Legacy of A Tribe Called Quest
Artists and genres A Tribe Called Quest directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
The PharcydeartistThe Pharcyde is an American hip-hop group, formed in South Central Los Angeles in 1991. The original four members of the group are Imani, Slimkid3, Bootie Brown, and Fatlip. DJ Mark Luv was the group's first disc jockey (DJ), followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla.
Robert GlasperartistRobert Andre Glasper is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger. His music embodies numerous musical genres, primarily centered around jazz. Glasper has won five Grammy Awards from 11 nominations.
Danny BrownartistDaniel Dewan Sewell, better known by his stage name Danny Brown, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and podcaster.
Cypress HillartistCypress Hill is an American hip-hop group formed in South Gate, California in 1988. One of the first Latin American groups to gain mainstream recognition in hip-hop, they have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and have obtained multi-platinum and RIAA platinum certifications. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast hip-hop and 1990s hip-hop. All of the group members advocate for recreational marijuana use as well as medical marijuana use of cannabis in the United States. In 2019, Cypress Hill became the first hip-hop group to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Matt MartiansartistMatthew Robert Martin, known professionally as Matt Martians, is an American record producer, illustrator, singer and songwriter. Aside from his solo career, Martians is a founding member of the hip hop music collective Odd Future and the alternative R&B band The Internet, and is one half of the production duo The Jet Age of Tomorrow with Pyramid Vritra, a sub-group of Odd Future.
Joesefartist
People Under the StairsartistPeople Under the Stairs was an American hip hop duo from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2019. Since their inception, the group consisted solely of Christopher Portugal and Michael Turner. The group employed a DIY work ethic of sampling, MCing, DJing, and producing all of their output.
Diamond DartistJoseph Kirkland, better known by his stage name Diamond D, is an American hip hop MC and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the Diggin' in the Crates Crew, abbreviated as D.I.T.C.
Pete RockartistPeter O. Phillips, better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongside DJ Premier, RZA, and Q-Tip as one of the mainstays of 1990s East Coast hip hop production. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Early on in his career, he was also famed for his remix work.
DweleartistAndwele Gardner, known professionally as Dwele, is an American R&B singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He is best known for his guest appearance on Kanye West's 2007 single "Flashing Lights" as well as his often-uncredited performance on West's 2010 single "Power", both of which peaked within the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. Gardner's 2003 debut solo single "Find a Way" narrowly entered the chart and led his debut studio album, Subject (2003), released by Virgin Records.
Deee-LiteartistDeee-Lite was an American house and dance music group formed in New York City. The group's single "Groove Is in the Heart", which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album, World Clique (1990), was a top-ten hit in multiple countries. In December 2016, Billboard ranked them as the 55th-most successful dance artists of all time.
BADBADNOTGOODartistBadBadNotGood is a Canadian instrumental band and production team from Toronto, Canada. The group was founded in 2010 by bassist Chester Hansen, keyboardist Matthew Tavares, and drummer Alexander Sowinski. In 2016, they were joined by frequent collaborator Leland Whitty. Among other projects, the group has released six solo studio albums, with the latest, Mid Spiral, released in July 2024. They have had critical and crossover success, finding audiences in the hip hop, jazz, and alternative music communities.
Nicholas CravenartistNicholas Craven is a Canadian record producer from Montreal, Quebec. He has worked with artists such as Roc Marciano, Billy Woods, Your Old Droog, and Navy Blue. He is also known for his work with Griselda artists such as Boldy James, Benny The Butcher, as well as their former associates, Conway The Machine, and Mach-Hommy.
Vic MensaartistVictor Kwesi Mensah, known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper and activist. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip-hop groups Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing his debut solo mixtape, Innanetape (2013). As a solo artist, Mensa has been signed to Virgin EMI Records, Def Jam Recordings, Capitol Records, and Roc Nation.
mxmtoonartistMaia, known professionally as mxmtoon, is an American singer-songwriter and YouTuber. Her music is characterized by emotionally transparent, confessional lyrics and often employs the ukulele. She released her first EP, Plum Blossom (2018); her debut album, The Masquerade (2019); the 2020 twin EPs—Dawn and Dusk; and her second studio album Rising (2022). In 2024, she released her third studio album, Liminal Space.
TiaCorineartistTia Corine Thompson Shults, known professionally as TiaCorine, is an American rapper and songwriter from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is best known for her singles "Lotto" and "FreakyT".
OddiseeartistAmir Mohamed el Khalifa, better known by his stage name Oddisee, is an American rapper and record producer from Washington, D.C. He is one third of the hip-hop trio Diamond District. He was also part of the Low Budget Crew. He is based in Brooklyn, New York.
SkyzooartistGregory Skyler Taylor, known professionally as Skyzoo, is an American rapper, director, and songwriter. He has released a number of notable solo and collaborative albums, including Cloud 9: The 3 Day High with 9th Wonder in 2006, The Salvation in 2009, A Dream Deferred in 2012, Music for My Friends in 2015, The Easy Truth with Apollo Brown in 2016, Retropolitan with Pete Rock in 2019, and his most recent solo album Keep Me Company. Skyzoo has also released a plethora of mixtapes including Corner Store Classic and The Great Debater throughout his career, and has worked with artists such as Jill Scott, Wale, Lloyd Banks, Dr. Dre, Black Thought, Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Spike Lee, John Legend, among others. Skyzoo has headlined or co-headlined often-yearly tours throughout America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia, and he owns and operates the independent record label First Generation Rich.
Leaders of the New Schoolartist
Jay DeeartistJames Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla, Jay Dee, or simply Dilla, was an American record producer, rapper, and composer. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit, Michigan, as a member of the group Slum Village. He was a founding member of the Soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Yancey and Madlib collaborated as the duo Jaylib, releasing the album Champion Sound. Yancey's final album, Donuts, was released three days before his death. He was also known for producing the Pharcyde album Labcabincalifornia.
DiggyartistDaniel Dwayne "Diggy" Simmons III is an American rapper, singer and actor from Queens, New York City. The fourth child of Run-DMC's Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons, he began his recording career in 2009 and signed with Atlantic Records the following year. In 2011, his single "Do It Like You" and guest appearance on Mindless Behavior's single "Mrs. Right" marked his first and only entries on the Billboard Hot 100. The former preceded the release of debut studio album, Unexpected Arrival (2012), which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200 and was met with positive critical reception. He was chosen as part of XXL magazine's 2011 Annual Freshman List, and joined Lupe Fiasco's short-lived rap collective, All City Chess Club as its youngest member that same year.
Felix da HousecatartistFelix Stallings Jr., known professionally as Felix da Housecat, is an American DJ and record producer, mostly known for house music and electroclash. Felix is regarded as a member of the second wave of Chicago house.
Das Racistartist
Funky DLartistNaphta Newman, better known by his stage name Funky DL, is an English rapper and record producer from Hackney, London. His debut album Classic Was The Day won the 1997 MOBO Award for Best Hip Hop. He was also nominated in 1998 and 1999. Following the release of his second album Heartfelt Integrity his music has been released through his own label Washington Classics. In the early 2000’s he made multiple songs with Japanese record producer Nujabes. After his tragic passing Funky DL released a tribute song "Ode to Nujabes" in 2011. Later in 2024 he authored a book titled "The Blueprint for Independent Artists: Pursuing a Successful Career In the Music Business".