A Tribe Called Quest - Check the Rhime [1-28-93]

[Stereo] Great performance on late night USTV.
Date above was the repeat broadcast. The actual appearance was on 3-25-92.

[@deejkdeejk]

"Uhm, uh, a tidbit--uhm, a smidgen," is probably my favorite line. Flow is on point despite Phi's dilemma with diabetes.

[@dawisetroll4341]

Demetrius Kent you right

[@gilbert2567]

yessir

[@TheLordAI]

This was the performance where Phifer was performing while he was sick, as his blood sugar levels were sky high, but he got through it!!!

[@LGKids]

+thelordai gat Todays tryers, if they hit their toe on the side of the bed, they are shutting down whole tours! Phife Dawg always a trooper! Peace!

[@soulavenue8]

Yeah you can definitely tell, if you know how he usually performs, and they usual speed of his flow, speech is a little slurred. He still did the damn thing tho! Rocked the mic!

[@melayahgaither5936]

yea, ikr it's a good thing he got thru the performance!!! he did good tho

[@djrolo07]

Yep, can def tell he was pushing thru it. Damn, miss Phife. So glad I got to see them perform a couple times before he passed.

[@blacknoir607]

Was it type 1?

[@vestspet4242]

What I love the most about the Tribe is that they weren't afraid to perform with musicians playing real instruments.

[@vestspet4242]

@Perverted Alchemist I know isn't it amazing. My favorite Q-Tip album is Kamaal the Abstract because of the real instruments that were played on it.

[@13Rose]

The band was on POINT!

[@joseduran4437]

13Rose all the time;)

[@xVOODxDOOMx]

Once again

[@TheIcpfan23]

@Day One Mastering this was before the roots and the band still killed it

[@saturncrush]

dominic hocutt Sounded exactly like the samples. The Roots are dope...but don’t front on Paul (super pro)!!

[@marcushaupt1564]

Paul Schaefer was always a top-flight pro, the goofiness was an act. The horns were killing it

[@bigphatty5298]

Phife was really sick during this and still rapped better than 99% of new rappers live.

[@geraldjohnson3216]

Yes

[@samsara2521]

That’s so depressing

[@Arcademan09]

I love how the background band was really into it

[@GenzoKim]

Everybody enjoying it🥺💟

[@DeeDeeKhan]

yooo this acoustic version is freakin dope, that bassline

[@troygagnon9079]

DeeDeeKhan thats sampled from Minnie Riperton's track - Baby, this love I have. Such a killer tune and sample!

[@MustafaAhmadahmadmawia]

this was dope Dave was always open to rappers coming on and his band was always on point

[@MaartenvanRossemLezingen]

All the time

[@ejicon]

A hip hop group using a live band on a live talk show!? Money!

[@julesc296]

Early!

[@hwicfilmworks]

RIP PHIFE - Thanks for the memories!

[@user-sz6jv2fk8f]

I'm 14 and I just found these guys, best I've heard so far

[@OnlyOriginalSongs]

you should listen rakim to

[@Goddamgoodamerican]

Check out schooly d just-ice kool moe d

[@user-sz6jv2fk8f]

I’m 18 now yall and still listening !!

[@Emilywillz2]

@@user-sz6jv2fk8f haha likewise

[@40TheFreshMan]

rip phife dawg

[@gavingunther2448]

Lost a true one for real homie

[@sthunda7132]

I love Paul's energy in this.

[@davidmartinez9804]

Yea he looks like a fan and blends right in.

[@metalfuk69]

The bass slaps at 3:50 went hard! Big ups to everyone performing. Rip Phifer 🙏

[@marchatesyou1]

when a bass player knows when to switch from groove to 2nd percussive ...thats a winner

[@kiddkevo]

This was early 1992 according to their Docmentary. RIP Phife. The world misses you.

[@dylanbald7545]

kiddkevo what's the name of the documentary?

[@kiddkevo]

Beats, Rhymes And Life documentary film

[@barrymurphy4812]

Wow did not know this was on the documentary, seen it twice too.

[@dani.munoz.a23]

Read the description

[@1966toronado]

Now that's how you rock a crowd. RIP Phife ........Lengends

[@PlatformJunkie]

This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen

[@dantereliford923]

My all-time favorite Phife Dawg quote is “Let me hit it from the back, girl I won’t catch a hernia / Bust off on your couch, now you got Seaman’s Furniture.” #phifedawg #rip the 5 footer!

[@ivorymorgan6405]

+Dante Reliford Bo knows this, and Bo knows that/ but Bo don't know jack, cuz Bo can't rap

[@lpurnell4827]

That's my line too! Some people had never even heard of the furniture outlet Seamans! Genius!

[@19brittani]

@@lpurnell4827 used to be a store in georgia back in the 80s and 90s. it used to make me laugh when i first heard the line. still very good now.

[@lpurnell4827]

@@19brittani I bought a dark green leather couch from that store in 1994!

[@Sfxfreestyle]

Even though Phife struggles in this performance, he stills get through it. I never see him in greatest rappers of all time lists, even though he and Tip are more than capable of being at least top 20 (IMO top 5, but anyways) compared to any other rappers

[@jordanboxman]

Nothing on the radio and I mean NOTHING will ever be as good as Tribe.

[@matthiashabinger5053]

Yeah man.

[@meyou5789]

Aint list to the radio since 1997, and I will tell you there has been just as good stuff as Tribe since after this came out tho. The Fugees - The Score came out in 1996, De La Soul - Stakes Is High, Outkast - ATLiens, Wu-Tang Forever 1997, Gangstarr - Moment of Truth 1997...All good shit .

[@GasolineSmellsGood]

Yo it's hard to make hip-hop sound good live. the tribe did of course, i'd expect no less

[@fothgt]

And if you see the doc done about them by actor Michael Rappaport you will find out the Phif did this performance with a high diabetes count, hence the slow movement and slurred speech, They flew from NY to do the Dennis Miller show in LA the next night and Phif could not perform, Check out the doc on a Tirbe Called Quest.

[@InviteTheLightReadings]

lmao! so true - and you know this song on the album is nothing short of straight classic beats - alone!

[@timsanpedro1219]

rap is not pop if you call it that then stop

[@Peyote1312]

It’s really not that hard. Rappers just don’t care about anything but getting paid, so they will hire one DJ to play their instrumentals instead of getting a few talented musicians for a live band.

[@ryanmelnick8793]

@@Peyote1312 Four thumbs down...Your trolling needs Jesus. Bombaclot fool. Now scram! Back to your cage. Begone demon! (insert classic fart noise)

[@sherman8r1998]

Matching black and white AF1’s, so dope

[@greenfloyd5114]

Lol was thinkin the same thing man I remember those, I still got them shits

[@stlouis521]

You can tell.phife belonged in the hospital. The definition of putting your everything in your craft. This shit makes me tear up

[@drstew1]

Talk about how to involve the whole band, watching this live must of been breath taking... original through and through respect r.i.p phife dawg (Malik Izzak Taylor)

[@STEINYY]

Stewart Harvey-Wilson true dat wish I was there

[@drstew1]

Late reply i know. But i must share this ,one evening i got to see them when they came to London Subterania Ladbroke Grove. Its was a warm up jam for their gigs in the UK ,they did a whole set with the Roots.and God Father of Noise Rahzel Oh my me, it was up close loud and just feet away . I like everyone there totally blown away. Tribe roots Razel did free style the lot unbelievable. Unforgettable.

[@robin3]

The Bassist killed it.

[@gabrielbergman1986]

YA ON POINT PHIFE, ALL THE TIME TIP Rest in peace Phife

[@shmiqqy]

Dynamic duo as MCs, and Ali makes them one of the most awesome hiphop trios we'll ever have.

[@hamcheesesalami]

The instruments are great, love that saxaphone

[@cehayes74]

It helps when you have one of the members of AWB playing as well 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 !!!

[@johnhargett569]

I remember actually watching this I was a senior un highschool.Wow those were the days.

[@enzoholmes2013]

Anyone in 2021? I can't be the only one....

[@TheMediaAnarchist]

i love these guys with all my heart. one of the greatest of all time!

[@sincere1487]

Rest and Peace to.Phife Dawg we lost a great artest.

[@jimmyjimbo72]

Definitely my favourite A Tribe Called Quest song; the flow is amazing!

[@LGKids]

I love how any band they play with just catch their vibe and its on from there.....................Peace!

[@jesamani75]

Always loved watching Dave Letterman show because of the band and the collaborations they did with numerous artists and this one is top notch.

[@julesc296]

Never been repeated as genuine as it was back then with Letterman + Paul and the band.. The interaction and integration alone was phenomenal... Let alone Paul's quick wit hovering not so far from Dave's, ultimately complementing/ combining to be the experience that it was... They sat above the corny basic shit they had to say/pervay... Norm Macdonald highlights Dave's high level intellect, while portraying the everyday man approach to comedy and is beyond spot on... Never gained intellectual/vocabulary knowledge from any other late show host within the hijinks other than from Dave... Quisling being a standout, then Norm's ability to play the everyman in return while pretending not to understand is a late night reverse/faux level of intellectual back n forth that I truly believe will never be surpassed in these BS times.. Also Norm n Conan n Craig are amazing but different levels comparatively with the pretend to be dumb for relatability sake approach due to unrelatable levels of intelligence... Genius!

[@JustBreakingBreadTV]

Classic.... Even back then they rocked with a live band.... Everyone was included, having a good time. Awesome.

[@illvenom83]

This was da good old days when everyone had a good time with friends and family dats was da time back in da days was da shit now da the world all f***** up we got to get together and see life a little bit better and God bless y'all and keep your head up high

[@thezanily]

God rest your soul Phife ❤ A Tribe Called Quest forever ❤

[@msladylibra8373]

Rip Phife my FAVORITE Rap group never saw this performance it's 🔥 they where lyrically ON POINT period to me ❤

[@eduardom.8766]

“You on point Phife-all the time Tip.” (RIP to the five footer.)

[@nimrodery]

Straight up, this is why it was the World's Most Dangerous Band. I don't think I've ever seen Branford Marsalis play Hip Hop, let alone rip it like that.

[@mauricelay1412]

We still miss phife dawg

[@LaughterCigar]

"Here's a funky introduction of how nice I am", and with Phife it was damn funky up until his last day.

[@ivalinapasse2469]

The Funking Introduction Yes !!!!

[@skittrokerwarior]

Even if the record skips, phife still rips! Rest in Beats.

[@tylergetsdown]

Paul Shaffer was having way too much fun with this

[@likethat362]

When that beat drop, I get goosebumps every time

[@Blktxdom2004]

Quest brought Dave’s band into the segment. Let’s see the crews today doing this! RIP Phifer!

[@vizzel1000]

Yeah If u seen the documentary of A Tribe Called Quest Q-Tip didn't even know if Phife Dawg was going to be able to perform that night because he was sick. He decided at the last minute that he was going to perform.

[@ptm4444]

Tomorrow will be 31 years exactly ❤

[@giancarloricci2428]

Damn Phife was off. The look on Q-Tip's face at 1:45 is hilarious

[@LeoJMathews]

+Giancarlo Ricci In the movie Phife talked about how his diabetes was so bad at that point that whole performance felt like it was in slow motion. He really struggled through it

[@doctorjules187]

+Leo Mathews Poor phife is prob in DKA while this is happening. Brutha needs some insulin!

[@crackmanjones3690]

Lmao Classic

[@MjSa-es4zu]

@@LeoJMathews what movie is this?

[@RTDavis0503]

He was mad sick with diabetes in this performance. He almost didn't perform

[@dankgummy]

love the horns...woo

[@DaOldSchoolRapLova96]

Damn this was the performance where phife dawg said his diabetes were fucked up on the beats rhymes and life documentary.

[@lucasm3879]

Thankyou Tribe Called Quest for making the world better. Love those guys 🙏👊👌✌

[@lwebb39]

*Side note: in the band, Roger Ball, on the alto sax from the group AWB, who played on the original track “Love your life”, which was a portion of the horn line used for the main sample.

[@Blahzay20]

Miss you Phife... Bless you.

[@funk8080]

Paul Shaffer always been a great music head.

[@fredstah714]

I still be listening to this in my 80’s. Legend.

[@michellekniles4681]

Just heard some devastating news RIP Phife long time fan

[@icecoldcube2823]

Greatest, most talented and passionate group ever. The main reason I love hip hop.

[@barrymurphy4812]

OMG!!!! Never seen this before and I thought I had seen all there old footage. Thankyou for the post 😊👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@txtrang2515]

ATCQ much respect! One of the few groups that could rock a crowd w/ clean content.

[@joeymadara7266]

rip Phife dawg, 5 foot assassin. great to see this wish I wasn't 22 days old when this was happening. I miss all the good. now he be spitting with biggie with j dilla making their beats in heaven

[@ignaciopullum1091]

You can tell the age of this video, the rectangle CD cardboard cover....when hip hop was the real deal....

[@shawn4ever77]

You know I never seen this before but this was an AWESOME PERFORMANCE! Paul Scheffer and the CBS Orchestra was LIT! Thanks for posting this! 😁👍

[@whatsforafters7843]

My pleasure! Too good not to share :) Thanks for the note of appreciation, and glad you enjoyed it. Peace!

[@GMANKOOL23]

This isn't the late show , it's late night , back when Letterman used to be on NBC , and the band was known as " The Most Dangerous Band In The World In The World " . Once Dave switched networks , NBC kept intellectual property of the band's name .

[@doncatalog]

Dearly missed as a group, and we surely will miss The Foot Footer#RIPPhife

[@Dmaccabees]

That was a dope performance!...i never seen this..lol

[@picklerick8239]

I love my dude..Phife would always pick up the phone never let the fame get to his head... a great mentor. I miss u Malik Thank you for your wisdom. It was a blessing knowing u my brother. I will be with you all soon

[@theoutsiders7784]

This is a Treasure

[@FifeFamily]

This is such a good live performance, ahead of its time. So fun to see the late show band playing! Drummer is tight in the groove!

[@FifeFamily]

I do wish the sax's would've hit that funky note at the end of each phrase...it sounds more polished here.

[@kincamell2]

Much Gratitude

[@harryveras7486]

The Class of hip hop , rip 5

[@Chevygirl477]

THIS IS REAL HIP HOP!!! ❤ A Tribe Called Quest

[@taylormarchand2497]

RIP Phife. Thanks for the music

[@twohamburgers]

Paul sat in with Tribe!! haha - they are hip hop kings - just soooo good and fun and conscience

[@AllhailtheUS]

Wow...Paul Shaffer rocking out with ATCQ...whod have thunk it? R.I.P. Pfife

[@Mr.Neyetro]

Very organic with the band.

[@terrellcarey6178]

ATCQ and The World's Most Dangerous Band!

[@kevindraw314]

that was fireworks... excellence

[@Verdoso1897]

This is real Hip Hop. This is so fucking awesome

[@fastfaps]

Verdoso1897 hip hop in its truest form

[@Aalender]

We love y’all 🙏🏾🔥Queens Get THE MONEY 💴

[@heartnsoullove]

Love watching this live performance!

[@palmtrees5459]

God damn legendary

[@maz2alaf]

Was just thinking about this performance, thinking u would never see it again...smh...ain't the Internet something? Oh, and I'm really gonna miss DAVE!

[@dillondavis4996]

this and digable planets are probably the best live TV talk show performances of any hip hop group

[@elvine2149]

The hip hop group, it's a pleasure to listen these guys

[@aleigh6883]

Sad sad day for hip hop. Soundtrack to my teenage years...rip Phife, rip Dilla!!

[@raiders7528]

Real Music!!!!!!

[@mattbeaudoin1]

RIP phife. also very cool for the show band to play the instrumental

[@rafaelmedeiros5283]

This is so fantastic

[@l1fty]

Great. The saxes and organ sound great too

[@exploringwithmike4237]

This is so lit, atcq live and on cd are great, and live is awesome, because they just make it so fun, there ain't words for it.

[@forbiddendancing]

Phife the greatest, REST IN POWER

[@dannycunningham8865]

Fuck, with a live band. DOPE!

[@BenThuAlot]

Safe to say, this is the first Tiny Desk Concert.. Btw, Paul killed it.. RIP Phifer

[@Huumf]

The nikes ❤️

[@oscarblack7624]

fucking classic due, so much flo and connection between the two

[@DJTonyOKay]

Man, this is so fun to watch

[@Benicio511]

93 God damn what beautiful year

[@davidmartinez9804]

Love this performance of my favorite Rap song by my favorite group.