The Ummah
Encyclopedia
The Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip
and Ali Shaheed Muhammad
of A Tribe Called Quest
, and the late Jay Dee
(now known as J Dilla
) of the Detroit-based group Slum Village
. Occasional members included Raphael Saadiq
, and D'Angelo
. In addition to producing nearly the entirety of A Tribe Called Quest
's fourth and fifth album, the Ummah provided backing tracks for a notable array of hip hop
and contemporary R&B
artists, including Busta Rhymes
, Whitney Houston
, Keith Murray
, the Brand New Heavies
, Janet Jackson
, and Jon B. The group was so named because two of its members (Tip and Ali) are devout Muslims. The word "ummah
" is Arabic for "community", "nation", or "brotherhood".
Amp Fiddler
introduced Jay Dee (who at the time was shopping for a deal for his group) to Q-Tip. Tip was impressed enough by Jay Dee's soulful productions to invite him as an addition to Tribe's music-production team, which until then consisted of Tip and Ali Shaheed.
, was criticized for moving away from the group's earlier, denser, and bottom heavy sound exemplified by tracks such as "Scenario" and "Oh My God
." The new sound, which now leaned towards a more laid-back and polished tone, would be embraced a little more with the release of Tribe's "Find A Way
" from its fifth and final album, The Love Movement
, although the album itself received a lukewarm reception, and no second proper single or video was released.
Following this and the split of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip and Jay Dee continued to collaborate under the Ummah moniker, producing almost all of Tip's solo album Amplified, which included two tracks from DJ Scratch
. For several reasons, including label complications, Tip's solo career became largely inactive while Jay Dee and D'Angelo went on to form the Soulquarians
with other like-minded artists. Although A Tribe Called Quest since formed somewhat of a reunion, releasing "ICU (Doin' It)" in 2003, the possibility of the group once again using the Ummah name for future productions seems unlikely, especially since member Jay Dee's death on February 10, 2006, from complications of Lupus
.
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
and Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, producer who enjoyed a great deal of fame as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the group released five studio albums from 1990 to 1998....
of A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, and the late Jay Dee
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
(now known as J Dilla
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
) of the Detroit-based group Slum Village
Slum Village
Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
. Occasional members included Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
, and D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
. In addition to producing nearly the entirety of A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
's fourth and fifth album, the Ummah provided backing tracks for a notable array of hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
artists, including Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, Keith Murray
Keith Murray (rapper)
Keith Murray is an American rapper and a member of the rap trio Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon.-Music career:...
, the Brand New Heavies
Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies are an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing, a suburb of London, England.-Biography:The Brand New Heavies began in the 1980s as an instrumental acid jazz group called Brother International....
, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, and Jon B. The group was so named because two of its members (Tip and Ali) are devout Muslims. The word "ummah
Ummah
Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
" is Arabic for "community", "nation", or "brotherhood".
Background
The collective took shape around 1995, when veteran keyboardistKeyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Amp Fiddler
Amp Fiddler
Joseph "Amp" Fiddler is an American keyboardist, singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan, U.S.. His musical styles include funk, soul, dance and electronica music. He is probably best known for his contributions to the band Enchantment, and as part of George Clinton’s...
introduced Jay Dee (who at the time was shopping for a deal for his group) to Q-Tip. Tip was impressed enough by Jay Dee's soulful productions to invite him as an addition to Tribe's music-production team, which until then consisted of Tip and Ali Shaheed.
Production work
Its first work, Beats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and Life
Beats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth album of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the group's...
, was criticized for moving away from the group's earlier, denser, and bottom heavy sound exemplified by tracks such as "Scenario" and "Oh My God
Oh My God (A Tribe Called Quest song)
"Oh My God" was the third single from A Tribe Called Quest's third album Midnight Marauders. It contains a sample of "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?" by Kool & the Gang and "Absolutions" by Max Roach. It also features Busta Rhymes on the chorus....
." The new sound, which now leaned towards a more laid-back and polished tone, would be embraced a little more with the release of Tribe's "Find A Way
Find a Way
"Find a Way" is a 1985 single by Christian music singer Amy Grant. It was released as the first single from her Unguarded album. Also, "Find A Way" was Grant's first major single release, as it was issued in secular outlets by A&M Records along with the album...
" from its fifth and final album, The Love Movement
The Love Movement
The Love Movement is a 1998 album by hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. It was the group's fifth and final album of original material. Musically, it followed in the same vein as Beats, Rhymes and Life, featuring the smooth, jazzy beats of The Ummah. Critical reaction was mostly positive, for the...
, although the album itself received a lukewarm reception, and no second proper single or video was released.
Following this and the split of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip and Jay Dee continued to collaborate under the Ummah moniker, producing almost all of Tip's solo album Amplified, which included two tracks from DJ Scratch
DJ Scratch
DJ Scratch is an American hip hop DJ and producer.-Career:DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ Champion, Grammy nominated, Multi Platinum Producer & The 2010 Master Of The Mix World Champion....
. For several reasons, including label complications, Tip's solo career became largely inactive while Jay Dee and D'Angelo went on to form the Soulquarians
Soulquarians
The Soulquarians is a neo soul and hip hop-informed musical collective with members from Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, Richmond, Brooklyn, Chicago, Dallas, and Oakland. The collective formed during the late 1990s, continuing into the early 2000s, and produced several well-received albums...
with other like-minded artists. Although A Tribe Called Quest since formed somewhat of a reunion, releasing "ICU (Doin' It)" in 2003, the possibility of the group once again using the Ummah name for future productions seems unlikely, especially since member Jay Dee's death on February 10, 2006, from complications of Lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
.
Albums
- A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
- Beats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth album of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the group's...
(1996, Jive, RIAA certification: Platinum) - A Tribe Called Quest - The Love MovementThe Love MovementThe Love Movement is a 1998 album by hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. It was the group's fifth and final album of original material. Musically, it followed in the same vein as Beats, Rhymes and Life, featuring the smooth, jazzy beats of The Ummah. Critical reaction was mostly positive, for the...
(1998, Jive, RIAA certification: Gold) - Q-TipQ-Tip (rapper)Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
- Amplified (1999, Arista, RIAA certification: Gold)
1996
- Da Bush BabeesDa Bush BabeesDa Bush Babees is a group of underground hip-hop artists loosely affiliated with the Native Tongues. The members of the group are Babe-B-Face Kaos , Mister Man Da Bush Babees is a group of underground hip-hop artists loosely affiliated with the Native Tongues. The members of the group are...
- "Gravity", "3 MCs"- GravityGravity (Bush Babees album)Gravity is the acclaimed second album from Hip Hop group Da Bush Babees. The crew got help from a number of fellow Native Tongues members, including The Ummah, Mos Def and De La Soul's Posdnous. The lead single "The Love Song" received strong airplay prior to the album's release...
- Gravity
- Grant GreenGrant GreenGrant Green was a jazz guitarist and composer....
- "Down Here On The Ground"- Various artists - The New Groove: The Blue Note Remix Project Volume 1
- Keith MurrayKeith Murray (rapper)Keith Murray is an American rapper and a member of the rap trio Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon.-Music career:...
- "Dangerous Ground", "The Rhyme (Remix)"- Enigma
- Busta RhymesBusta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
- "Ill Vibe", "Still Shinin'", "Keep It Moving"- The ComingThe ComingThe Coming is the debut album by former Leaders of the New School member, Busta Rhymes, released in 1996 by Elektra Records. The Coming features rapping from Def Squad members Redman and Keith Murray as well as a guest appearance from Q-Tip and singing from Zhané and different future Flipmode Squad...
- The Coming
1997
- A Tribe Called Quest - "Same Ol' Thing"
- Various artists - Men in Black: The AlbumMen in Black: The Album-Sample Credits:*"Men in Black" featuress a sample from "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen written by Patrice Rushen, Terry McFadden and Fred Washington...
- Various artists - Men in Black: The Album
- Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
- "Got 'Til It's GoneGot 'Til It's Gone"Got 'til It's Gone" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, featuring American rapper Q-Tip and Canadian singer Joni Mitchell. It was released as the lead single from Jackson's sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope .-Song information:...
(Ummah's Uptown Saturday Night Mix)", "Got 'Til It's Gone (Ummah Jay Dee's Revenge Mix)"- 12"/CD single
- Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- "HIStory (The Ummah Radio Mix)", "HIStory (The Ummah Urban Mix)", "History (The Ummah DJ Mix)"- 12"/CD singles
- Mint ConditionMint ConditionMint Condition is an R&B band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Formed in the late 1980s, its original members were lead singer Stokley Williams, bassist Ricky Kinchen, guitarist Homer O'Dell, pianist Larry Waddell, keyboardist Keri Lewis, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jeffrey Allen...
- "Let Me Be The One (Ummah Remix)"- 12"/CD single
- Busta Rhymes - "So Hardcore"
- When Disaster StrikesWhen Disaster StrikesWhen Disaster Strikes... is the 2nd studio album by Busta Rhymes, released on September 23, 1997. The album follows the same theme as The Coming, the apocalypse. The album was a commercial success, sporting the hit singles "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" and "Dangerous"...
- When Disaster Strikes
- Brand New HeaviesBrand New HeaviesThe Brand New Heavies are an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing, a suburb of London, England.-Biography:The Brand New Heavies began in the 1980s as an instrumental acid jazz group called Brother International....
- "Sometimes (The Ummah Remix)"- 12"/CD single
- Jon B.Jon B.Jon B. is a Grammy nominated American R&B singer and songwriter.-Early life:...
- "Cool Relax"- Cool RelaxCool RelaxCool Relax is the second studio album by Jon B. The album features the Tim & Bob produced hit single "They Don't Know" which was one of the years biggest hits...
- Cool Relax
1998
- JamiroquaiJamiroquaiJamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
- "Deeper Underground (The Ummah Mix)"- 12"/CD single
- Towa TeiTowa Teiis a DJ, artist and record producer in Yokahoma, Japan.Tōwa debuted as a member of Deee-Lite, from the U.S. label Elektra Records in 1990, and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart"...
- "Happy (Q-Tip Remix Dub)"- 12"/CD single
- Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
- "Fine"- Whitney: The Greatest HitsWhitney: The Greatest Hits-International edition:-Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes:Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes is a limited-edition four-record vinyl set, containing eight full club versions of selected remixes found on the American release...
- Whitney: The Greatest Hits