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A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip-hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985, originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip, rapper Phife Dawg, DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White. A Tribe Called Quest came to prominence as members of the Native Tongues collective, which they co-founded in 1988. Widely regarded as pioneers of alternative hip-hop and jazz rap, John Bush of AllMusic called them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s", and Kris Ex of Pitchfork regarded them as "one of the greatest acts that hip-hop has ever produced".

The group's debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990), earned critical acclaim, receiving the first five 'mic' rating in The Source's history. Their jazz-infused follow-up, The Low End Theory (1991), helped shape 1990s alternative hip-hop, and was followed by the equally influential Midnight Marauders (1993). Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996), became their first Billboard 200 chart-topper. Their fifth album The Love Movement (1998), preceded their breakup. After reuniting in 2006 for sporadic tours, the group released its final album, We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service (2016), which topped the Billboard 200 and earned critical praise; it featured posthumous contributions from Phife Dawg, who died eight months before its release.

A Tribe Called Quest was the most commercially successful act in the Native Tongues, with all six of its albums certified either gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The group's influence transcends hip-hop, as they are credited with inspiring the neo soul genre. Their most notable songs include "Can I Kick It?", "Scenario", "Award Tour", "Electric Relaxation" and "Bonita Applebum", along with collaborations "Buddy" with De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Monie Love and Queen Latifah, and "Rumble in the Jungle" with Fugees, Busta Rhymes and John Forte. They received the Founders Award at the 2005 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, were honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors, and won the 2017 Brit Award for International Group. A Tribe Called Quest was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.

History

1985–1990: Formation, Native Tongues, and People's Instinctive Travels

Q-Tip (Kamaal Fareed) and Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor) were childhood friends who grew up together in the St. Albans neighbourhood of Queens, New York City. Initially, Q-Tip performed as a battle rapper, under the name MC Love Child, occasionally teaming up with Murry Bergtraum High School classmate Ali Shaheed Muhammad as a rapper and DJ duo. In 1985, the duo began making demos over Q-Tip's pause tape beats. Phife Dawg later joined them, though he didn't become a full member until neighbourhood friend Jarobi White joined; the group dubbed themselves "Crush Connection" and later "Quest". The group's final name, A Tribe Called Quest, was coined in 1988 by Jungle Brothers, who attended the same high school as Q-Tip and Muhammad; that year, Q-Tip made his first recorded appearances on Jungle Brothers' songs "Black Is Black" and "The Promo". Shortly after, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, Queen Latifah and Monie Love formed the Native Tongues collective, known for their like-minded Afrocentrism, positivity and eclectic sampling. In 1989, Phife Dawg made his first recorded appearance on the song "Buddy (Native Tongue Decision)", the remix of De La Soul's single "Buddy".