Native Tongues is one of Hip Hop’s greatest ever collectives. Between De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Jungle Brothers so many memorable song collaborations happened and much success came to each group. It wasn’t always roses however and in a recent sit-down interview with Vlad TV, De La explained some of the group’s tension early on, which would eventually play out on wax.
On the song “I Am I Be,” from Buhloone Mindstate, Posdnous questions the loyalty of members from both Tribe and Jungle. He recently explained why he wrote it and what it was about.
“That was when me and [Q-Tip] and [Afrika Baby Bam] was going through our little growing pains and going through a lot with each other so, that’s how I usually write,” Pos said when asked about the lyrics. “I write where if it was a good day, it was a bad day, I write about it. So those was one of those bad times where we as groups–in our own individual rights were becoming very successful and known–and friendships can get a little strained. [It’s] no difference with us as brothers. We go through it in our own way. That’s what that line is basically about.”
Posdnous continued by explaining that loyalty is key but regrets writing the lyrics because of their never-ending impact and because all groups have moved on since.
“[It’s] about how I felt, we were friends but in terms of being friends you’re supposed to treat each other life family and brothers opposed to what I thought maybe they weren’t,” he said. “Obviously we grew past that. I can honestly say I regret writing it. Not in terms of art and what I felt but it was only one instinct where I felt like that and wrote it and then it becomes a line that’s known forever.”
De La Soul is currently crowd-funding their forthcoming album and have already raised over $600,000 toward it. 11,000 people have contributed to the effort.
For additional De La Soul coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
Retire already ffs! Cob web looking, dry music making, no swag having old niggas. Nobody checkin for you. Kanye Kendrick and Cole run this game now
respect the legends you fucking fake. no swag?!?!? if you said this to my face i would kick the shit out of you without thinking
Christopher Ward likes pop music and has likely never listened to real hip hop.
Initially I was full of steam ready to come at u but I realized u have no life experiences and don’t understand that if u disrespect and disregard the past u have built ur future on shaky ground. “Swag” and style mean nothing without content of character but a person without knowledge of self wouldn’t know that.
@christopher ward.
We invented a word back in the day for people who talk like you: WACK.
Step off!
I would love for them to make a movie about this, and their formation. The Native Tongues were one of the impactful influences in hip-hop.
11,000 people checking for em dumbass
600k is more than enough to put out an album. Especially today when everything is done on computers. You can drop an album for $600 with a cheap computer.