In Part Two of our chat with Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the DJ ponders the legacy of A Tribe Called Quest and what’s going on in hip hop now.

Do you see anybody today who is carrying on from where you left off? Anyone who is doing a similar sort of thing, a similar sort of approach?
Absolutely. Absolutely. You have groups like Outkast, Common, The Roots – I admire The Roots so much for their unity, and their dedication to the art form. Especially with this album, because it’s such a deep album, and they’re still branching out, still growing, and not repeating themselves.

And you have groups, and solo artists like Kanye West. He picked up the flag and he’s taking it further and beyond. And we had some of the same dreams and aspirations that he has, but I think because of the time period he has been able to make an advance where we were unable to.

Then production teams – you’ve got N*E*R*D/The Neptunes. I love what those guys do. And clearly those guys are influenced by hip hop, and stuff that Tribe Called Quest brought into the fold.

There are many groups out there who I believe have been influenced, who are still carrying our torch. And you have B.o.B shouting us out, or Drake shouting us out – this whole younger generation of hip hop. And those guys have clearly done their homework, but have also been inspired beyond homework. And it’s exciting to see that people are not just mimicking what everyone else is doing, but instead be proud of their uniqueness, and go out there, and take charge of their unique aspect.

B.o.B – he kinda reminds of Arrested Development and that era of what we came from. But, I mean, he may have been inspired by, but he’s clearly of now, and Drake is of now. But there’s certainly groups out there – there’s another one from Chicago, or maybe Milwaukee, called Rashan, and he’s just kicking that wholesome, uniting, socially bridging-the-gap type of a spirit. There’s quite a few artists out there.

Well, talking of bridging the gap, what do you think of the shift in mainstream, Top 40 hip hop/R&B towards dance music and European house samples, rather than the jazz or blues samples that you guys were doing?
[Laughs] I think it’s the funniest thing, firstly. And I don’t know what the radio is like in Sydney, but when it comes to New York City there are two main hip hop stations. And I remember a time when certain ‘sounds’ of music would not be played. But the hip hop that they play now is nothing but ‘80s music to me. And if they’re going to play something that’s got Rick Ross on it, then why not play this other thing?

It’s funny to me, the state that hip hop is in. But I think what it says in context to where we came from is that, clearly, music evolves. And it may not necessarily evolve into something new, there’s always someone who is learning or borrowing something from the past to make something new. And that’s the beautiful thing about not just music, or hip hop, but about humanity is that we do have a connection. And no matter what type of stereotypes one may put in front of a society at any given point in time, eventually those stereotypes get crushed and broken, and you look back and laugh at how ignorant you were at one point.

So I don’t think the state of hip hop is a bad thing. I think it’s just different, and a different time-period. And as a musician you really have to relate to where you are in terms of where you once were, and where you’re trying to get to. And if you can weather the present, and maintain the spirit that challenges the present, and are able to bring it to the forefront, then you’re always going to be good.

And I look at some of this, and as it relates to the radio, I think it’s discriminatory. Some of these stations call themselves ‘the home of hip hop’, but I really think they should open themselves up to more than just hip hop. Ultimately it’s just the voice over the top of it that’s different. It gets tagged with a genre, but if it’s hip hop, or alternative, it’s really just the same thing. And I would love those sorts of things to be broken. I mean, if it’s a sort of separatist thing, to keep it authentic, then by all means keep it going.

But I like to see people coming together. I like to bridge those gaps. It takes a great deal of talent to turn your keyboard on, or pick up an instrument, and not necessarily rely on a record that you’ve heard to sample, but to be inspired to say, “OK, I’m not going to sample this, but I’m going to take it, and be inspired”. And that’s what I really admire about the producers of hip hop right now – that they’re not stuck in a box.

I’m sorry, that was kind of a long answer…

No, it was great. And I do agree that hip hop has always taken things from everywhere else. And you only have to look at The Roots’ new album to see people like Joanna Newsom, Monsters of Folk, and all that sort of stuff, to see that you can never build a wall around hip hop and say, “This is what it is, and we’re not going to play anything else”. You’re kind of cheating yourself. And if you’re only playing rap music, then what about something like Walk This Way?
Exactly, man. Exactly. And as a DJ, I tend to shy away from the Top 40. Because you can just walk out to your car and hear the same 12 records everywhere, but I’m not going to play those. I may play a Top 40 artist, but it’s not going to be the song that everyone else is jamming. Or I’m going to play another artist that might be similar, but that you’re not hip to yet. Or I might cross it over, and go back to the classics, because there may be something from the classics that you need to hear right now.

So I like to mix it up. As far as the Top 40, then I discriminate. But as far as the creativity, and where the music is right now, I am all for it. People have got to grow, and the only way you’re going to grow is through change, and understanding.

If you missed Part One of our extended interview, read it here. A Tribe Called Quest tour dates are below.

Wednesday 11 August – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Thursday 12 August – Festival Hall, Melbourne