A Tribe Called Quest/Q-Tip

A Tribe Called Quest didn't necessarily invent the fusion of jazz, arty hip-hop, and rhymes-as-poetry, but they certainly personified it in the '90s. "Can I Kick It?" and "Award Tour" are among the group's certified classics. We've also added some futuristic solo singles from Q-Tip to show how the Quest continues today.

There's nothing like literal song titles to prepare you for the head-nodding ahead. Like "Buggin' Out," which drives listeners blissfully mad with an elastic bassline and crisp hi-hat. Or "Excursions," which feels like a bird's-eye tour of a jazz club cloaked in smoke. The rest of these Next Steps are just as career-affirming.

A Tribe Called Quest are legends of progressive hip-hop, so they're often asked to bless other artists' tracks. Q-Tip's droopy drawl perfectly counteracts the boasts of the Beastie Boys on "Get It Together," while the Roots' "Ital (The Universal Side)" circumvents the old and new school. A handful of lesser-known but no-less-great Tribe tracks round out our playlist.

The legacy of A Tribe Called Quest is difficult to even contextualize. Aside from leaving their imprint on hip-hop with one essential artistic achievement after another, they were one of the co-founders of an entire school of rap: the Native Tongues. To this day, their sound (that of dusted-off jazz records and freshly picked samples) and mission (that of educating a crowd, as well as moving it) is felt and maintained in the hip-hop underground.