The 1980s pop star who adores A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is one of hip-hop’s most underrated and unappreciated crews and are legendary, to say the least. Formed in New York’s legendary borough of Queens, the home of Run-DMC and Mobb Deep, A Tribe Called Quest was pivotal in popularising alternative hip-hop during the 1990s.
Comprised of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White, the crew’s jazz-infused work saw them establish a unique breakaway sound. Labelled initially as “progressive rap”, the subgenre and aesthetic would come to be known as jazz-hop by the late 1990s.
Although the unusual group were initially turned down by Geffen Records, the crew managed to bag a lucrative deal with Jive Records in the early ’90s and from there, they managed to build a name for themselves. Their 1990 debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm was released to critical acclaim and was praised for its eclectic choice of samples and exciting fusion of genres.
As they followed the themes surrounding Afrocentrism and The Five-Percent Nation that were arising in neo-soul and other areas of hip-hop, A Tribe Called Quest snowballed to become one of New York’s most sought-after acts alongside the likes of Wu-Tang Clan and Junior M.A.F.I.A., and they gained many fans along the way, including a 1980s pop legend.
In 2019, ‘Rocket Man’ hitmaker Elton John spoke with Q-Tip on his Beats 1 radio show Rocket Hour, and during their conversation John spoke about how much of an impact A Tribe Called Quest had on him when he first heard their music and called the collective’s frontman “a legend.” Furthermore, he called the group the “seminal hip-hop band of all time.”
Speaking to fans on Rocket Hour about why he loves the group and why people should be aware of the New York crew, John stated, “If you don’t know A Tribe Called Quest, you’re stupid. But if you listen to [‘Electric Relaxation’], you’ll understand why I rave about them.” Sir Elton John was part of the collective’s final album, We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service, for the song ‘Solid Wall Of Sound.’
Speaking about how glad he was to collaborate with A Tribe Called Quest, Elton John told Q-Tip, “I was so happy to play that! That’s where we first met you came to London, and we did a track in the studio, and it was such a huge honour for me. I was so excited. I just absolutely love this. This is such a takedown of what’s going on. That is such a great track. The album is a fantastic record. If you’re gonna bow out with a record, you better do something like that.”
Elton John has been vocal about his appreciation for hip-hop and R&B in the past and has been part of posthumous 2Pac projects and Eminem albums.