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After HoursA Tribe Called Quest

Released: April 17, 1990

Songwriter: Ali Shaheed Muhammad Q-Tip

Producer: A Tribe Called Quest

[Hook]
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool

[Verse 1: Q-Tip]
Ten after one I think I'll hop the horse
Downtown '83 of course
Just came from fishing, couldn't get a catch
Downtown they'll probably have a batch
A whiting sandwich and a Guinness Stout
But with the beer though I had a bout
So I exchanged it for some apple juice
I had the blues but I shook them loose
A jeep is blasting from the urban streets
Loops of funk over hardcore beats
The moon dabbles in the morning sky
As the minutes just creep on by
I get a thought and here comes my Tribe
Ritual shakes and in good vibes
Like always the Quest begins
In the mist though but the rhythms moving
We find a spot and we sit and chat
Speaking on the status quo of rap
A derelict makes a real long speech
We pay attention to the words he read
When he was done we rattled on
There was no rush because it wasn't dawn
We pointed things out about these times
The worlds famines and the crazy crimes
Inflation of the nation, it bothers me
I better go gold, to pay the taxes
Gotta be swift 'n society
The man whose made is the man who maxes
The grounds for living are being discussed
As we go, it gets close to dusk
Gather thoughts and savor breath
'Cause there's only a few hours left

[Hook]
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool

[Verse 2: Q-Tip]
Me oh my, hey-hey, hey-hey
The human hours are here to stay
This is how it seems as Phife's my witness
Bug out all night, ask Phife, he's with this
Girls be screaming on this conversation
I have my two cents for a revelation
And my watch continuously tick-tocks
Shaheed will bring up the beats that rocks
I hear the frogs and the smashing of bottles
A car revs up and I hear it throttle
It probably moves with the morning wind
Oh my God, here's Phife again
Hear him talking about last night's game
Trying to remember someone's name
So hear the frogs dancing in the streets
Once again Ali will bring up the beat
Like this

[Interlude]
*sounds of frogs

[Verse 3: Q-Tip]
The beat is over and so is the night
The sun is risen and the shine is bright
We all say peace and go our separate ways
Youth is fading as we gain our days
Expedition for the song is simp'
The hours creep, excuse me, I mean limp
As we go you hear a gasp of laugh
As we start up our rhythmic path
Like this

[Hook]
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool

A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest is to Hip Hop what Pink Floyd is to Rock ‘n’ Roll. With humble beginnings in Queens, New York, the group blossomed from the friendship of Jonathan Davis (Q-Tip) and Malik Taylor (Phife Dawg). Along with acts like Jungle Brothers and De La Soul—their comrades in the Native Tongues rap collective—they vitalized East Coast Hip Hop, setting the stage for the rise of mainstream and alternative hip hop alike.

Their style, a synthesis of avant-garde production and authentic lyricism, paved the way for the conscious and jazz rap movements. Alongside other upbeat artists like Digable Planets, Us3, and Guru, ATCQ opened up the world of afrocentrism to a wider audience.

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