Railroad-Grime Jacket

Lets take a trip back to hip hop’s golden age. Here are a few rare joints by those dudes q, phife, and Ali shaheed. These come from the album “Revised Quest for a Seasoned Traveler” - a remix compilation put out in 1992.

The first one, Pubic Enemy (Saturday Night Virus Discomix), is a sweet mix of a great Tribe song with a bass line that sounds like it was ripped from rappers delight…but better. The title is misleading, it’s not a very “disco-y” song (maybe it is compared to their original stuff). It definitely keeps the essence of ATCQ intact with the simple drum pattern and organ part during the chorus/bridge.

ATCQ - Pubic Enemy (Saturday Night Virus Discomix)

Bonita Applebum (Hootie Mix) is my second favorite remix on this album, and no, it is not a Hootie and the Blowfish remix (thank god). It actually takes the same sample used for Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa.” That song is the great Isley Brothers slow jam “Between The Sheets” (OoOlaLa). This remix strays form the classic tribe sound, but it works very well.

ATCQ - Bonita Applebum (Hootie Remix)

The Third Song, Luck Of Lucian (Main Mix), is the most abstract out of the bunch. It takes the hip-house sound that was starting up in the early 90s (See “Doo Doo Brown” et al.) and mixes it up with one of my favorite tribe songs. This departure from ATCQ’s style is very interesting because it contrasts their original jazz rap sound with the sound of dance/house music - a genre that usually offers little in terms of story telling and emotional journeying.

ATCQ - Luck Of Lucien (Main Mix)