A Tribe Called Quest Show The World What’s The ‘Scenario’
When A Tribe Called Quest dropped their second album The Low End Theory in 1991, it was prime time for their unique brand of emerging Hip-Hop. Growing out of the loosely connected Native Tongues collective out of NYC; Tribe, along with similar rap groups like De La Soul & Brand Nubian, blended social commentary and relays of the young, black experience with sample-heavy, Jazz & Soul beats.
While their video for ‘Scenario’ is remembered as being a posse cut and coming out party for Native Tongues, that’s really only half-true.
Yes, this was a rare chance (pre-internet) for followers and fans who had only read about and heard disparate sections of the collective to catch a more-complete glimpse of what was going on up in Queens. But, in truth, this is more of a Tribe Called Quest & Leaders Of The New School collab on wax.
The Jim Swaffield directed music video is framed around an interactive desktop. Video screens opening and closing as various group shots and profiles are displayed. Everyone from a young Redman to director Spike Lee makes an appearance.
Truth be told, in complete hindsight, the interactive desktop framing smacks less like then-cutting edge technology and more like those Sega CD “Make My Video” FMV games that were a fad from that very same year.
But for all of the good vibes and genuine revelry that this video is rightly known for, the big elephant in the room was that the real coming out party wasn’t for Native Tongues, per se. It was for Busta Rhymes.
Only 19 at the time, Busta Rhymes was part of the group Leaders Of The New School and already on his own career path with partners Charlie Brown & Dinco D. Both of whom rap with Phife & Q-Tip on ‘Scenario.’
But let’s face it, once Tip handed the mic over to Busta, it was a wrap. It’s one thing to hear Busta rhymes, it’s another altogether to see Busta Rhymes. With his pink shirt and jean jacket, bouncing his body all over the frame like a superball, Busta Rhymes gave off that kind of instant charisma that can be star-making. While he was already known to some at this time, he took the bigger platform he was given and completely stole the show from his fellow Leaders.
Busta even gets one of the best visuals in the video, with a parade of various computer wallpapers chroma keyed onto his shirt as he’s rapping.
The success of ‘Scenario’ is in how perfectly everything finds a level of quintessence. The rhymes are stellar. The inclusion of extended Native Tongues members & collaborators adds a sense of community and a living world outside any singular group. The visual framing is inventive, without being intrusive. Even Busta’s breakout verse is scene-stealing, without taking away or overshadowing the rest of the video.
As Phife said, “Brothers front, they say the Tribe can’t flow.” If someone ever claims that, just bust out ‘Scenario.’
S/O to Whoisoriginel on twitter for the suggestion. You can recommend a music video for me to review by reaching out below:
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