Well, I had a group all lined up this week for Flashback Friday, but I’m changing course. Yesterday I got an e-mail informing me of my impending 10-year high school class reunion. So (for a fleeting moment) I thought of high school. And then I thought of the music I listened to in high school. It pretty much ran the gamut, including a love affair with all things grunge.

But the flashpoint for me had to be A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory. I’ll stand my ground and say that Midnight Marauders is actually my favorite Tribe album. However, Low End opened the floodgates of hip-hop to me. I know I’m not alone in this. There’s probably a case to be made for Low End’s inclusion in all-time top 10 lists. I just know that all my Tribe cassettes got worn out from constant playing. Is there a better bassline to start a song than the one in Buggin’ Out?

It’s actually kinda strange to be hailing Tribe as my flashback for the day — because I still listen to them constantly to this day. Nevertheless, something must be said for staying power. But instead of rehashing all the tunes I know you’ve heard, I have some remixes. I’ll stick to remixes of songs off Low End, one of the more important albums in my collection.

A Tribe Called Quest: Jazz (We’ve Got) (re-recording)
A Tribe Called Quest: Check the Rhime (Mr. Muhammad’s mix)
A Tribe Called Quest: Check the Rhime (Skeff’s mix)
A Tribe Called Quest: Scenario (Remix)

BONUS BEATS
A Tribe Called Quest: Hot Sex