Talib Kweli & Ali Shaheed Muhammad On ATCQ, Phife, De La Soul, 'Jazz Is Dead' | People

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.