A Tribe Called Quest

Ali Shaheed talks to Jonathon Valenzuela about reuniting the group, working outside of hip hop and 20-year love affairs.

So what's it like being a living legend?
Oh my god, we've gotta find a living legend and ask him! I can't even answer that question. I'm aware of my impact, but to be considered a legend, it's an honour. I'm a very grounded person, and I walk the Earth just like everyone else does. In my every day life, I'm still a kid digging for records, learning and exploring music. To have that reception is very humbling.

It's sort of surreal. It was like putting on a pair of shoes from the back of your closet that you ain't pulled out in a long time, and they still fit, and since they fit they look good and you step out and you don't even think about.

What's it been like choosing your set list? Does ATCQ have any songs they don't like to play anymore?

[Laughs] Yeah, we have a few that we turn our nose up at each time. We're like "yo, what about this one?", and you know the answer before you ask it, but you gotta ask in case someone had a change of heart, and everybody at the same time goes ‘naaah'. So we've got a couple like that, but we've been known to go against ourselves if the people make a big, big fuss about it. For the most part though, we just bring a lot of energy to the songs and we try to give most of them a good showing.
 
So what has Ali Shaheed been listening to these days?
[Laughs] Oh, that question! Well, it depends on what day it is. Hmmm, I'm into Flying Lotus, I like the new Roots album, I like Kanye. I just got turned on to something that came out a few years ago called the Casiokids. I've been playing Passion Pit a little bit. Foreign Exchange, I love them, I love Little Brother. Dwele. Raphael Saadiq, and I don't say that because he's like my brother, but that was probably the most impactful RnB album to come out in two decades. That's a really special album for me. I'm listening to a lot of stuff. I took it back a little bit and I've been listening to old Tears For Fears. I'm all over the place. As long as God allows me to hear, I'm keeping my ears in shape.

That's a really varied list. Have these different genres been influencing your production?
Yeah, I've always had an open mind, and I've always wanted to bridge all of these inspirations through the years into my sound. I think now people are a lot more open especially in regards to hip hop, because hip hop has had such a departure of sound from what we were doing back then. Fans of hip hop have been exposed to so much that you can be more innovative and...hmmm, edgy, in the sense that you can learn from other genres and make it obvious. Now you can incorporate other elements and really make it your own, and I think that's what the fans are looking for. There's so much access to music these days, and so many people doing great things, that what used to be fickle hip-hop fans are now more open. I'm working with this alternative band out of Ireland called the Kanyu Tree, and it's been a good experience for me, the first alternative band I've worked with. I'm taking my hip hop sound, but not being so obvious with it, and assimilating it with what they do. I don't think that certain genres are for a certain group of people. My mother instilled in me to be mindful that there was a world that exists beyond your neighbourhood, and Afrika Bambaata of the Zulu Nation taught all of us to embrace our differences.

Have you ever been to Australia before?
I have never been there, and I can't wait. In fact, our first tour date will be my birthday.

Amazing! Tell you what, you can have Australia as a present.
Thank you! You give the best birthday presents, I'll take it!

It's pretty big, and dry in the middle, but I think you'll like it.
That's alright, I'm going to pack it in a big box and take it home.

So what can we expect from A Tribe Called Quest tour Down Under?
I always say to that question "Don't have any expectations except to have a good time", but just know that we're going to bring it. It's been a 20-year-in-the-making romance. If you've ever had a crush on a co-worker or a schoolmate for six months, and you thought that was a long time before you were able to say "hello, my name is..." - we've had this 20-year build up of romance to get it on with you guys in Australia! So expect a huge love affair to go down!