Comments on 100 Grand On My Wrist, Yeah Life Sucks: I Hate A Tribe Called Quest: A Personal Essay

Wow. I'm am an extreme bay gang raphead and ha...

2012-02-02T17:50:35.567-08:00

Wow. I'm am an extreme bay gang raphead and have been for as long as I can remember, and I always thought Low End Theory was one of the best early rap albums made non-bay.

I think the problem here is that a lot of the newer (meaning 10-12 years old now) Tribe shit was whack as hell, and I won't even comment on Q-Tip's and Phife's solo shit, meaning it really discredited how sick Low End Theory was back then, it was way ahead of its time imo. I think it's like what Brotha Lynch came out with after Season, I thought it was shit and the beats were so basic that it made me think less of Lynch for awhile, for a short while at least (off topic, but dinner and a Movie was siccccc).

Anyways, I gotta stick up for Low End Theory, but most of Tribe wasn't special I'll admit. I never understood J5, they were a poor man's freestyle Fellowship imo, and yeah, I'm dating myself badly, I'd guess noone's ever even heard of Fellowship...

I had a similar experience as a kid with my sister...

2012-02-02T12:48:47.405-08:00

I had a similar experience as a kid with my sisters friend providing me a lot of early rap influence in a positive way. I can still remember where the Tribe CD I borrowed sat, for three weeks, while I listened to Doggystyle and Ready to Die over and over. It wasn't entertaining to me as a kid.

Your comment about white people holding Tribe to some Godly standard is so true, because it's just like Jurassic 5 - Tribe is the group that everyone who doesn't actually listen to rap music associates with rap music. All the people who hate all the rap music I listen to are obsessed with Tribe, and I've never been able to enjoy them at all. It's always good to hear a serious (as in listens to a lot of) rap fan of the same opinion. I legitimately couldn't ever explain why Tribe was so unappealing to me, it's just stale and boring. I've also gone through plenty of "golden age true school" phases, but Tribe has never appealed to me.

It is just expression, and a musics quality shouldn't have to be justified by "the times". If something doesn't last, then it obviously isn't as good as people made it out to be.

I feel yo pain about not having access to your com...

2012-01-30T23:07:26.156-08:00

I feel yo pain about not having access to your computer with all your shit on it. Punkass youtube deleted my account with all my shit on it(SlapzSlapzSlapz) due to too much 3rd party content.

But tribe called quest are ass..i seen a documentary about them..and they are assholes behind the scenes..

I like what you wrote here mtp. Rap music has so m...

2012-01-30T22:38:27.179-08:00

I like what you wrote here mtp. Rap music has so many different forms, I used to be all about Rawkus Records in their heyday, KRS-One and a lot of other "conscious hip hop" that is real good music, but my tastes have become pretty limited in the last five years or so for reasons I can't fully explain, hence this blog only being about Bay Area gangster rap.

Wow, that was a great post, I don't agree with...

2012-01-30T11:26:37.196-08:00

Wow, that was a great post, I don't agree with a lot of it, but still, you make people think about shit, and that alone is awesome.

I always loved ATCQ, but the People's instinctive travels album was pretty weak, I left my wallet way out in Chico, I got to get it, I got got to get it (1st place reference)...

ATCQ told stories, that's what I liked about them, kinda like Slick Rick in a way. I've always eat and breathed bay rap since I was young, I grew up on Mac Mall Illegal Business, Mac Dre Young Black Brotha, Lynch Season of the Siccness, etc. But one of my earliest musical memories was listening to KMEL late one night and they played My Philosophy from Boogie Down Productions, and I was immediately hooked. I started listening to Gangstarr, BDP, Public Enemy, etc. That was before I "learned the game" and started bangin' Master P (Ghetto's tryin to kill me) and JT the Bigga Figga GLP (Straight out the Lab), Click, early 40, etc.

My point is I'm a hip-hop head from the old school, but I still get down with the new shit and I see where the bay game is goin', and I never reflect and tell people about "the good ole days" of rap music or say "what the fuck has happended since Mac Dre died?? My advice is listen to what you like and don't judge, the rap game has changed about 15 times since I began listening to it, and it's gonna change another 15 times in the next 10 years, if u like it, bump it, if not, live and let live. Even I for some fukkin reason bumped Lil' B's Paris Hilton and Ellen Degeneres, but only when I'm alone and only when noone else can hear it.

The 17 year old was my older sister's friend, ...

2012-01-29T23:56:23.330-08:00

The 17 year old was my older sister's friend, I guess I should have made that clear in the post LOL.

Some of this rings true, but it ends up being just...

2012-01-29T04:43:34.044-08:00

Some of this rings true, but it ends up being just as pointless and cliched as the arguments that are being criticized.
There's loads of good rap about and some people prefer the sound of the old stuff.Some of these people get sand in their vaginas and moan about it. Some don't. Who gives a shit?

Damn the last comment by Anonymous was hella funny...

2012-01-28T22:03:23.868-08:00

Damn the last comment by Anonymous was hella funny

what 17 year old is gonna have a conversation with...

2012-01-28T15:19:58.513-08:00

what 17 year old is gonna have a conversation with an 11 year old

yeah... actually your essay or rant is really off....

2012-01-28T12:43:22.259-08:00

yeah... actually your essay or rant is really off. And(sorry to pull the age card) if you were 11 in 1998, that really explains A LOT. It just comes down to, you weren't there and you really don't get it. It's cool if you don't like or hate Tribe, to each his own. But so many of your examples, facts, points just come as ignorant. I like your blog and still will remain a reader but(it's tight blog). But I will send you the link to a full reply I'm gonna write in response to it. And it's not gonna be me dissing you or anything. Just clearing some shit up that was really just... well, wrong. And I agree that 17 year old did give Tribe fans a bad name.

high school kids who think they know shit: FUCK YO...

2012-01-26T21:05:26.811-08:00

high school kids who think they know shit: FUCK YOU
people who dont understand that music taste is subjective: FUCK YOU
people who dont know about q-tip being down with mobb deep: FUCK YOU
rappers who rap strictly about rapping: FUCK YOU
the only criteria determining good music is that it sounds good. if you judge it based on any other criteria: FUCK YOU!!!!!

Thank you being right.

2012-01-26T15:38:04.416-08:00

Thank you being right.

I love A Tribe Called Quest, but that was one of t...

2012-01-26T12:08:00.406-08:00

I love A Tribe Called Quest, but that was one of the best essays I've read so far this year. That 17-year-old douche gives all Tribe listeners a bad name.

yeah People's Instinctive Travels and the Path...

2012-01-26T11:48:26.911-08:00

yeah People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the dumbest album name of all time. Even my hippie dad thinks so.

You've got the 2 worst practitioners of prattl...

2012-01-26T10:50:08.817-08:00

You've got the 2 worst practitioners of prattling on about "real hip hop" on the west coast too with the characters knows as AC Tha Program Director and Wicked22.

This is classic man. Probably didn't help that...

2012-01-26T06:58:31.600-08:00

This is classic man. Probably didn't help that you seem to have got the only terrible Tribe album but I still have to respect your dedication.

That Philty & Lil Blood song is bonkers btw.