This year’s VH-1 Hip-Hop Honors will give some shine to a group of artists from Queens that created the lane in rap music now occupied by DeLa Soul, The Roots, OutKast, BlackStar’s Mos Def and TALIB KWELI, the Neptunes and to a large degree KANYE WEST.
A Tribe Called Quest was more than simply a groundbreaking music group. In my opinion they were the modern expression for post-African Black culture. From a social standpoint when you look at ATCQ you can clearly see the myriad artistic influences that Black Americans employ in the creation of their own art. ATCQ represented with a collage of jazz, soul and classical music along with a healthy sprinkling of pop culture. ATCQ and the Native Tongue movement was a healthy and spiritual antidote to the gangsta image gimmickry that was becoming the Hip-Hop industry’s prevailing iconography.
In a few short years after the formation of ATCQ there almost wouldn’t be any oxygen available in rap music for those that didn’t breathe and breed self-destruction. Thankfully, A Tribe Called Quest’s influence extended past their own artistry. Hip-Hop’s underground scene continues to thrive for artists who appreciate the complexity and dexterity of lyrical expression and the textures and context of beatmaking. Hip-Hop lives on and even with the awards and honors bestowed from VH-1, A Tribe Called Quest never needed a statue to tell you how nice they were.
If you are on the planet of Brooklyn next Saturday 10.6.2007 I invite you to come to this event…
Brooklyn Bodega & The Hip Hop Institute, in conjunction with VH1 Hip Hop Honors and powerHouse Arena present
• HIP-HOP HONORS PANELS 2007 •
Saturday, October 6, 2007 – 12-2pm
powerHouse Arena
37 Main Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn
F Train to York Street, A/C to High Street
PANEL #1: A Tribe Called Quest, The Birth and Evolution of a Legend: A Tribe Called Quest is one of the few universally respected groups in the history of Hip-Hop. Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife (and sometimes Jarobi) crafted five outstanding albums over a 10 year period that defined what is know referred to as the Golden Era of Hip-Hop. Their music has influenced artists from Kanye West to T.I. to J Dilla and many more. Come join us as we discuss the group’s genesis, evolution and legacy. Let’s separate fact from fiction and why this group holds such a special place in Hip Hop.
Panelists: Jeff Sledge, Senior Director, Jive Records
Brian Coleman, author, Check The Technique
Eskay, writer, Nahright.com
Dallas Penn, Dallaspenn.com, Internet Celebrities
Lynn Johnson, Senior Editor, Fast Company
Buttahman, Director of Music & Talent, MTV
