A Tribe Called Quest

Released: September 24, 1991

Songwriter: Q-Tip

Producer: A Tribe Called Quest

[Verse: Q-Tip & All]
Babies babble on, they lookin' for excuses
Game for the buzzer who kicked it to the mooses
Lame as a brain, could be, golly gee
If you see a shrink he'll charge you a fee
If you see me, ya see, the fee is nothing
Fee will be for patience, all backs no fronting
What is a party if it doesn't really rock?
What is a poet? All balls, no cock
What is a war if it doesn't have a general?
What's Channel 9 if it doesn't have Arsenio?
What is life if you don't have fun?
What is a "what?" if you ain't got a gun?
What's Ali without Shaheed Muhammad?
Nothing, Kapelka makes you vomit
What is a Quest if the players ain't willing?
What is a pence if you don't have a shilling?
Excuse me if I'm chillin', hey what, say what
What's a fat man without food in his gut?
What's a child birth, without the umbilical?
What's United Parcels, without the deliverer?
What's momma-san, without poppa-san?
What's martial arts without Daniel-San?
What's Rasheed without Tonya, Tamika?
What's Oran Juice and Doug E. Doug without Shaniqua?
Nada, nada, nada, not a damn thing
What's Duke Ellington without that swing?
What's Alex Haley if it doesn't have Roots?
What's a weekend if you ain't knockin' boots?
What's a black nation, without black unity?
What is a child who doesn't know puberty?
What is my label when I exit womb status?
What's menage a trois, or, that is
What is sex when you have three people?
What are laws if they ain't fair and equal?
What's Clark Kent without a telephone booth?
What is a liquor if it ain't 80 proof?
What are the youth if they ain't rebellin'?
What's Ralph Kramden, if he ain't yellin'
At Ed Norton, what is coke snortin'?
What is position if there is no contortin'?
What is hip-hop if it doesn't have violence?
Chill for a minute, Doug E. Fresh said silence
(*four second pause*)
What is a Glock if you don't have a clip?
What's a lollipop without the Good Ship?
What's S&M if you don't have chains?
What's a con artist if he doesn't have brains?
What's America without greed and glamour?
What's an MC if he doesn't have stamina?
What's music factory without Mr. Walt?
What's Trugoy without a phrase called talk?
What's Chris Lighty if he wasn't such a baby?
What is a woman if she didn't say maybe?
Baby laid down, I removed the frown
What would be my penal cord if it wasn't brown?
What is a paper without a president?
What is a compound without a element?
What is a jam if you don't spike the punch?
What's a brewski if you don't bite brunch?
Oooh ooh, it's like that you keep goin'
Freak, freak, y'all 'cause you know that we showin'
What tigga, what tigga, what tigga, what tigga
What tigga, what tigga, what tigga, WHAT!

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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