Concrete Playground

Thus far, 2010 has been the year ‘90s hip hop made a comeback, with Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty by Nature, Missy Elliot and Beastie Boy MixMaster Mike all dusting off their mics/decks for a visit Down Under. But while all these comeback tours seem like somewhat of a fad, something tells me that A Tribe Called Quest’s first-ever tour of Australia is going to be pretty epic.

The first reason is that they’re here in their entirety; there’s no random collaboration between DJ and rapper, you get the original package as formed at high school in Queens, New York back in the '80s: DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (alias Q-Tip) and Malik 'Phife Dawg' Taylor. The second reason is there is no new album to push: this is their 20th Anniversary Tour, so you’re pretty much guaranteed to hear all your old favourites, such as ‘Can I Kick It’, ‘Bonita Applebum’ and ‘I Left My Wallet in El Segundo’.

Third, these guys really pushed the boundaries back in the day, infusing abstract jazz with Afro-centric beats to create a sound that remains unique to this day. During the ‘90s, they provided an articulate alternative to egocentric gangsta rap — and paved the way for fellow humble hip hop artists like Jurassic Five and the Roots. Finally, and for all you ladies, rapper/producer Q-Tip has hands-down the sexiest voice in hip hop history, and if his recent solo recordings are anything to go by, he’s still got it.

So, can you kick it? Yes you can. Tickets go on sale on Monday, June 21, at 9am.