A Tribe Called Quest were welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night with an all-star tribute performance featuring friends and collaborators including Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Common, and The Roots.
With the backing of The Roots, Queen Latifah kicked off the performance with “Can I Kick It?” De La Soul’s Pos and The Roots’ Black Thought then hopped on the mics for “Check the Rime,” and Common dropped some rhymes on “Bonita Applebum.” Busta Rhymes fittingly closed out the performance with “Scenario,” the closing track of A Tribe Called Quest’s seminal 1991 album, The Low End Theory.
ATCQ were inducted by Dave Chappelle, whose emotional remarks included an anecdote about how he attended a memorial for Phife Dawg at Q-Tip house where his closest friends listened to old songs and movies. The night concluded with Q-Tip playing the final song Phife ever recorded, Thank You For Service…We Got it From Here.” Chappelle also thanked ATCQ for inviting him to host Saturday Night Live on the episode they served as musical guest in 2016. “It brought me back to television after 12 years in the cold,” Chapelle remarked.
Surviving ATCQ members Q-Tip and Jarobi White accepted the honor on the group’s behalf. The parents of Phife Dawg, who passed away in 2016, and the sister of Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who was unable to attend the ceremony, appeared with them on stage.
Other artists who were inducted on Saturday night included Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, Cher, Mary J. Blige, Peter Frampton, Foreigner, Kool & The Gang, Jimmy Buffett, MC5, and Dionne Warwick.
What I’ve been waiting to see…. #ATribeCalledQuest tribute on @rockhall. Love @DaveChappelle introduction… #RockNRollHallOfFame pic.twitter.com/8xUbuorFGb
— Mo Wood, MA-Counseling | MACP (@TheMoWood) October 20, 2024