this is my favorite Tribe, not just because it was the first song I heard by them (in full), or because its the first one I memorized, but just cuz its awwwwwwwwwwwes

one of my friends in high school dubbed a blank cassette for me of what would become my favorite hip hop album of all time and the very beginning of the tape i listened to hundreds of times had this little bit of tape noise static over the opening bassline just before Q-Tip starts rapping, and it kind worked as this rhythmic accent that became part of the song for me. I still miss it a little every time I listen to it on CD or a computer.

I still remember vividly being home for Christmas my first year of college and my brother putting this on the stereo and cranking the shit out of it; before Tip had a chance to come in I was all “TELL ME WHAT THIS IS RIGHT NOW, I MUST HAVE IT MY MUSICAL PREEEEEECIOUSSSSSSSSSSS”

falling in love w/ this album as a teenager really makes the nostalgia rush of hearing those first few lines work on a whole other level

electric relaxation was the first tribe song I heard so that

^^ fan of “The Wayans Bros.”

Tribe was the first rap I heard that I liked that wasn’t Shaq Diesel :/ lol middle school