The Anthology (Slider)

Performer: A Tribe Called Quest
Artist: Trugoy; Leaders Of The New School; Busta Rhymes; Faith Evans
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: A Tribe Called Quest: Phife, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Jarobi. Additional personnel: Faith Evans (vocals); Trugoy, Leaders Of The New School, Charlie Brown, Dinco D., Busta Rhymes (rap vocals). Producers: A Tribe Called Quest, Hoods, Q-Tip, The Ummah. Includes liner notes by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds. Digitally remastered by Tom Coyne (1999, Sterling Sound). Emerging on the cusp of the '90s, Tribe quickly became that decade's hip-hop icons. While Phife, Q-Tip, and Ali displayed unquestionable lyrical skills, they possessed a social consciousness that eschewed thuggish gangsta sensibilities, more concerned with communication than "street" bravado. ANTHOLOGY opens with "Check the Rhime" from Tribe's masterful second album, THE LOW END THEORY. A quintessential Tribe cut, it features the trademark conversational interaction between Phife and Q-Tip, and observations that tell much about the group's philosophy, as Phife declares "I'm far from a bully, and I ain't a punk" and Q-Tip observes that "knowledge is the key." Of course, Tribe was innovative and impressive straight out of the gate, as shown by its debut's warm love song "Bonita Applebum," which mixes smooth '70s R&B with a sitar sample and the belief that "love never dies." Pioneers of the jazz/hip-hop alliance, Tribe sampled everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Lonnie Smith, achieving the complex, polyphonic tapestry of Public Enemy without the anger. ANTHOLOGY shows that Tribe was always able to find just the right elements to combine for the backdrop to their fast-moving raps. From the breezy jazz guitar chords of "Electric Relaxation" to the Average White Band horn section on "Check the Rhime."

Entertainment Weekly (10/29/99, p.115) - "...an innovative spirit sorely missed in today's hip-hop. Mixing jazzy vibes with, say, Lou Reed, samples and witty rhymes, Tribe eschewed trends in favor of making them. Even as they engaged the mind, [Their] anthems endured as party classics..." - Rating: A Q (12/99, p.168) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...The sparse, jazzy cuts still marvel, as do the whimsical raps of quacky Q-Tip and 'ruffneck' sidekick Phife tag-teaming over thrumming bass, scratchy breaks and insistent, head-nodding beats....we'll not likely hear [a group like this] again." CMJ (11/15/99, p.26) - "...makes for a damn fine 'Cliff's Notes' on A Tribe Called Quest's decade-long reign, complete with the hits, the anthems and even a few slept-on gems..." The Source (12/99, p.260) - "...remnants of what made Tribe so great...are collectively showcased in such a fine manner that the need for wet hankies may be dire....a testament to what kind of playing field these guys were once on, and, how much their original flavor will be missed." Mojo (Publisher) (12/99, pp.128-9) - "...an eminently ownable collection."

The early-1990s advent of A Tribe Called Quest represented one of the key evolutions in rap music. The New York group signaled a shift from the boisterous braggadocio of the old school to a more laid-back, fun-loving form buoyed by sophisticated production and thoughtful, positive lyrics. The Tribe's hallmarks were all in evidence on their debut: the low-key delivery of lead rapper Q-Tip, the jazzy instrumental touches, and the oddball samples. Over the next few releases, the group showed major growth, musically and lyrically, pushing the boundaries of hip-hop and influencing a new generation of rappers in the process.

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