What?
What?

A Tribe Called Quest - What? Lyrics

Hip-Hop/Rap
Sep 24, 1991
122
What? Music Video

What? Lyrics

Babies babble on, they lookin' for excuses
Game for the buzzer who kicked it to the losers
Lame as a brain, could be, golly gee
If you see a shrink he'll charge you a fee
If you see me ya see the fee is nothing
(Fee will be for patience) all that's no fronting
What is a party if it doesn't really rock?
What is a poet? All balls, no cock
What is a war if it doesn't have a general?
What's channel nine if it doesn't have Arsenio?
What is life if you don't have fun?
What is a what if you ain't got a gun?
What's Ali without Shaheed Muhammad?
Nothing. Kapelka makes you vomit
What is a Quest if the players ain't willing?
What is a pence if you don't have a shilling?
Excuse me if I'm chilling, hey what, say what
What's a fat man without food in his gut?
What's a child birth, without the umbilical?
What's United Parcel, without the deliverer?
What's momma-san, without poppa-san?
What's martial arts without Daniel-San?
What's Rasheed without Tonya, Tamika?
What's orange juice and Doug E. Doug without Shaniqua?
Not a not a not a, not a damn thing
What's Duke Ellington without that swing?
What's Alex Haley if it doesn't have roots?
What's a weekend if you ain't knocking boots?
What's a black nation, without black unity?
What is a child who doesn't know puberty?
What is my label when I exit boom status?
What's menage-a-trois, or, that is
What is sex when you have three people?
What are laws if they ain't fair and equal?
What's Clark Kent without a telephone booth?
What is a liquor if it ain't 80 proof?
What are the youth if they ain't rebelling?
What's Raplh Kramden, if he ain't yelling
At Ed Norton, what is coke snorting?
What is position if there is no contorting?
What is hip-hop if it doesn't have violence?
Chill for a minute, Doug E. Fresh said, "Silence"

What is a glock if you don't have a clip?
What's a lollipop without the Good Ship?
What's S&M if you don't have chains?
What's a con artist if he doesn't have brains?
What's America without greed and glamor?
What's an MC if he doesn't have stamina?
What's music fractured without Mr. Walt?
What's Trugoy without a phrase called torte?
What's Chris Lighty if he wasn't such a baby?
What is a woman if she didn't say maybe?
Baby laid down, I removed the frown
What would be my penal cord if it wasn't brown?
What is a paper without a president?
What is a compound without a element?
What is a jam if you don't spike the punch?
Was it Bruce Lee if you don't like brunch?
Oh oh, it's like that you keep going
Freak freak y'all cause you know that we showing
What? tigga what? tigga what? tigga what? tigga what?
Tigga what? tigga wha?t tigga? what tigga? what? (what?)

Writer(s): Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, Malik Izaak Taylor
Copyright(s): Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who are the members of A Tribe Called Quest?

    A Tribe Called Quest consists of Q-Tip (Kamaal Fareed), Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor), Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White. The group is known for pioneering alternative hip hop and blending jazz with hip hop.

  2. When was the song 'What?' released?

    'What?' is a track from A Tribe Called Quest's second album, 'The Low End Theory,' which was released on September 24, 1991.

  3. What themes are explored in the song 'What?'

    'What?' explores various themes through rhetorical questions that challenge societal norms, materialism, and cultural elements. The song uses humor and wit to provoke thought about everyday concepts and their deeper meanings.

  4. Who wrote the lyrics for 'What?' by A Tribe Called Quest?

    The lyrics for 'What?' were written by Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (Q-Tip), and Malik Izaak Taylor (Phife Dawg).

  5. How does 'What?' fit into the overall style of A Tribe Called Quest's music?

    'What?' exemplifies A Tribe Called Quest's signature style of blending clever wordplay with socially conscious themes. It features their characteristic minimalist production infused with jazz elements, aligning well with their reputation as pioneers of alternative hip hop.

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