The Garment District: A Tribe Called Quest & Puma Shoes
Published: Monday - April 9, 2007
Words by Arnold T. Pants
Here is a peak at Puma's tribute to A Tribe Called Quest. Following the "YO! MTV Raps" Clyde, Puma again tweaks the shoe with nod to an original design source. This time it's the group's signature red, green and black color palate from the cover of Midnight Marauders. There are a good number of hip-hop inspired sneakers available right now, with both contemporary artists (G-Unit, Game, Jigga, etc.) and classic groups represented. While this trend may be getting a touch over done (how many non-athlete sneakers do we really need?), it's nice to see Tribe getting a tribute from the sneaker world.
Cover of Tribe's Midnight Marauders alongside the new Puma shoe (pic via HypeBeast)
A brief historical note: A Tribe Called Quest was formed in 1988 and released their first single, "Description of a Fool," in 1989. MCs Q-Tip and Phife Dog had known each other through childhood, and meeting DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad in high school spurred their artistic growth (before the official birth of A Tribe Called Quest, Tip guest starred on a few tracks for acts as varied as De La Soul and house outfit Deee-Lite). The group received its name from fellow classmates The Jungle Brothers. Signed to Jive in 1989, A Tribe Called Quest released six albums with the label from 1990 to 1998: People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990); The Low End Theory (1991); Midnight Marauders (1993); Revised Quest for the Seasoned Traveler (1994); Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996); and, The Love Movement (1998). Midnight Marauders, the albums that inspired the above Puma, spawned the commercial hit in "Award Tour," and pushed the group towards cross-over success in the alternative market. By picturing a number of hip-hop greats and faces on the cover, Q-Tip and crew also cemented their support for the hip-hop community. In 1994, they toured with Lollapalooza for the first time, and with that step, ATCQ continued to push and promote rap to new audiences. Hopefully this PUMA will introduce the group to new fans and remind of the many classic and groundbreaking tracks in their back catalogue.
All Music Guide to Hip Hop as my source for this section.
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