A Tribe Called Quest is a legendary hip hop group. As a member of the collective Native Tongues, they pioneered the jazzy hip hop genre. Group member Q-Tip was behind their production, and his skill and talent extended beyond their own releases as he produced for other artists, too. They have several albums helmed as classics, with fans keeping their music in rotation to this day. Their last album came out in 2016 and was bittersweet, considering it was released after the death of group member Phife Dawg. However, his verses were still all over the album, and his solo album, titled Forever, was released in 2022.
What Has The Group Been Up To?
According to sources, A Tribe Called Quest officially disbanded in 2018 after releasing the music video for their last album’s opening track, “The Space Program.” However, before this, they performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2015 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. This was the first time they had performed together on TV since 1998. They were also quite active with live performances promoting their last album, 2016’s We Got It from Here…Thank You 4 Your Service. During their Saturday Night Live performance that year, their stage had a large mural of Phife Dawg on it. They continued performing at festivals in 2017 and even at the Grammys that year. Their last live performance was at Bestival in England that same year.
What Has Group Member Q-Tip Been Up To?
Q-Tip is probably the most recognizable member of A Tribe Called Quest. He was their main producer and has been praised by producers and rappers for his wide range of innovation and creative skills. With Tribe having their heyday in the '90s, Q-Tip continued to be active on his own in the music world throughout the 2010s. One of his biggest modern accolades was being brought in for the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy sessions, with his work appearing on Watch The Throne.
In 2015, Q-Tip also received his own station on Apple Music 1 called Abstract Radio, where he played mixes of all kinds and chatted with a myriad of guests. In 2016, he was appointed the Kennedy Center's first artistic director for its Hip Hop Culture Council. He used this position to curate several programs for them. He ended the 2010s by executive producing Danny Brown’s 2019 album, uknowhatimsayin¿.
Q-Tip has remained active post-2020, too, by working with Cordae, Eminem, and, most recently, Jack White. In 2020, he announced he was working on three solo albums: AlGoRhythms, Riotdiaries, and The Last Zulu. None have been released yet, but his supporters certainly have a lot to look forward to. His status in the rap game has afforded him many opportunities with multiple artists across generations inside and outside rap. He’s maintained his authenticity throughout the decades and even shared some fascinating stories in interviews. His supporters are forever grateful for his presence as an artist and human being.
What Has Group Member Ali Been Up To?
Ali Shaheed Muhammad was the DJ for A Tribe Called Quest and also produced for them. He remained musically active as recently as 2023 and was across the years before that, too. He worked with producer Adrian Younge on the 2013 Souls of Mischief album, There Is Only Now. The two of them would go on to produce and compose the soundtrack and score for the Marvel Netflix series Luke Cage. They continued to work together and released a self-titled project in 2020 as a duo called Midnight Hour.
Their latest endeavor is Jazz Is Dead, credited as a record label and live music project. In it, the two of them collaborate with jazz musicians. A quick search of “Jazz Is Dead" on Spotify brings up a multitude of projects from the duo. These releases range from 2020 to 2023. It’s safe to say Ali hasn’t missed a step in his musical pursuits since his group’s golden age.
What Has Group Member Jarobi White Been Up To?
Jarobi White is often credited as a part-time member of A Tribe Called Quest. This is because he initially left the group after the release of their debut album - then returned again for their last album. He left to pursue a career as a chef and became quite successful in that world. He has a culinary company called Eats, Rhymes and Life and has done several cooking videos online. Jarobi also formed a duo with Black Sheep member Dres called Evitan and they released an album called Speed of Life in 2012. He also regularly does DJ sets with Tillery James at various locations.
Have you tapped in with anything the members of A Tribe Called Quest have put out across the years? Let us know in the comments section.