Talib Kweli & Ali Shaheed Muhammad On ATCQ, Phife, De La Soul, 'Jazz Is Dead' | People's Party Full
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2022
- In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli," Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with DJ, producer, writer, arranger and founding member of one of hip hop's most iconic groups, A Tribe Called Quest:
ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD
Here's what we got into:
• Why in 1991 all the hip hop heads thought they knew where ATCQ lived.
• Ali's Uncle Mike being a huge part of his and Tribe's musical journey.
• Why Tribe's sound was distinctively different since the very beginning.
• How a young Ali Shaheed Muhammad navigated growing up in Brooklyn.
• The hip hop alumni of Murry Bergtraum High School that included Ali.
• How Tribe was formed and what those first meetings were like.
• Phife Dawg's legacy, how smart he was, and his mastery of punchlines.
• Talib's first meeting Ali in 1991 when he was only 15 years old.
• Tribe's "not-so-warm reception" from some that didn't understand.
• DJ Red Alert's influence on the culture and his part in Tribe's success.
• The formation of Native Tongues and how they supported each other.
• Love for Chris Lighty and how he'll be remembered by the people he helped.
• The making of 'Low End Theory' and how the album changed hip hop.
• Engineer Bob Power's importance to the process of creating Tribe's sound.
• How the "Low End" had more meaning than just the bass.
• The message they wanted to send with the 'Midnight Marauders' cover.
• Who was the voice behind the 'Midnight Marauders' tour guide.
• Emotional reflection on the loss of Phife Dawg and his health challenges.
• What inspired the spiritual core of A Tribe Called Quest.
• The challenges of being a Muslim and navigating life as a rap star.
• The musical relationship with long-time collaborator Raphael Saadiq.
• Ali's opportunity to co-produce D'Angelo's classic 'Brown Sugar.'
• Linking up with Adrian Younge through Twitter.
• The chemistry between Ali and Adrian with their similar musical journeys.
• Obtaining an orchestra arrangement for the 'Luke Cage' soundtrack.
• Breaking down the intentions behind the 'Jazz Is Dead' series.
• Paying homage and giving flowers to these Jazz legends.
• What Ali Shaheed Muhammad has coming next.
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PEOPLE'S PARTY WITH TALIB KWELI
People's Party is a weekly interview show hosted by Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh. Guests range from the biggest names in hip-hop to global entertainers to the most progressive minds moving our culture forward. The audio podcast is available on Apple and Spotify. - Hudba
TIME STAMPS:
4:45 -- Ali and Talib look back on why all the hip hop heads in NY believed they knew where Tribe resided when they first came out and Ali is asked if Q-Tip actually owned the '74 Dodge Dart from 'I Left My Wallet In El Segundo.' Ali goes on to talk about how his Uncle Mike was such a huge part of his and Tribe's musical journey, breaks down why Tribe's sound was distinctively different from the beginning, and they get into the art of sampling bringing new life to classics of the past. They also discuss how a young Ali Shaheed Muhammad navigated coming up Brooklyn, New York.
13:50 -- Ali speaks on the hip hop alumni of his Murry Bergtraum High School, they explore how Tribe was formed, what those first meetings were like, and Phife's early rap name. Ali goes on to speak about the Phife Dawg legacy, how smart he was and his ability to create some of the most memorable punchlines in the game. Talib also brings up his first encounter with Ali at Brooklyn's Building club when he was 15 years old and Ali tells about the not-so-warm reception they received in the early days from some who weren't on board with the new sound that Tribe brought to the table.
22:34 -- DJ Red Alert gets a big shout-out as they discuss how much he had to do with the success of the Native Tongues movement and how enormous his influence was on the culture at the time. They go on to explore how Tribe's linking up with De La Soul felt like meeting extended family for the first time, the organic formation of Native Tongues and how supportive the collective was of one another. Ali also gets the chance to speak on his love for Chris Lighty who he formed a brotherly bond with since the beginning of ATCQ and how he'll be remembered by so many in the culture.
32:40 -- Talib shares the 30+ year old photo he had taken of him standing with Ali and Jarobi at the Building club and talks about the surreal reality of all his childhood idols now only being a phone call away. They go on to discuss the making of 'Low End Theory,' how the album changed the sonics of hip hop, and crew's desire to make a statement with their sophomore effort that A Tribe Called Quest is here to stay. They also touch on engineer Bob Power's importance to the process with how he catered to Tribe's vision and the sound they were trying to create, as well as discuss how the "Low End" in the title had more meaning than just the bass.
41:38 -- Ali is asked about the history behind the 'Midnight Marauders' album cover with its featuring so many iconic faces of the culture. He talks about the idea stemming from the principles of Zulu Nation, as well as a message that Tribe wanted to send to the culture. They discuss the tour guide on the record, whose voice it belonged to, and why the concept became a huge headache for engineer Bill Power. Ali also gets emotional as he reflects on the loss of his brother Phife, how close they were, Phife always using comedy to deal with his health challenges, and Ali and Tip doing their best to encourage him to take better care of himself.
53:13 -- Talib brings up his view of Tribe having a spiritual core without being overly preachy and Ali speaks of Phife being deeply influenced by the strong faith of his grandmother. Ali goes on to tell about his upbringing, being raised by a Muslim father and Christian mother and the unique perspective that gave him, studying in both faiths. Ali also speaks on the challenges that come with being a Muslim navigating life as a rap star who doesn't like the limelight and they explore the burden of knowledge and how Islam drives how he perceives music as well as performing.
1:02:20 -- Ali is asked how his musical relationship with long-time collaborator Raphael Saadiq came to fruition. He speaks on the original phone call in 1991 from Saadiq to have Tribe remix one of Tony! Toni! Toné!'s songs, Raphael inspiring him to pick up a bass guitar, and how that all led up to Ali's opportunity to co-produce D'Angelo's classic 'Brown Sugar.' They go on to discuss the formation of the group Lucy Pearl, the original line-up including D'Angelo, Ali's reaction to Raphael bringing on Dawn Robinson and Ali getting his chance to contribute to the writing of lyrics on a record.
1:12:46 -- Ali talks about how he originally linked up with composer/arranger/producer Adrian Younge through Twitter. Adrian wanting to bring Ali in to be the tour guide/narrator for Souls Of Mischief's 'There Is Only Now' album he was working on. Ali talks about the natural chemistry they shared, both having roots in crate digging and sampling who later evolved into fully-fledged musicians. Ali also speaks on how he and Adrian were contacted to produce the score for Marvel's 'Luke Cage' series, how the project came together and their being able to obtain an orchestra to give them the sound they were looking for.
1:24:34 -- Ali is asked to break down the concept of his and Adrian Younge's 'Jazz Is Dead' series. They get into the idea being born out of a concert promoter's challenges of selling Jazz tickets and Adrian's vintage studio equipment being the ideal recording stage for what they wanted to create. Ali talks about how the project became a way for them to pay it forward and give flowers to the legends that helped make their own careers possible. He talks about how gratifying the whole experience has been to bring their music to a whole new generation of listeners.
1:38:38 -- Ali goes on to talk about what he has coming next. He reveals that there will be more 'Jazz Is Dead' releases on the horizon and how he'll be bringing in more Brazilian musicians in future installments. He also gets into his and Adrian's work on the soundtrack for season 2 of 'Raising Keenan,' their producing the soundtrack to Hulu's upcoming 'Reasonable Doubt,' scoring the Rick James documentary, 'Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James, as well as other projects lined up. They also discuss some of the hard work that needs to be done within America's severely flawed justice system.
Wonderfully broken down. Especially for those who love and hold those musical memories dearly. Peace from the UK 🇬🇧.
This man is the embodiment of humility
Ali Shaheed Muhammad got me doing calisthenics!
It’s why he still looks so young 😅
“Needless to say boy I'm bad to the bone
Making love to my mic like Jarobi on the phone”
For a 90s head like me, watching this kind of interview is somewhat bittersweet. The sweet part is seeing and hearing from legends that shaped our formative years and immediately being transported back to our youth when we first heard the music. The difficult part is being reminded of those that have fallen and therefore becoming subconsciously more aware of our own mortality.
Ignore my rambling.
Dope interview. ATCQ forever. 👍🏿 RIP Phife 🙏
Great comment.
Rambling is cool bruh.
Soooo true….well put
Ali Shaheed Muhammad. An honorable man. A King. Love from South Africa. A Zulu person wrote this. Thank you Talib for the interview.
"Shaheed push the fader/From here to Grenada" - R.I.P. Phife !!!
Indeed
Mr Energetic, to me sound pathetic, when’s the last time ya heard a funky diabetic?
Finally!!! Ali Shaheed!!!
…and yes, ATCQ is the most important group in Hip-Hop, period!
ATCQ is my favorite Hip-Hop group (I'm currently wearing a ATCQ T-shirt)... but without De La Soul, there wouldn't be ATCQ. People sleep on how huge De La was and the doors that opened because of the success of 3 Feet High and Rising. In my opinion De La is more important, even though ATCQ is my favorite of all time.
There are different levels of legends.. This is top of the food chain
Indeed
I feel like I could write a novel right now on how impactful ATCQ was and is in my life.
But, I don't have the literary ability to properly convey how much gratitude I have for this man and his brothers.
So, I'm just going to say "Thank you". Ali, you and your brothers are so loved. The world is truly a better place because of what you do.
I strive to be like Ali Shaheed. Nothing but love and respect for this brother. Honestly an amazing individual
I'm glad he touched on this aspect of Islam, many entertainer's do not touch on what's forbidden and that battle with your nafs. This was deep!
💯 so true, glad he spoke on it. It’s a never ending struggle especially when someone has such a love for it
The measurement in that man's speech is envious. Few ums, few eyes rolled back in thought.. just calm, consistent tempo speech about FASCINATING topics. THANK y'all for this
Ya'll hear that? Those pauses between thoughts? We call that mindfulness, kids. Do that and you will get your point across the first time and not find yourself screaming over others all the time. Your words and the presentation of them MATTER. Shout-out to Ali Shaheed for presenting hip-hop in a dignified manner.
TRUTH
Like many others I look up to all of Tribe but I always felt a connection to Ali with his quiet and introverted nature. I love their music hell it saved my life with Paths of Rhythm deterring me from Suicide I could never thank them enough for that. They showed to never be ashamed of who you are no matter how many people tell you other wise and to Love Your Self. They also got me into music production and the art of sampling and sample flipping. I know you don’t like taking credit for stuff Ali but I’ve gotta Thank You for shaping my life into what it is today. Thank You So Much
Talib your impact on the culture through your music is beyond measure. But when I see interviews like this it makes me wonder if your greater purpose is documenting Hip-Hop through these insightful interviews. You are indeed the Gil Noble of Hip Hop.
Ali represents that Tribe Vibe. They were the template for conscious, fun hip hop. Damn, he's so smooth wit it......makes me wanna drag out my old equipment...
the last concert I went to before the pandemic was The Midnight Hour.
I had the inmense honor of sharing a brief conversation with him of what his work has meant to my life, he complimented my ATCQ shirt
I'm greatfull that we get to be continually blessed with great music from him and Adrian with the Jazz is Dead series.
thank you brother Ali 🙌
My word I love my brothers in Islam. I've had the same battles regarding music and Deen. Love that Ali spoke truth even though he's such a massive star.
💯 the struggle is real and it was refreshing to hear him speak so sincerely
Great interview. The 1st album I ever purchased with my own money was Midnight Marauders when I was in 6th grade. Tribe made a lot of kids fall in love with Hip Hop.
Nice! First record I bought with my own money was Check the Rhime
LOW END Theory was my first
I’ve never seen him smile, I need to know how he keeps the same expression on his face all the time
Wow I shed a tear still when Jasmine asked the question about the tour guide. Thank you for asking that question. It was one the most ubiquitous moments for me everytime I listen to their albums and I look forward to hearing that voice. It’s a part of ATCQ. One of the few moments I’m sorry someone transitioned. Thank you again J for asking that question.
The podcast that never disappoints!! Beautiful conversation!
The depth of experience & knowledge, the pure embodiment of Islam, knowing the thoughtfulness of speech must mirror his actions, the beauty of all of you. Is Blacktastic!😀
ONE OF THE DOPPEST INTERVIEWS!!! I knew Ali was special... he's not on Tribe by mistake. Love to Q-Tip, Jabari & Phife Dawg(RIP)
*Jarobi
@@KardiFan2000 Thanks.
R.I.P., "Baby" Chris Lighty! 🙏🏾🖤 R.I.P., Phife Dawg 🙏🏾🖤
As a musician and a practicing Muslim that discussion on the challenges Muslims artist face…I felt it. May Allah have mercy on us all. 😔
1:45:00-1:45:35 Indentured servitude? No dear brother it’s slavery. Plain and simple.
Couldn’t agree more, so true and refreshing to hear him speak, ameen to your Dua 🤲🏽😔
I think it's important to not let the most rigid Muslims drive the discussion. For centuries a variety of Muslim scholars have allowed music. Shaykh Tusi said there are 247 effects that music has on the soul, and only one of them is haram.
Just because one group goes to the extreme in their devotion doesn't mean they're the most pious or even the most correct. Allah alone is our judge. I feel bad that some Muslims are feeling guilty because some guy in a thobe told them music is haram. Islamic thought is diverse and rich, and Islam is the religion of moderation, not extremism.
Oh man, I really enjoyed this interview… put a lot of things into perspective for me. Ali Shaheed Muhammad… just hearing that name puts me back in my high school days in South Africa 🇿🇦 where I’d listen to midnight marauders on a cassette tape over and over again. ‘94 and ‘95 are by far my best years because of the music discussed here today. D’angelo, oh my goodness man. Thank God I was able to experience the musical talents in this man and Tribe. This has most probably been one of the most important interviews I’ve managed to catch anywhere. Thank you for this 🔥❤️❤️❤️
Thank God for the full interview! I love Ali Shaheed. Very honest in sharing his vulnerability. Very humble but tenacious.
The spiritual question from talib to ali was the best part of the interview for me imho. Eye opening and deep response from brother ali. Glad he knows its fundamentally wrong but one thing you can't say about Atcq's music is that it was ALWAYS postive for the listeners soul, it never made you wanna do some stupid ish it was just a beautiful uplifting vibe. TRIBE there will never be another like them. And inshaAllah may Allah swt forgive you for any wrongdoing and grant you Jannah. Ameen.
💯 couldn’t agree more ! Ameen to your dua’s 🤲🏽
IMO the intention behind the art is the only thing that matters and as you said their music was always uplifting … the frequency was high which to me makes it “right”. I appreciated his comments! Very thought provoking!
Peace to a REAL Brother the embodiment of a MAN....from a time when being intelligent was cool and being creative was the norm
FANTASTIC INTERVIEW!!!
I loved this interview, his love of music, and what he stands for!
💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💯💯💯
man i love the techy nerdy stuff, gimme more of that on this show! we need more producers !!!
Damn, Ali looks great. Dude hasn't aged.
Beautiful guy
APTHMH… Tribe, Dilla and DJ Quik is the reason I started making beats. Qam Yasharahla!!
Ali Shaheed Muhammed is such a great guy! Definitely a legend
Awesome👏👏👏👏👏ATCQ Ali greatest of all time.
His work w a younge has been the best instrumental soundtrack for everything
Great interview.. Don't hear from Ali Shaheed too often..👑🙏🏾💯
All I can say is, WOW!!! This was an amazing & thought provoking interview.
Ali shaheed(Nuff Respect)👊💖🎧🐼
I always thought Ali Shaheed was FYNE. His quiet, brooding nature alluring. Now I hear the man is beyond intelligent and super intentional, with amazing FOCUS. But then again, I should've known from his music. *SWOON
Peace.
Tribe Heart...Diehard!
This was a beautiful moment. Thanks for sharing it with the world.
Great interview. Keep up the great content and peace from the UK 🇬🇧.
There is so much wisdom in this interview. Ali Carry’s himself like a real king. I’m so thankful for the insight and stories behind one of my favorite groups of all time and thank you for showing your emotion when talking about Phife. May he Rest In Peace. 🙏🏽 beautiful interview!
Great Interview Felt like taking a walk through the Golden Era. You rarely see Ali doing Interviews. Good Stuff. #ATCQ. #RIPPhife
Blessings, great interview.
Beautiful interview. Great to hear Ali's voice. Jazz is Dead is an amazing tribute to the luminaries that influenced a lot of our favorite songs.
PPPPPPLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE release the original 4 track demos 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾.
In all seriousness. I'm a geek for that kind of stuff, and that's an understatement. Like, it would be appreciated beyond measure...
Ali Shaheed Muhammad use to say I had to be out.
This is such a great interview. I love hearing the spiritual aspect of his journey and how he stayed true to what he practices. I also love the journey and how he completely breaks it down.
These People's Party Podcasts are vitally important to preserving Hip Hop history!!!!! Excellent!!
This was dope. I’m still learning about jazz and it’s nice to see what he doing about that great genre.
Ali Shaheed, thank you,sir. Like alot of people here, yes, you scored my life coming up. How you approach life, I feel seen. Great talk, everybody
This was a DOPE interview, I enjoyed every minute!
Where is the love button on this video?!?!
So very insightful and inspiring!
Thank you People’s Party and Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Great interview!
Greetings from Chile 👋🏼
Love this interview and ATCQ
Dope interview!
Talib thanks for this interview and bringing all these fire 🔥 interviews
Amazing content…this is so much to consume. Thank you!!!
This opened my mind to a better understanding of the music I love and had such an impact on my perceptions of the world.
Great Interview and retrospect on Tribe and current artistic endeavors ! Learned of Ali’s work with Adrian Young through the Midnight Hour record and recent Jazz Is Dead albums.
This is beautiful. Keep on spreading your messages, your soul, your voices.
This was great to see, I've been listening a lot to the Jazz is Dead album that has Roy Ayers and saw the name Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge on all the songs but I did not know about them.
An icon and a legend! I had the honor of meeting Ali after a Midnight Hour show (one of the greatest live shows of my life) and got tell him what ATCQ's music and message mean to me. He was genuinely very humbled by it and we had a very nice conversation that I will never forget
so inspired by this man, and still by A Tribe Called Quest. so much Love.
Should be a stellar episode. Sucks ali's podcast is defunct. He had a pretty good one too.
Word! Microphone Check was dope!
Great great interview... Much thanks!
I need way more like buttons for this!!! Words don’t come close to communicating how much I love ATCQ!
This man said in the beginning of the interview. ...."I don't take credit for alot.....I don't want to".......men that talk calm and soft......there is a saying...."Walk and talk softly...., carry a big stick".....His TALENT..,.,is his stick
Tribe vibe is strong on this
Blindingly brilliant, to say the least
Love you Kings & Queen for the Great Energy & sharing of Knowledge!
Omg......all the Pod cast I searched.....SEARCHED the internet for him to talk......big ups.....love this
These are some very masterful interview questions.
Great interview as always ATCQ is my everything s/o to Talib and Miss Jazz always a pleasure
This interview made me finally subscribe 🤷🏿♂️ This was great.
Thanks for coming onboard
Inspiring and great interview. 🙏 thank you
The most humble cat in hip hop. His solo album was 🔥Quiet as kept.
Soulful and mindful brother right here and I love his honesty about the conundrum of creating music in Islam. "What is it making the people do?" Is a very important question!!!! Keep rocking Uproxx team
Super dope
Appreciate the breakdown.
It's both strange and beautiful to hear this man speak because, like Terminator X, he always spoke with his hands.
By far my most absolute favorite episode. Plz bring tip in next
Jazz is Dead is magic - great interview as usual!
Been heavy on my playlist
I love this podcast so much. Ali Shaeheed ... LEGEND
This was incredible
One of the dopest times for me was seeing the Electric Relaxation video. That was it!
Tribe and Blackstar are my favorite projects ever!
I love my brother. He is a beautiful human being.
atcq has always had class. ali shaheed is well dressed and well spoken
Great interview
Amazing interview with an important contributor to hip hop! I was hoping Talib would've asked what was Q Tip thinking when he made Sucka Ni**as and what he thought of it as a Muslim. That's the only ATCQ song that I both love and hate.
@@cmn225 I don't think it has a VALID message. Of all the people in hip hop I enjoyed listening to ATCQ and De La Soul and when they started using that word in their music I lost a little respect for them. It was unnecessary and they were talking about POSITIVE things for black people and the use of that word is a contradiction.
💯 that woulda been interesting to know
It's very clear what Q-Tip was thinking. The lyrics of the song literally explain exactly what he was thinking. How is that not extremely obvious?
@@spek-27 so he purposefully contradicted himself. gotcha!!! smh
@@tblack9711 So you don't understand the lyrics to the song. Gotcha.
RIP
Chris Lighty!!
Great interview...🙏🙏👏👏
Love this conversation
Great Interview👍
Sometimes when listening to Tribe I can't help but think they were the greatest rap group ever.
One of the best! Interviews Ali is a great person. man ! Talib almost made it to atcq lol in the early days🤣🤣🤣 we was just 15
Thank you Kweli for bringing that particular Man... This was amazing.