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Native Tongues

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The Native Tongues Posse is a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good naturedly-Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and later jazz-influenced beats. They were also closely-tied to the Universal Zulu Nation. Its principal members are the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.

History

The New York-based Native Tongues was a collective of like-minded hip hop artists who would help bring abstract and open-minded lyricism - that addressed a range of topics, from spirituality and modern living to race, sex, and just having fun - to the mainstream. Together with the use of eclectic samples that would take on an increasingly jazzy sound, they would be pioneers of so-called "conscious hip hop" and "jazz rap".

Fostered by Kool DJ Red Alert, the success of the Jungle Brothers would pave the way for De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest; together, these three groups would form the core of the posse and continue the spirit of Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation. By 1989 they had been joined by Queen Latifah and the UK's Monie Love, and soon by the Black Sheep, Chi-Ali, and Leaders of the New School refugee Busta Rhymes. Collectively, the members of the Native Tongues Posse had a huge affect on the style and trends of hip hop during its most important period, the "golden age" of the late 80s/early 90s. A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul's albums of this time are considered among the most best and most important in the hip hop repertoire.

While featuring an extensive discography, the collaborations of the Native Tongues have been failry limited: they never recorded anything under that name, and the number of notable posse cuts can be counted on one hand. The various groups grew distant with time, and by 1993, De La Soul's Trugoy The Dove proclaimed "that native shit is dead". They would however reunite in 1998 for the Jungle Brother's "How Ya Want It We Got It (Native Tongues Remix)"; collaborators in this period, such as Common and Mos Def, could be seen as latter-day additions to the crew.

As of 2007, Monie Love and Queen Latifah have retired from recording, Chi-Ali is in jail for murder, and despite hopeful press reports, Black Sheep and A Tribe Called Quest reunions have never materialized; De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers are still active, but the time of the Native Tongues has apparently passed. There are several collectives today - with overlapping membership - that can be seen as the spiritual heirs to the Native Tongues Posse: the Spitkicker crew, the Okayplayers, and the Soulquarians. Chris Lighty, a member of the Tongues-affiliated street crew The Violators, began his career carrying records for Zulu Nation DJs and later as the Jungle Brothers' roadie, now runs the successful Violator Management, which handles Busta Rhymes and Q-Tip amongst other high-profile clients.

Members

Founding members

Other flagship members

Peripheral members

Later additions (c. 1990-1998)

Collaborations

Collaborations involving the original members, those that could be considered true Native Tongues Posse "posse cuts", are in bold. Note that this list is incomplete.

1988

  • "Black Is Black" by Jungle Brothers feat. Q-Tip, from Straight Out The Jungle
  • "The Promo" by Jungle Brothers feat. Q-Tip, from Straight Out The Jungle

1989

  • "Buddy" by De La Soul feat. Jungle Brothers and Q-Tip, from 3 Feet High And Rising
  • "Description" De La Soul feat. Q-Tip and Prince Paul, from 3 Feet High And Rising
  • "Buddy (Native Tongues Decision)" by De La Soul feat. Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love and Queen Latifah, from "Buddy" 12" single
  • "Brain Washed Follower" by De La Soul feat. Chi-Ali, from "Me Myself And I" 12" single
  • "The Mack Daddy On The Left" by De La Soul feat. Chi-Ali, from "Say No Go" 12" single
  • "Acknowledge Your Own History" by Jungle Brothers feat. Vinia Mojica, from Done By The Forces Of Nature
  • "Done By The Forces Of Nature" by Jungle Brothers feat. DJ Towha Towha, from Done By The Forces Of Nature
  • "Doin' Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers feat. De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Q-Tip and Monie Love, from Done By The Forces Of Nature
  • "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children" by Queen Latifah feat. De La Soul, from All Hail The Queen
  • "Ladies First" by Queen Latifah feat. Monie Love, from All Hail The Queen

1990

  • "Swiney Swiney" by Monie Love feat. De La Soul, from Down To Earth

1991

1992

  • "Scenario (Remix)" by A Tribe Called Quest feat. Kid Hood and Leaders Of The New School, from "Scenario" 12" single
  • "Let The Horns Blow" by Chi-Ali feat. Dres, Dove, Fashion and Phife Dawg, from The Fabulous Chi-Ali

1993

1994

  • "Sh. Fe. MC's" by De La Soul feat. A Tribe Called Quest, from Clear Lake Auditorium EP

1996

  • "Ill Vibe" by Busta Rhymes feat. Q-Tip, from The Coming
  • "3 MC's" by Da Bush Babees feat. Q-Tip, from Gravity
  • "S.O.S." by Da Bush Babees feat. Mos Def (prod. by Ali Shaheed Muhammad), from Gravity
  • "Love Song" by Da Bush Babees feat. Mos Def (prod. by Posdnous), from Gravity

1997

  • "Wild Hot" by A Tribe Called Quest & Busta Rhymes, from Rhyme & Reason Soundtrack
  • "Big Brother Beat" by De La Soul feat. Mos Def, from Stakes Is High
  • "Stakes Is High (Remix)" De La Soul feat. Truth Enola and Mos Def, from "Itzsoweezee (HOT)" 12" single
  • "Rumble In The Jungle" by The Fugees feat. John Forté, A Tribe Called Quest and Busta Rhymes, from When We Were Kings Soundtrack
  • "How Ya Want It We Got It (Native Tongues Remix)" by Jungle Brothers feat. Q-Tip and De La Soul, from Raw Deluxe

1998

1999

2000

2003

2004

  • "She Wants To Move (Native Tongues Remix)" by N*E*R*D feat. Common, Mos Def, De La Soul and Q-Tip, from "She Wants To Move Remixes" 12" single

2006

External links

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