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Paid in Full, the duo’s first full-length album released by 4th & Broadway in 1987, entered the R&B LP charts in the Top Ten and generated a lot of attention. All of their subsequent albums also charted well. Furthermore, the title track was remixed by British DJ duo Coldcut into a legitimate U.K. smash. The exposure contributed to the drum track from “Paid in Full” being one of the most sampled beats.
Following Paid in Full, Eric B. & Rakim joined MCA subsidiary Uni and further cemented their notoriety with their album Follow the Leader (1988). After the title song became a staple in their repertoire of iconic hits, Jody Watley invited the pair to appear as guests on her 1989 hit song “Friends,” which launched them into the pop Top Ten for the first time.
Unquestionably one of the most influential and progressive rap groups of the 1990s is A Tribe Called Quest. Tribe, along with their fellow Native Tongues members, the Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Monie Love, and Black Sheep. This group effortlessly balanced contemplative and lighthearted lyrical content, exploring profound and deeply personal social issues. They laid their mark with a strong track record of music contributions along the way.
The group’s first five albums comprised one of the most important artist discographies of the decade, and were certified. Starting with the all-platinum runs of The Low End Theory (1991), Midnight Marauders (1993), and Beats, Rhymes, and Life (1996). After some group differences, they came back together performing six years after their breakup in 1998. ATCQ did perform some shows the following years. Their last album, We got it From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service in (2016), debuted at number one. Unfortunately the victory a few months after the passing of original member Phife Dawg.
