The Native Tongues were a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

-influenced beats. Its principal members were the

Jungle Brothers Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop trio composed of Michael Small (Mike Gee), Nathaniel Hall ( Afrika Baby Bam), and Sammy Burwell (DJ Sammy B). Known as the pioneers of the fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and house music, they were the first hi ...

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative ...

, and

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

. The collective was also closely tied to the

Universal Zulu Nation The Universal Zulu Nation is an international hip hop awareness group formed by and formerly led by hip hop artist Afrika Bambaataa. The Universal Zulu Nation promotes the idea that hip-hop was created to sustain the ideals of “peace, love ...

. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' cites the track "Doin' Our Own Dang" as "the definitive Native Tongues posse cut".

Naming

The Native Tongues took their name from a line in the song “African Cry,” by Motown-offshoot funk group

New Birth Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...

, which features the lyric, “took away our native tongues."

History

The

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

-based Native Tongues crew was a collective of like-minded hip hop artists who would help bring abstract and open-minded lyricism that addressed a range of topics—from spirituality and modern living to race, sex, and just having fun—to the mainstream. Together with the use of eclectic samples that would take on an increasingly jazzy sound, they would be pioneers of so-called

conscious hip hop Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that was developed in the 1980s as a way of turning hip hop into a call for political and/or social action and a form of social and/or political activism. Inspired by 1970s political artists su ...

alternative hip hop Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confor ...

, and

jazz rap Jazz rap (or jazz hip hop) is a fusion of jazz and hip hop music, as well as an alternative hip hop subgenre, that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. AllMusic writes that the genre "was an attempt to fuse African-American music of the ...

. De La Soul's

Trugoy the Dove David Jude Jolicoeur (born September 21, 1968), also known under the stage name Trugoy the Dove and more recently Dave, is an American rapper, music producer, producer, and one third of the hip hop Trio (music), trio De La Soul. He was born i ...

recalled: "The Native Tongues came about where, basically, we had a show together in Boston. e La Soul Jungle rothersand we linked from there. We had a natural love for the art and a natural love for each other on how we put stuff together. So we invited he Jungle Brothersto a session, and when they hooked up with us, we happened to be doing "Buddy." It wasn't business; it wasn't for a check. It was just trading ideas and just seeing what you're doing. Bottom line, it was just having fun." According to Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest: "I remember Afrika aby Bamcalled me that night, like, two in the morning. "Yo these kids, De La Soul, you gotta meet ’em! I swear we're just alike!" I went there, met them, and it was just fuckin' love at first sight. It was disgusting. In hip hop, it praises individualism. I think that's the main achievement of the Native Tongues. It just showed people could come together." Fostered by

Kool DJ Red Alert Frederick Crute (born November 27, 1956), known professionally as Kool DJ Red Alert, is an American disc jockey who rose to fame on WRKS 98.7 Kiss FM in New York City and is recognized as one of the founding fathers of hip hop music and cultur ...

, the success of the

would pave the way for

and

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

; together, these three groups would form the core of the crew and continue the spirit of Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation. By 1989 they had been joined by

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...

and the United Kingdom's

Monie Love Simone Johnson or Simone Gooden (born 2 July 1970), better known by her stage name Monie Love, is a British rapper, actress and radio personality from London. Best known for her singles during the late–1980s through the 1990s, Monie Love curre ...

, and soon by the

Black Sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

Chi-Ali Chi-Ali Griffith (born May 27, 1976), better known by his stage name Chi-Ali, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York City, best known for his debut album, '' The Fabulous Chi-Ali'', released in 1992, and as a member of hip-hop collectiv ...

. Collectively, the members of the Native Tongues had a huge effect on the style and trends of hip hop during its most important period, the

golden age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...

of the late 1980s–early 1990s.

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

and

's albums of this time are considered among the best and most important in the hip hop genre. The song "Scenario" was the final track on A Tribe Called Quest's album '' The Low End Theory'' and featured the fledgling

Leaders of the New School Leaders of the New School was an American hip hop group based in Long Island, New York. History The crew was composed of Uniondale, New York, natives Charlie Brown (born Bryan Higgins on September 19, 1970) and Dinco D (born James Jackson on No ...

—Dinco D,

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

, and Charlie Brown. While featuring an extensive discography, the collaborations of the Native Tongues have been fairly limited: the collective never recorded anything under that name, and the number of notable

crew cut A crew cut is a type of haircut in which the upright hair on the top of the head is cut relatively short, graduated in length from the longest hair that forms a short pomp ( pompadour) at the front hairline to the shortest at the back of the cro ...

s can be counted on one hand. The various groups grew distant with time, and, by 1993, De La Soul's

proclaimed, "That native shit is dead." The collective would, however, reunite in 1996 for the Jungle Brothers’ "How Ya Want It We Got It (Native Tongues Remix)"; collaborators in this period, such as

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

The Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

, Truth Enola, DJ S.T.R.E.S.S.,

Da Bush Babees Da Bush Babees is an American group of underground hip-hop artists loosely affiliated with the Native Tongues. The members of the group originally performed under the stage names Babe-B-Face Kaos (later Lee Majors), Mister Man (later King Khali ...

, and

Mos Def Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...

, could be seen as latter-day additions to the crew. In 1998 on A Tribe Called Quest's album

The Love Movement ''The Love Movement'' is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and their last album released during group member Phife Dawg's lifetime. Released on September 29, 1998, by Jive Records, it is a concept album, explor ...

, the last track ("Rock Rock Ya'll") features Jane Doe, Mos Def, Punchline & Wordsworth. Q Tip states near the track's end that "this right here is a family".

Legacy

The Native Tongues are credited with expanding the hip-hop genre, inspiring and enabling the future success of artists such as

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

and

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...

. In 2019, the 9:30 Club in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

launched an annual Native Tongues Festival to celebrate the musical legacy of the Native Tongues. There are several collectives today—with overlapping membership—that can be seen as the spiritual heirs to the Native Tongues crew: the Spitkicker crew (founded by De La Soul's Trugoy and

Posdnuos Kelvin Mercer (born August 17, 1969), also known by his stage name Posdnuos and occasionally Pos, is an American rapper and producer from East Massapequa, New York best known for his work as one-third of the hip hop trio De La Soul. Through ...

in 2000), the Okayplayers, and the Soulquarians.

Chris Lighty Darrel Steven "Chris" Lighty (May 8, 1968 – August 30, 2012) was an American music industry executive. He co-founded Violator, a record label, management and marketing company, which represented hip hop and R&B artists such as Busta Rhymes ...

was a member of the Native Tongues-affiliated street crew the Violators and began his career carrying records for Zulu Nation DJs, and later as the Jungle Brothers'

roadie The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians. This catc ...

. Until his death in 2012 he ran the successful

Violator Management Violator is a company, record label, marketing group, and multi-media entertainment conglomerate founded and operated by Chris Lighty and Mona Scott-Young until Lighty's death on August 30, 2012.

company, which represented Busta Rhymes and Q-Tip, among other high-profile clients.

Members

Core members

( Mike Gee, Sammy B,

Afrika Baby Bam Nathaniel Hall, better known by his stage name Afrika Baby Bam, is an American hip hop artist, born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, and was part of the hip-hop group the Jungle Brothers. He was named in honor of Afrika Bambaataa. He is ...

) *

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

( Q-Tip,

Phife Dawg Malik Izaak Taylor (November 20, 1970March 22, 2016), known professionally as Phife Dawg (or simply Phife), was an American rapper and a member of the group A Tribe Called Quest with Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (and for a short time Jarobi W ...

Ali Shaheed Muhammad Ali Shaheed Muhammad (born August 11, 1970) is an American hip hop DJ, record producer, and rapper, best known as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (and sometimes Jarobi White), the group released five studio albums ...

and

Jarobi White Jarobi White (born July 1, 1971) is an American hip hop artist, chef, and a founding member of alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, alongside members Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. He left the group after the release ...

) *

(

Trugoy David Jude Jolicoeur (born September 21, 1968), also known under the stage name Trugoy the Dove and more recently Dave, is an American rapper, producer, and one third of the hip hop trio De La Soul. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, but ...

, and

Maseo Vincent Lamont Mason Jr. (born March 24, 1970) is an American rapper, producer and DJ who is one third of the hip hop group De La Soul. Mason is also known as Maseo, P.A. Pasemaster Mase and Plug Three. Early life Mason graduated from Amit ...

) *

Lucien Revolucien Lucien M'baïdem, better known as Lucien Revolucien, also Lucien M'B and Papalu, is a French hip hop, French hip-hop artisthttps://www.nme.com/video/id/0CWorZP9now/search/Lucien%20Revolucien who was influential in the hip-hop movement in France in ...

( Dres and Mista Lawnge) *

Fu-Schnickens Fu-Schnickens were an American hip-hop trio from 1988 to 1995, based in Brooklyn, New York. History Fu-Schnickens was composed of Chip Fu (Roderick Roachford), Moc Fu (Joe Jones), and Poc Fu (Lennox Maturine). ''Fu'' stood for unity and '' ...

† (Chip Fu, Moc Fu and Poc Fu)

Peripheral members

The Beatnuts The Beatnuts are an American hip hop group and production duo from New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu (born Jerry Tineo on December 14, 1968) is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les (born Lester Fernande ...

(Psycho Les, JuJu and Fashion) *

Brand Nubian Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, composed of three emcees ( Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar), and formerly three DJs (DJ Alamo, DJ Sincere, and DJ Stud Doogie). Their debut studio album, '' One for All' ...

(

Grand Puba Maxwell Dixon (born March 4, 1964), known professionally as Grand Puba, is an American rapper and emcee, best known as one of the members of the group Brand Nubian from New Rochelle, New York. Biography He made his debut as Grand Puba Max ...

Sadat X Derek Murphy (born December 29, 1968), better known as Sadat X, is an American rapping, rapper, best known as a member of alternative hip hop group Brand Nubian. Originally known as Derek X, Sadat takes his name from former Egyptian president ...

Lord Jamar Lorenzo Dechalus (born September 17, 1968), known professionally as Lord Jamar is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor and podcaster. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989. In 1996, he disco ...

, DJ Alamo & DJ Sincere) *Shortie No Mass† * Prince Paul *

J Dilla J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon varia ...

(as a member of

The Ummah The Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee (also known as J Dilla) of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. Occasional members included Raphae ...

with Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad) *

(

, Charlie Brown, Dinco D, Milo) *

† *Truth Enola† * DJ S.T.R.E.S.S. *

(Lord Khaliyl, Lee Majors and Light) *

The Pharcyde The Pharcyde (currently known as The Far Side) is an American alternative hip hop group, formed in 1989, from South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani (Emandu Wilcox), Slimkid3 (Trevant Hardson), Bootie Brown ...

†† ( Imani, Bootie Brown,

Slimkid3 Trevant Hardson (born October 5, 1970), best known by his stage name Slimkid3 (Slim Kid Tre; sometimes stylized as SlimKid3), is an American rapper from Los Angeles. He is a founding member of The Pharcyde. Career Tre Hardson began his career ...

and

Fatlip Derrick Lemel Stewart (born March 26, 1968), known professionally as Fatlip, is a Los Angeles-born hip hop musician. He started his career in the hip hop group The Pharcyde. Early career The Pharcyde As a member of The Pharcyde, Fatlip contri ...

) *

Vinia Mojica Vinia A. Mojica (born March 14, 1970) is a singer-songwriter from Queens, New York City, United States of America. She is best known for her collaborations with the Native Tongues collective and other hip hop artists. Life and career Her recor ...

† According to De La Soul interview on

MuchMusic Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...

's RapCity in 1996. †† According to Q-Tip interview the BBC Radio 1 special The Story Of Q-Tip.

Collaborations

''Collaborations involving the original members, those that could be considered true Native Tongues

s, are in bold. Note that this list is incomplete.'' 1988 * "Black is Black" by Jungle Brothers feat. Q-Tip, from '' Straight out the Jungle'' * "The Promo" by Jungle Brothers feat. Q-Tip, from ''Straight out the Jungle'' 1989 * "

Buddy Buddy may refer to: People *Buddy (nickname) *Buddy (rapper), real name Simmie Sims III (1993–Present) *Buddy Rogers (wrestler), ring name of American professional wrestler Herman Gustav Rohde, Jr. (1921–1992) *Buddy Boeheim (born 1999), Amer ...

" by De La Soul featuring Jungle Brothers and Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, from ''

3 Feet High and Rising ''3 Feet High and Rising'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul, released on March 3, 1989 by Tommy Boy Records. It is the first of three collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and ...

'' * "Description" De La Soul featuring Q-Tip and Prince Paul, from ''3 Feet High and Rising'' * "Buddy (Native Tongues Decision)" by De La Soul featuring Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love, and Queen Latifah, from "Buddy" 12-inch single * "The Mack Daddy on the Left" by De La Soul from "

Say No Go "Say No Go" is a single by De La Soul from their influential 1989 album ''3 Feet High and Rising''. It reached number 18 in the UK charts. The tune is heavily based on sampling the hit song "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" by Hall & Oates. Ba ...

" 12-inch single * "Acknowledge Your Own History" by Jungle Brothers featuring Vinia Mojica, from '' Done by the Forces of Nature'' * "Done by the Forces of Nature" by Jungle Brothers feat. Jungle DJ Towa Toha, from ''Done by the Forces of Nature'' * "Doin' Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers feat. De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Q-Tip and Monie Love, from ''Done by the Forces of Nature'' * "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children" by Queen Latifah featuring De La Soul, from ''

All Hail the Queen ''All Hail the Queen'' is the debut album by hip-hop artist Queen Latifah. The album was released on November 7, 1989, through Tommy Boy Records. The feminist anthem, "Ladies First" featuring Monie Love remains one of Latifah's signature songs. ...

'' * "Ladies First" by Queen Latifah featuring Monie Love, from ''All Hail The Queen'' 1990 * "Swiney Swiney" by Monie Love featuring De La Soul, from ''Down to Earth'' * "Pubic Enemy" by A Tribe Called Quest feat. DJ Red Alert, from ''

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released on April 10, 1990 on Jive Records. After forming the Native Tongues collective and collaborating on sever ...

'' * "Luck of Lucien" by A Tribe Called Quest feat. Lucien Revolucien, from ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' 1991 * "Verses From The Abstract" by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Vinia Mojica, from '' The Low End Theory'' * "

Scenario In the performing arts, a scenario (, ; ; ) is a synoptical collage of an event or series of actions and events. In the ''commedia dell'arte'', it was an outline of entrances, exits, and action describing the plot of a play, and was literally pi ...

" by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Leaders of the New School, from ''The Low End Theory'' * (The Original Version of Scenario featured De La Soul and Black Sheep as well as Leaders of the New School) * "Show Business" by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Brand Nubian and Diamond D, from '' The Low End Theory'' * "Come on Down" by

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hi ...

feat. Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes, from '' Prince of Darkness'' * "La Menage" by

featuring Q-Tip, from '' A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'' * "Pass The 40" by

featuring

Chi Ali Chi-Ali Griffith (born May 27, 1976), better known by his stage name Chi-Ali, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York City, best known for his debut album, '' The Fabulous Chi-Ali'', released in 1992, and as a member of hip-hop collectiv ...

, Jim Jones, Chris Lighty, and Dave Gossett, from ''A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'' * "

A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" is a song by American hip hop trio De La Soul, released as the first single from their second studio album, ''De La Soul Is Dead'' (1991). The track includes vocal contributions from rapper Q-Tip, R&B sin ...

" by De La Soul featuring Q-Tip and Vinia Mojica, from ''

De La Soul is Dead ''De La Soul Is Dead'' is the second studio album by American hip-hop group De La Soul, released on May 14, 1991. The album was produced by Prince Paul, whose work on '' 3 Feet High and Rising'' was highly praised by music critics. The album w ...

'' * "Fanatic Of The B Word" by De La Soul featuring Dres and Mike G, from ''De La Soul is Dead'' * "What Yo Life Can Truly Be" by De La Soul featuring A Tribe Called Quest (Including Jarobi) and Black Sheep, available on the "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays" vinyl single. 1992 * "Scenario (Remix)" by A Tribe Called Quest feat. Kid Hood and Leaders Of The New School, from "Scenario" 12" single * "Let The Horns Blow" by

feat. Dres, Dove, Fashion and Phife Dawg, from ''The Fabulous Chi-Ali'' * "La Schmoove" by The Fu-Schnickens feat Phife Dawg, from "F.U. "Dont Take It Personal"" * "Check It Out" by the Fu-Schnickens feat Dres, from "F.U. "Dont Take It Personal"" 1993 * " Award Tour" by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Trugoy, from ''

Midnight Marauders ''Midnight Marauders'' is the third studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released on November 9, 1993, by Jive Records. Recording sessions for the album occurred at Battery Studios, Platinum Island Studios and Scorcerer So ...

'' * "

Oh My God Oh My God, O My God, Oh My God! or Ohmigod may refer to: * the first words of the Act of Contrition, a Christian prayer * a common phrase frequently abbreviated as "OMG", often used in SMS messages and Internet communication, and sometimes euphem ...

" by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Busta Rhymes, from ''Midnight Marauders'' * "One-Two Shit" by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Busta Rhymes, from "Oh My God" 12-inch single * "Roll wit tha Flava" by The Flavor Unit MCs feat.

Treach Anthony Criss (born December 2, 1970), better known by his stage name Treach, is an American rapper and actor. He is perhaps best known as the lead rapper of the hip hop group Naughty by Nature. Career With Naughty by Nature, Treach worked ...

, Chip-Fu,

Freddie Foxxx James Campbell (born March 27, 1969), better known by his stage names Freddie Foxxx and Bumpy Knuckles, is an American rapper and music producer from Long Island, New York. Biography Foxxx got his start rapping in the early 1980s. In 1986, he ...

, Queen Latifah,

Heavy D Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. '' Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Hea ...

, D-Nice, and Dres, from ''Roll Wit Tha Flavor'' * "En Focus" by De La Soul featuring Shorty No Mass, and Dres, from ''Buhloone Mind State'' * "I Am I Be" by De La Soul featuring Busta Rhymes, Chip Fu, Dres,

Fred Wesley Fred Wesley (born July 4, 1943) is an American trombonist who worked with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s and Parliament-Funkadelic in the second half of the 1970s. Biography Wesley was born the son of a high school teacher and big band lead ...

Maceo Parker Maceo Parker (; born February 14, 1943) is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s and Prince in the 2000s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of B ...

Melvin Parker Melvin Parker (June 7, 1944 – December 3, 2021) was an American drummer. He and his brother, saxophonist Maceo Parker, were key members of James Brown's band. Life and career Parker was born in Kinston, North Carolina on June 7, 1944. His drumm ...

Pee Wee Ellis Alfred James Ellis (April 21, 1941 – September 23, 2021), known as Pee Wee Ellis due to his diminutive stature, was an American saxophonist, composer, and arranger. With a background in jazz, he was a member of James Brown's band in the 19 ...

, and Rodney Jones, from ''Buhloone Mind State'' 1994 * "We Run Things(It's Like Dat)" da Bush Babees (Ali Shaheed Muhammad production) from '' Ambushed'' * "Sh. Fe. MC's" by De La Soul featuring A Tribe Called Quest, from ''Clear Lake Auditorium'' EP 1996 * "Ill Vibe" by Busta Rhymes featuring Q-Tip, from ''

The Coming ''The Coming'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released on March 26, 1996, by Elektra Records. The album contains contributions by Def Squad members Redman, Keith Murray, and Jamal, Q-Tip, Zhané, Leaders of th ...

'' * "3 MC's" by da Bush Babees featuring Q-Tip, from ''

Gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...

'' * "S.O.S." by da Bush Babees featuring Mos Def, from ''Gravity'' * "Love Song" by da Bush Babees featuring Mos Def (prod. by Posdnous), from ''Gravity'' * "Big-Brother Beat" by De La Soul featuring Mos Def, from ''

Stakes Is High ''Stakes Is High'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul. It was released on July 2, 1996, through Tommy Boy Records. The album marked a change in the group's sound and direction as it was their first release not to b ...

'' * "Pony Ride" by De La Soul featuring Truth Enola from ''

'' * "Stakes is High (Remix)" De La Soul featuring Truth Enola and Mos Def, from " Itzsoweezee (HOT)" 12-inch single * "Love Song remix" Bush Babees featuring De La Soul and Mos Def * "Flashlight (Remix)" by George Clinton featuring Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes &

Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), better known by his stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily fr ...

, from ''Greatest Funkin' Hits'' * "Out For The Cash (Remix)" by

DJ Honda DJ Honda is a Japanese record producer and DJ best known for his 1995 self-titled eponymous debut, '' DJ Honda'' (also shortened to '' h''). Biography DJ Honda moved to Tokyo at 17 years old to play in an American influenced rock band called 'T ...

feat.

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...

, the Beatnuts, and Common * "How Ya Want It We Got It (Native Tongues Remix)" by Jungle Brothers featuring Q-Tip and De La Soul, from ''Raw Deluxe'' 1997 * "Wild Hot" by A Tribe Called Quest & Busta Rhymes, from ''Rhyme & Reason Soundtrack'' * "

Rumble in the Jungle George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as ''The Rumble in the Jungle'', was a heavyweight championship boxing match on October 30, 1974, at the 20th of May Stadium (now the Stade Tata Raphaël) in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of t ...

" by

The Fugees ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

featuring

John Forté John Forté (born January 30, 1975) is an American recording artist and producer. He is primarily known for being a member of the musical duo Refugee Camp All-Stars, and his production work on the Fugees album '' The Score''. He has released f ...

, A Tribe Called Quest, and Busta Rhymes, from ''

When We Were Kings ''When We Were Kings'' is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the "Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship match that was held on October 30, 1974, in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) between world ...

Soundtrack'' * "Fortified Live" by

Reflection Eternal Reflection Eternal is an American hip hop duo composed of emcee Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. They released their first album, ''Train of Thought'', in 2000. They have since released a mixtape, ''The RE: Union'', in late December 2009, and t ...

featuring Mos Def & Mr. Man *''Hear Iz...'' - a

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

by DJ S.T.R.E.S.S. featuring Q-Tip, Sadat X, The Beatnuts, Wyclef Jean, and Prince Paul 1998 * "Steppin' It Up" by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Busta Rhymes and Redman, from ''

'' * "Rock Rock, Y'all" by A Tribe Called Quest featuring

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

, Jane Doe,

Words A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consen ...

, and Mos Def, from ''The Love Movement'' * "K.O.S. (Determination)" by Black Star featuring Vinia Mojica, from ''

Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star ''Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star'' (often called simply ''Black Star'') is the debut studio album by Black Star, a hip hop duo consisting of emcees Talib Kweli and Mos Def (the latter of whom now goes by Yasiin Bey). The album was released ...

'' * "Body Rock" by Mos Def, Tash & Q-Tip, from ''

Lyricist Lounge, Volume One ''Lyricist Lounge, Volume One'' is the second hip hop compilation album by American record label Rawkus Records. The double-disc was released on May 5, 1998 as the first installment of ''Lyricist Lounge'' album series, based on New York's '' Lyr ...

'' * "

Respiration Respiration may refer to: Biology * Cellular respiration, the process in which nutrients are converted into useful energy in a cell ** Anaerobic respiration, cellular respiration without oxygen ** Maintenance respiration, the amount of cellul ...

" by Black Star featuring Common, from ''Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star'' *"Twice Inna Lifetime" by Black Star featuring Jane Doe, Wordsworth, and Punchline, from ''Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star'' *''Intercommunal Compositions'' - a

by DJ S.T.R.E.S.S. featuring Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest, Consequence, Talib Kweli, and The Roots 1999 * "Do it Now" by Mos Def featuring Busta Rhymes, produced by Mr Khaliyl(Mr. Man) from ''

Black On Both Sides ''Black on Both Sides'' is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, 1999, by Rawkus and Priority Records. Prior to its recording, Mos Def had collaborated with Talib Kweli for the album ''Mos Def & Talib Kwe ...

'' * "Know That" by Mos Def featuring Talib Kweli, from ''Black On Both Sides'' * "Climb" by Mos Def featuring Vinia Mojica, from ''Black On Both Sides'' * "Mr. Nigga" by Mos Def featuring Q-Tip, from ''Black On Both Sides'' * "Got" by Mos Def produced by Ali Shaheed Muhammad, from ''Black On Both Sides'' * "The Truth" by

Pharoahe Monch Troy Donald Jamerson (born October 31, 1972), better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper from South Jamaica, Queens, New York. He is known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhy ...

featuring Common and Talib Kweli, from ''Internal Affairs'' * "It's Going Down" by Dres featuring Chi-Ali and Droop Dog, from ''Sure Shot Redemption'' * "Bang" by Maseo featuring Truth Enola, DCQ, Mike G (of the Jungle Brothers) and Indeed, * "Tinseltown to Boogiedown" by Scritt-Polliti featuring Lee Majors(of da Bush Babees) and Mos Def * "Slam Pit" by

the Beatnuts The Beatnuts are an American hip hop group and production duo from New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu (born Jerry Tineo on December 14, 1968) is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les (born Lester Fernande ...

featuring Common and

Cuban Link Felix Delgado (born December 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Cuban Link, is a Cuban American rapper and original member of Terror Squad. Biography Delgado was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1974. He and his family emigrated to the Unite ...

, from ''A Musical Massacre'' * "Vivrant Thang (Remix)" by Q-Tip featuring Busta Rhymes &

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

* "N.T." by Q-Tip featuring Busta Rhymes, from ''Amplified'' * "Voicetress" by Truth Enola featuring De La Soul from ''Blind Side Recordings presents Wide Angels'' 2000 * "Set the Mood" - De La Soul featuring Indeed, produced by Mr. Khaliyl(of Bush Babees) from Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump * "I.C. Y'All" by De La Soul featuring Busta Rhymes, from '' Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump'' * "What's That? (¿Que Eso?)" by

Tony Touch Joseph Anthony Hernandez (born July 2, 1969), professionally known as Tony Touch, is an American hip hop break dancer, rapper, record producer and DJ of Puerto Rican descent. Career Tony Touch began as a B-boy during the rap music renaissance ...

featuring Mos Def and De La Soul, from ''The Piece Maker'' * "The Questions" by Common featuring Mos Def & Monie Love, from ''Like Water for Chocolate'' * "One for Love Part 1" by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Posdnuos, Pharoahe Monch,

Kool G Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper from Queens, New York City. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as ...

Rah Digga Rashia Tashan Fisher (born December 18, 1974), known professionally as Rah Digga, is an American rapper and actress. She is best known as a longtime member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes. Her debut album, ''Dirty H ...

Sporty Thievz Sporty Thievz is a Yonkers, New York-based hip-hop duo—originally a trio—composed of King Kirk (a.k.a. Thieven Stealburg), Big Dubez (a.k.a. Safecracker) and Marlon Bryant Brando (March 19, 1979 – May 11, 2001; a.k.a. Robin Hood). allmusic ...

, and Shabaam Sahdeeq, from ''Hip-Hop for Respect'' 2001 * "Take That" by Da Beatminerz featuring Flipmode Squad & Vinia Mojica, from ''Brace 4 Impak'' * "Wages of Sin"-Mr. Khaliyl featuring Talib Kweli 2002 * "Get By (Remix)" by Talib Kweli featuring Mos Def, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, and

* "Stand To The Side" by Talib Kweli featuring Vinia Mojica & Res, from ''Quality'' 2003 * "Let's Get Loud" by Steven Tyler, Busta Rhymes, Phife Dawg,

MC Lyte Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first ...

, and Chuck D, from the 2003

ESPY Awards An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...

2004 * "Get 'Em High" by

featuring Talib Kweli and Common from ''

The College Dropout ''The College Dropout'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on February 10, 2004, by Def Jam Recordings and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. In the years leading up to release, West had received pra ...

''. * "She Wants to Move (Native Tongues Remix)" by

N*E*R*D N.E.R.D. (stylized as N⋆E⋆R⋆D and N.E.R.D, a backronym of No-one Ever Really Dies) is an American hip hop and rock band, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1999. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were signed by Teddy Riley to Virgin Reco ...

feat. Common, Mos Def, De La Soul, and Q-Tip, from "She Wants To Move Remixes" 12-inch single * "Days of Our Lives" by De La Soul featuring Common, from ''The Grind Date'' * "Lord Can I Have This Mercy" - (featuring Chip-Fu) from Ali Shaheed Muhammad's haheedulah & Stereotypes i 2005 * "Like That" by

The Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hil ...

featuring

Cee-Lo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...

, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, and

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...

, from '' Monkey Business'' * "We Can Make it Better" by Kanye West featuring Rhymefest, Q-Tip, Common, and Talib Kweli 2006 * "Get You Some" by Busta Rhymes featuring Q-Tip and

Marsha Ambrosius Marsha Ambrosius-Billups (born 8 August 1977) is an English singer and songwriter from Liverpool, England. She embarked on her musical career as a member of Floetry. Ambrosius released her debut solo album '' Late Nights & Early Mornings'' in M ...

, from ''

The Big Bang The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the Expansion of the universe, universe expanded from an initial state of high Energy density, density and temperature. Various Physical cosmology, cosmological models of the Big Ba ...

'' * "You Can't Hold A Torch" by Busta Rhymes featuring Q-Tip and

Chauncey Black Chauncey Forward Black (November 24, 1839 – December 2, 1904) was the third lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 1883 to 1887. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania in 1886. Biography Born in Glades, Pennsylvania ...

, from ''The Big Bang'' 2007 * "Where Are They Now? (Remix)" by

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

featuring Mike G, Dres,

Das EFX Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Dray (also known as Krazy Drayz, born Andre Weston, September 9, 1970) and Skoob (also known as Books and Boogie Bang, born William "Willie" Hines, November 27, 1970). They named the ...

Positive K Positive K (sometimes stylized as +K) (born Darryl Gibson on August 9, 1967) is an American MC and songwriter from the Bronx, New York City, New York, and one of the original artists of the First Priority Music camp. He is best known for his hi ...

, EST, DoItAll, Chip Fu, Monie Love,

Father MC Timothy Brown, also known as Father MC, is an American rapper who achieved success in the early 1990s on the Uptown Records label. Personal life Father MC appeared in the August 1996 issue of ''Playgirl'' in a photospread taken by Greg Weiner. ...

Spinderella Deidra Muriel Roper (born August 3, 1970), known professionally as DJ Spinderella or simply Spinderella, is an American DJ, rapper and producer. She is best known as a member of the hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa. Roper occasionally appeared in ''Th ...

Rob Base Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock were an American hip hop duo from Harlem, New York City. Rob Base is the stage name of Robert Ginyard (b. 1967) and DJ E-Z Rock was Rodney "Skip" Bryce (1967–2014). They are best known for the 1988 hit " It Takes Two", ...

, and Redhead Kingpin 2010 * "Birds of a Feather" by

featuring Q-Tip from

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

, and Mike Gee of the

. From

album "From the Black Pool of Genius" due June 29, 2010. * "Scheming" by Slum Village ft.

, and

from

Villa Manifesto ''Villa Manifesto'' is the sixth studio album by Detroit hip hop group Slum Village. It was released on July 27, 2010, via E1 Records. Background ''Villa Manifesto'' serves as both a reunion and a memorial album. Two late founding members of ...

2011 *"P.T.I. (Occupy Wall Street)" by evitaN ( Dres of Black Sheep and Jarobi of A Tribe Called Quest)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control * Hip hop collectives East Coast hip hop groups

Naming

History

Legacy

Members

Core members

Peripheral members

Collaborations

References

Further reading

External links