A Tribe Called Quest

Songwriter: Q-Tip Ali Shaheed Muhammad J Dilla

Producer: The Ummah

[Verse 1: Q-Tip]
The name is Q-Tip, entering through the middle
From the left, dead all the jokes and the riddles
Coming for the maximum gain, the octane
That's on the radio, it made me feel so low
Emcess have gotta write in the damn prison
I'm Nintendo 64 and you Mattel Intellivision
Bussing from them old trey-eights, now papi wait
This joint is like a Ruger, watch it roar like a cougar
Now we gotta move on the dance floor
And work it out all night, that's what you came here for
Just him, I fills it to the rim
Your shine is looking dim; daddy, shine the light on him
And him is me, leader of the Starfleet Force
Guaranteed to knock your joint off course
You took a loss? Damn right
Sure as Tina made Ike
We gon' put it in your noggin all night, and all day
The tri-lateral commission we missin'
Tell the citizens we straight, but like snakes, they hissin'
I'll be damned if I let a song go on to the side
Won't piggyback some shit, let's ride, come on

[Chorus: Q-Tip]
I put it down now, what you gon' do?
I put it down now, what you gon' do?
I put it down now, what you gon' do?
I put it down now, what you gon' do?
I put it down now, what you gon' do?
I put it down now, what you gon' do?
I put it down now, what you gon' do?
I put it down now, what you gon' do?

[Verse 2: Q-Tip]
When you hear this, recognize you hear love
MC nigga illin' over B-boy dubs
Riding through the shit like Tron
Does it matter if you're on board, do you wanna get on?
'Cause if you do, watch all the moves that we make
Gotta do your things, ain't no time for mistakes
It's a hip-hop cat that can't fuck with Jake
Just because he wear a badge doesn't mean he's straight
So, chew on it, swallow it down and let's make it
Disregard those who fake it
Yo, it doesn't matter about the whelm, hip-hop is to the helm
It's the vine that hit the mind like slippery elms

[Chorus: Q-Tip]
Put it down now, put it on down
Put it down now, put it on down
I put it down now, put it on down
I put it down now, put it on down
I put it down, man, what you gon' do?
Put it down, woman, what you gon' do?
I put it down, man, what you gon' do?
Put it down, woman, what you gon' do?

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.

MEMBERS

more tracks from the album

The Lost Demos

From the album

The Lost Demos (1999)

A Tribe Called Quest popular songs

Put It DownA Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest

The Lost Demos