What by A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Philosophical Rhymes
Lyrics
Game for the buzzer who kicked it to the losers
Lame as a brain, could be, golly gee
If you see a shrink he’ll charge you a fee
If you see me ya see the fee is nothing
(Fee will be for patience) all that’s no fronting
What is a party if it doesn’t really rock?
What is a poet? All balls, no cock
What is a war if it doesn’t have a general?
What’s channel nine if it doesn’t have Arsenio?
What is life if you don’t have fun?
What is a what if you ain’t got a gun?
What’s Ali without Shaheed Muhammad?
Nothing. (Calpekur) makes you vomit
What is a Quest if the players ain’t willing?
What is a pence if you don’t have a shilling?
Excuse me if I’m chilling, hey what, say what
What’s a fat man without food in his gut?
What’s a child birth, without the umbilical?
What’s United Parcel, without the deliverer?
What’s momma-san, without poppa-san?
What’s martial arts without Daniel-San?
What’s Rasheed without Tonya, Tamika?
What’s orange juice and Doug E. Doug without Shaniqua?
Not a not a not a, not a damn thing
What’s Duke Ellington without that swing?
What’s Alex Haley if it doesn’t have roots?
What’s a weekend if you ain’t knocking boots?
What’s a black nation, without black unity?
What is a child who doesn’t know pubery?
What is my label when I exit boom status?
What’s menage-a-tois, or, that is
What is sex when you have three people?
What are laws if they ain’t fair and equal?
What’s Clark Kent without a telephone booth?
What is a liquor if it ain’t 80 proof?
What are the youth if they ain’t rebelling?
What’s Raplh Cramden, if he ain’t yelling
At Ed Norton, what is coke snorting?
What is position if there is no contorting?
What is hip-hop if it doesn’t have violence?
Chill for a minute, Doug E. Fresh said silence
What is a glock if you don’t have a clip?
What’s a lollipop without the Good Ship?
What’s S&M if you don’t have chains?
What’s a con artist if he doesn’t have brains?
What’s America without greed and glamor?
What’s an MC if he doesn’t have stamina?
What’s music fractured without Mr. Walt?
What’s Trugoy without a phrase called torte?
What’s Kris Lighty if he wasn’t such a baby?
What is a woman if she didn’t say maybe?
Baby laid down, I removed the frown
What would be my penal cord if it wasn’t brown?
What is a paper without a president?
What is a compound without a element?
What is a jam if you don’t spike the punch?
Was it Bruce Lee if you don’t like brunch?
Oh oh, it’s like that you keep going
Freak freak y’all cause you know that we showing
What to go what to go what to go what to go what
To go what to go what to go what to go what!
A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘What’ emerges not just as a song but as a rhythmic foray into philosophical musing, draped in the garb of hip-hop. Amidst snappy beats and smooth flows, ‘What’ poses a relentless barrage of rhetorical questions, each pointing to larger themes of identity, society, and existence itself.
Peeling back the layers of ‘What’ reveals not just the playfulness of ATCQ’s lyrical prowess, but a deeper narrative on the indispensable elements that build our cultural, personal, and artistic landscapes. With every line, the listener is encouraged to ponder the essence of the things we often take for granted.
Dissecting the Essence of Existence
At its core, ‘What’ isn’t content with surface-level observations. The song is a labyrinth, each line leading listeners to question the fundamentals of life and the world around them. A Tribe Called Quest skillfully utilizes the art of questioning to open up a dialogue on what defines our environment: ‘What’s a war if it doesn’t have a general? What’s channel nine if it doesn’t have Arsenio?’ Here, ATCQ isn’t merely constructing metaphors; they’re confronting the constructs that define entities and our perceptions of them.
These queries reveal an unspoken truth about the contextual nature of things. Whether it’s discussing a war or a TV channel, the absence of a vital component can render something meaningless or defunct, inspiring listeners to contemplate what really matters in the structures we encounter daily.
The Invisible Thread of Cultural Identity
The significance of unity and identity finds a subtle yet impactful mention in the song. ‘What’s Ali without Shaheed Muhammad? Nothing.’ Through coupling integral parts of a whole, A Tribe Called Quest emphasizes the symbiosis inherent in successful partnerships and cultural icons. The sparse inclusion of a single word (‘Nothing’) following such poignant questions suggests a powerful vacuum, a sense of incompleteness that accompanies disassociation.
It’s a commentary on the interdependency that defines not just their group dynamic, but also the larger framework of society and cultural heritage. The absence of one element threatens the integrity of the entire construct, be it a musical duo, a television show, or a nation itself.
Subverting the Norm – The Hidden Meaning
Beneath the clever wordplay and catchy beat, ‘What’ serves as a rebellion against expected norms. ‘What are the youth if they ain’t rebelling?’ challenges the notion of youth as a time for complacency, instead proposing that the spirit of rebellion is a necessary rite of passage. A Tribe Called Quest stretches this idea across various scenarios within the song, often pitting convention against the necessity for transformation or highlighting the lack thereof.
This subversion is a call to action—to question the status quo, to dismantle the predictable, and to seek out the essence of our actions and beliefs. It propounds the theory that without challenging and understanding the underlying ‘What,’ our lives lose their depth and vibrancy.
A Rhythmic Juxtaposition of Poignancy and Playfulness
While tackling numerous existential inquiries, ‘What’ maintains a playful tone, indicative of ATCQ’s masterful blend of profundity with levity. Lines such as ‘What’s Ralph Cramden, if he ain’t yelling at Ed Norton?’ juxtapose classic television references with the existential musings that prelude them. This levity serves as an entry point for the listener, making the philosophical digestible, the esoteric relatable.
Such lines don’t just stand out for their humorous flair; they pull the listener into a familiar space while inviting them to view it through an analytical lens, thereby magnifying the song’s relatability and its ability to resonate on various levels.
Memorable Lines That Echo Long After the Music Stops
It’s no accident that several lines from ‘What’ linger in the collective consciousness: ‘What is a poet? All balls, no cock’, ‘What’s orange juice and Doug E. Doug without Shaniqua?’. These lines refuse to fade away not just because of their catchy syntax, but because they encapsulate the song’s larger narrative in microcosm—biting wit that borders on the absurd, yet undeniably rings with truth.
The enduring nature of these lyrics underscores ATCQ’s ability to craft lines that strike at the heart of human experience, underscored by humor and society’s often unspoken truths. They serve not merely as parts of a song, but as cultural touchstones that continue the ‘Quest’ long after the track has ended, prompting listeners to find the ‘What’ in their own lives.
