has incited, the hate that's always been there. It's not gonna stop anti-semitism. It's not gonna stop online harassment. Its not gonna stop guys from beating up Mexicans or Sikhs. It's not gonna stop white supremacy.

Allowing the man who promotes these things into office certainly won't stop it either, though. And maybe that's the best we can ask for? Democrats have long been a stopgap at most, so maybe I should vote for them just to ensure the megalomaniac fascist doesn't win? The worst part about all this is that there will be someone worse than Trump next time, and they'll be even more motivated because of Hillary's victory. They will also be smarter. They will know not to be so openly racist and sexist and moronic. Or not. Hell, former Klansman David Duke has a shot at becoming a US Senator. In 2016. Either way, Trump is not an isolated event of fuckery and his Band of Moronic Men isn't going anywhere.

Something to remember is that voting is not the only or most important way to get involved. I don't blame anyone for not voting, truly. I know a lot of very informed people who are active in their communities who do not want to vote for president. I get that. You can't flaunt the fact that you voted as proof that you're doing something worthwhile; on the other hand, if you're doing absolutely nothing to improve your community AND you don't vote, then your opinion doesn't really matter.

So...maybe just vote? However you feel about the presidential candidates, and despite the fact that individual votes don't have a major impact, especially in non-swing states, voting is still important. There are other positions in government, believe it or not. Local government affects our lives more on a daily basis, so that should be the incentive to vote, not whether you like Giant Douche or Turd Sandwich less. Even that infamous South Park episode ended by encouraging people to vote. Besides the local and state officials, we also get to vote on direct issues, like legalizing weed! Well not us, as in CT residents or Americans in general, but 5 states will decide that this year. There are many other important issues that citizens should be involved in deciding, too. Check out who and what is on the ballot in your area!

I'll leave you with this, and I kid you not, this was not planned. As I was writing this and listening to music, Scarface's "Hand of the Dead Body" from 1994 came on. At the end of his verse, Ice Cube says, "So fuck Bill and Hillary." I take all my political advice from Ice Cube, so I'm sticking with my conscience.

This Tuesday, I'll be voting on changes to my town's charter. I'll be voting for my US Senator and US Representative, as well as my State Senator and State Representative. I'll also be voting for Jill Stein.

Unless I see some of Trump's "exit poll protectors." Then I might vote for Hillary. Twice.

I hate this damn election.


I Love You All, America. Still. Somehow...Class Dismissed.

Diggin in the Cassettes: Midnight Marauders

Two short years after releasing their masterpiece, and only 3 years after their debut, A Tribe Called Quest managed to somehow craft another perfect album.

Prof Thug's Diggin in the Cassettes Vol. 3

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders 

Possibly the greatest hip hop album cover of all time.

This came out when I was in 8th grade. It really solidified hip hop as my favorite genre of music. Although there wasn't a song I liked as much as Scenario, and it didn't have the same momentous impact that The Low End Theory did on my life, it was an instant classic and it remains one of my all time favorites.

That's right: auto reverse AND bass boost.

I remember bringing this tape to school and listening during recess. We'd try to name all of the rappers featured on the cover.

This album went platinum a little over a year after its release. It actually went platinum before The Low End Theory did. It also featured their most successful single of their careers, Award Tour. Somehow it only managed to get 4.5 Mics in The Source magazine, probably because they didn't want to give them 5 Mics for three albums in a row.


Once again, the guys rap about the things they do and see in their everyday lives. They are neighborhood journalists. For the most part they focused on positive events and promoting positivity, and when they do discuss negative events, there's often a tongue-in-cheek tone, like in 8 Million Stories. However, they definitely gave commentary on societal issues they dealt with in their neighborhood and in the African American community. They just managed to do it without being corny or preachy.

Remember these things? Did anyone ever actually fill one of these out?

This album continued the evolution of their sound, while staying true to their roots and overall energy and atmosphere. This is a little bit more refined than their first two albums; it's also darker (maye even more mature) while remaining very jazzy, funky, and playful.


Midnight Marauders Tour Guide


Laurel Dann plays the robotic tour guide. It's a throwback to the interludes with Jarobi from the first album. They all feature a sample of the song Aquarius. It's very laid-back; it feels like you are on an elevator and she is escorting you to each level. She tells us a few fun facts, like the average bounce meter of the songs, and then she welcomes the listeners to the voyage: we hope that you find our presentation precise, bass heavy, and just right. Thanks.


Steve Biko (Stir It Up)


The triumphant horns start in and Phife begins: Linden Boulevard represent represent. A Tribe Called Quest represent represent.

Another great intro song. Both Phife and Tip flow perfectly with some great rhymes. Q-Tip does the stir it up...stir it up...stir it UP! Steve Biko hook.

For Phife's verse after the chorus, he starts New York City represent represent, paralleling his first verse. This parallel verse structure works so well here and exemplifies their attention to detail. They weren't simply saying words over a beat, there was a lot of effort to create the structures and flows that make songs memorable and timeless.

Plus, Phife's lyrics always showcased his personality. Here he starts by repping for his street, then his group, then his city. And no matter where he went around the world, he was always repping Queens. There's a reason Queens will soon have a street named after him.


Award Tour

The simple keys start up, then the drums come in and Trugoy from De La Soul raps we on a award tour with Muhammad my man goin each and every place with a mic in our hand. This was the first single released from the album and it is their highest charting single to date. It's not hard to understand why. There's so much undeniable, infectious energy in this song. It's so cool, yet so happy. This was at a time when Wu-Tang and Onyx were dominating the East Coast. You weren't supposed to be happy! But they made it work. 

They  somehow managed to improve their rapping with each album and their skills on the mic shine here. Plus, everything comes together so lovely on the chorus. Q-Tip repeating true... right...true...while Trugoy repeats the award tour mantra, stating different cities around the world as the song progresses. Then there's the echo effect on his voice. And the beat. It's a hip hop masterpiece.

Tip drops some knowledge regarding identity: You can be a black man and lose all your soul, You can be white and groove but don't crap the roll. He also skats a little bit during a segment of the song that all rap fans will spontaneously sing along with: Do dat do dat do do dat dat dat.

Phife also gives some memorable lines, like buddy buddy buddy all up in ya face! 

It's a simultaneous celebration of their success and a declaration that they are at the top of the world.

At the end of the song, the tour guide explains the title of the album 7 times out of 10 we listen to our music at night, thus spawned the title of this program. Maraud means to loot, in this case, we maraud for ears.


8 Million Stories


Another Skeff Anselm produced joint. 1 of 2 songs on the album not produced solely by the Tribe.

This is basically a Phife solo. He shares some stories about a day in his life over a deep bassline. Went to Carvel to get a milkshake. Who starts a rap song like that? He burns his shirt while trying to iron it. Kay-Bee isn't selling Barney and he needs it for his brother. A girl stands him up on a date to the Knicks, and to top it off Starks got ejected. It's very self-deprecating and down to earth. Phife was never the "rock star" rap star. He was the hometown hero who made it big.

Phife spits a little of his infamous patois, and at one point, he also says Who the hell you think I am Mr. Belvedere? so he will always be a legend in my eyes.

The chorus is simply him repeating problems problems problems. Q-Tip then repeats help me out yall help me out yall.

The beat is a simple drum pattern with a great bassline. This is a great album cut; Tribe had so many of those because all of their songs were good enough to be singles, some just worked better as an album track. There was no such thing as filler on a Tribe album.

The song ends with Tip saying help me help me as his voice mutates and slows down then spits out Muhammad! Gotta remember to shoutout the DJ.

Sucka Nigga


Hey sucka nigga whoever ya are.

Tip gives his perspective on the use of the word nigga. After the first verse and chorus, he repeats the same lyrics, with a slightly different inflection at times. I never really got why he used the same verse twice, besides to emphasize his words, but it works for some reason.

My History of Hip Hop professor at UConn (yes I took a Hip Hop history class at UConn) talked about this song. I always thought the song was interesting and that Tip makes some good points, but my professor said he thought it was a weak justification. When I thought about it deeper, it was hard to deny. Basically, Tip says black people reclaimed the N-word as their own a long time ago; it's a tradition in the black community, and he's not gonna stop using it. I get all that, but as my professor said, tradition should never be the sole justification to keep doing something. At one point Tip concludes with, yo I start to flinch as I try not to say it, my lips is like a oowop as I start to spray it. What does that even mean?

Still a great song, though.

Midnight (featuring Raphael Saadiq)

This is a really groovy song and another Q-Tip solo. It's a little darker beat than most Tribe songs, which makes sense considering the theme of the song and the album. Still, Tip's observations of his neighborhood depict a much less violent city than many of his peers described. The hook is Tip repeating The night is on the mind. Some guys in the background are shouting ya dont stop and yeah like there's a party going on.

Q-Tip describes a guy playing craps, scared money don't make none. then describes his journeys through the city at night. He meets a girl and tries to get with her. He hooks up with his boy for some weed. He gets harassed by the cops. A typical day for a black man in America in 2016 1993.

Tip has some great lines and really nails the delivery, as usual. Intensity, most rappers don't see it. Spirit wise, musically ya gotta be it. He can sum up the Tribe's entire ethos in just a few simple words. He's similar to Kurt Vonnegut in the way he uses simple phrases to capture deep meanings. No wonder it was my first favorite rap group.

The song fades and the guide tells us about the alarming rate of AIDs, a stark reminder of the consequences of night time actions. I'm telling you, rappers did more to stop AIDs than Reagan and Bush combined.


We Can Get Down

The song starts off with a great chorus.
Both: We can get down we can we can get down!

Tip: Its like that man its like that. 
Phife: Yes! 

Great verses by Phife and Tip (As Tip says later on the album, right there I sound redundant). The beat is a classic head nodder with great momentum. Always moving forward. Shaheed does some great scratching at the end. An all around great Tribe song.

We rap bout what we see, meaning reality. Again, Tip is able to capture their entire aesthetic in a few simple words.

The guide ends the song telling us the name of the four Tribe members. This was the first time I realized that Jarobi was actually part of the group. I never understood it because Jarobi wasn't on Low End Theory and he isn't on this album. I didn't know until I started this series that he left for culinary school after the first album. The guide compares him to the sometimes vowel/sometimes consonant Y, and that was a good enough explanation for me. He was part of the group but did his own thing, too. Cool. Moving on.

Electric Relaxation


The first song on side 2 (remember flipping a tape over?? or in this case, letting Auto Reverse flip it?) was their 2nd single from the album.

Tip opens the song with uh huh uh huh uh uh uh on each drum kick. Then the keys start in and the voice repeats relax yourself girl please settle down which I never understood until I had the internet years later. That's part of why the chorus is so great; everyone has their own interpretation.

It's an undeniably classic song that perfectly illustrates the Tribe's style. A smooth, funky laid-back beat with memorable lines all over the place. Ya coudnt relate...ya couldn't relate...ya couldn't relate. Phife and Tip go back and forth on both verses a few times, showing their natural chemistry. This song and album were the pinnacle of their musical (and personal) relationship.

This is a hip hop love/lust song. Phife drops the legendary bust off on ya couch now ya got Siemen's furniture. And Tip ends with shorty let me tell ya bout my only vice, its got to do with lots of lovin and it aint nothin nice...it aint nothin nice. 

The song proves how incredible a song can be even though it doesn't necessarily break any new ground. It's a very fundamental hip hop song (bass, samples, coherent lyrics, a rapped chorus) yet it is remarkable because every aspect is so on point.

Clap Your Hands

It starts with the interlude muzack, then the guide simply says keep bouncing and the beat kicks in. This was another darker, more grimy beat. Heavy bass, heavy scratching, the Nautilus sample echoing throughout, the sampled voice clap your hands now.

The beat calms down for the verses, relying on mostly just drums for the groove, letting the guys really shine. Then, during both verses, there's a breakdown with the Nautilus sample in the forefront. Again, a very commonly used sample is masterfully utilized to create something wholly original and amazing.

Phife murders his verse with crazy pop culture references and confidence: if I ever went solo my favorite emcee would be me.

The song ends with the guide saying Keep bouncing and the beat stops. The circle is complete.


Oh My God (featuring Busta Rhymes)

Q-Tip sets off the song with a whip sound wuh psh wuh psh psh, then the horns start in. There's a great bassline during the verses.

This was their 3rd single. It says "featuring Busta Rhymes" but I'm pretty sure that oh my god yes oh my god is a sample.

Confusingly, Phife says now the formula is this: me, Tip and Ali, for those who can't count it goes 1-2-3. So I was definitely a little confused about Jarobi's role in the group at times.

Whatever. It's another great song that has aged like fine wine and Halle Berry.


Keep It Rollin (featuring Large Professor)

At the end of the last song, the guide breaks down the meaning of the term "MC." Then this song starts and Phife comes in and gives us a perfect example of a true MC.

I already talked about Phife's incredible verse and the team chemistry on this song, so I won't go on about it too much, but this is a low key classic. It's a down tempo, funky song with endless quotables from 3 legendary MCs, including Large Professor, yeah yeah now check the method, who also produces the song. Just a great rap song.

Like basically every song in their discography up to this point, it is great on its own and it perfectly flows in the sequence of the album. Not easy to do.


The Chase, Part II


It starts with the chorus, the Biz Markie sample I'm boutta wreck ya body and say turn the party out.

Phife starts in with dem cant touch we no dem cant touch we. dem cant hold we no dem cant hold we.

Then Tip jumps in damn Phife u got fat! And Phife replies yeah i know it looks pathetic, Ali Shaheed Muhammad got me doing calisthenics then kicks his verse. It's bittersweet to listen to Phife rap, especially about his health, but it's so good to listen to them going back and forth like that, busting each other's balls. For so long, their connection seemed so genuine and full of love. They were so in tune with each other. That's why the breakup and documentary showing the tension between them was so painful; it was like two brothers falling out.

And that's why the news of a new album is so fantastic yet bittersweet. If only they had sought reconciliation years ago...

This song has more great verses and a great beat. One thing I'd say is it goes on a little long at the end with Tip shouting out various places around the world Everybody in Brooklyn, rock rock on. Everybody in Nigeria, rock rock on. Also, this was in a succession of 5 songs that sounded somewhat similar, starting with Oh My God and ending with God Lives Through. Those songs even use the same Busta Rhymes sample! That is the one complaint I ever had about the album; although, listening now, it doesn't bother me at all. The songs have a similar feel, but that's the point. It's meant to evoke a certain feeling, a certain atmosphere.

Much like Shook Ones Part 2, I didn't know what happened to The Chase part 1 for the longest time. Apparently, the original version uses the same beat, but instead of Phife and Tip rapping, it features Q-Tip's cousin Consequence, who becomes a large part of the group after this album. The song was featured as a b-side to Award Tour. Thanks Wikipedia!

There's another confusing moment when, at the end of the song, the guide says this concludes our Midnight Marauders program, yet there's 2 songs left. The song even feels like an outro when Tip is shouting out different parts of the world. The next 2 songs are great though, so no complaints.

Lyrics to Go

This is a little more uptempo. The chorus just repeats I got lyrics to go, and come on now, but the crazy guitar or keyboard or whatever it is that's sampled (seriously, I need music theory or music history or an Identifying Instruments class or something) comes in and makes it special.

As the title suggests, the guys have lyrics for days (#BARZ) and it also features one of Tip's greatest lines Wait...*sniff sniff* I think somebody shitted. Humor is very underrated in rap.

It ends with an extended instrumental that leads in to the great album closer...

God Lives Through


Phife really shines here on the opening verse:

There's a million MCs that claim they want some
But see I create sounds that make your ears go numb
Peace to Sayres Ave., yeah you know how we go
My best friend Steven at the Home Depot
Laurelton is in the house, I can't forget Southside
Walk past MCs like that girl did to Pharcyde
I'm labeled as the cat's meow, the MC with the know-how
Act like you know, not now but right now

There's slick wordplay, braggadocio, shoutouts to his neighborhood and his real life friends, and a reference to a pop culture; everything that makes a Phife verse great.

Tip does an awesome little crooning melody for the hook la la la laaaaa, shooby doo doo doo.

It's really mellow but funky. It's perfect for grooving with a lady, riding around with your boys after hours, vibing at a smoked out jazz club, or even studying.

At the end, Tip goes on to give a shoutout to all the NY boroughs and some cities that he likes. They do that quite a bit on the album. Their albums weren't necessarily concept albums, but they all had a distinct feel with overarching themes. Here the themes are the nighttime and traveling the world.

As the album closes, see I like to get down jack! it feels as if you've gone through a spiritual awakening. God lives through.

Even as an atheist, I appreciate the spiritual undertones of the song and album. They are never overtly spiritual or religious (if God wasn't in the title, you'd probably never even think about it) but their whole vibe is very spiritual. The funk, the rhythm, is a spirit that moves through all of us. Tribe identified and celebrated that spirit in all of their songs. And we, as listeners, were blessed to be a part of it.

Something I didn't find out until much later was that different countries had different versions of albums. The European Version of this album features the banger Hot Sex, featured in Eddie Murphy's Boomerang. Later it was released on the bonus disc of The Love Movement in 1998. I always loved this song and video; unfortunately I didn't have it in my possession until the Greatest Hits album came out.

Where ya at?!

There were also different versions of albums when CDs started to become the preferred media. Oftentimes they'd feature "CD bonus tracks" that weren't on cassettes. That pissed me off. It's ok though because now CDs are as obsolete as cassettes! Hahahaha we all lose! #Sad

Anyways, this has been a great start to my series so far! I almost forgot just how great these albums are. This gets another:

5 THUGS out of 5


See you soon for the last two albums of Tribe's discography. I should have them finished as the new album comes out. Synchronicity!

I Love You All...Class Dismissed.