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Ali Shaheed Muhammad

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Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Muhammad performing in 2008
Muhammad performing in 2008
Background information
Also known asMr. Muhammad
Born (1970-08-11) August 11, 1970 (age 54)
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.[1]
Genres
Occupations
  • Disc jockey
  • record producer
  • rapper
  • songwriter
Years active1985–present
Labels
Formerly of
Websitealishaheed.com

Ali Shaheed Muhammad (born August 11, 1970) is an American hip hop DJ, record producer, rapper and bass guitarist, best known as a member of A Tribe Called Quest.[1] With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (and sometimes Jarobi White), the group released five studio albums from 1990 to 1998 before disbanding; their final album was released in 2016. He was also a member of the R&B group Lucy Pearl, and is known in recent years for his jazz collaborations with producer Adrian Younge.

Early life

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Muhammad was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and was raised in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood.[2][1][3] He began to DJ at age eight, and began programming music at age 13.[4] He befriended Q-Tip as a freshman at Murry Bergtraum High School in Manhattan, and in 1985, they began making demos together, using recording equipment provided by Muhammad's uncle.[4][5] Shortly thereafter, Phife Dawg and Jarobi White joined the duo, forming the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest.[4] Muhammad is a Muslim.[6]

Career

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Muhammad speaking at Apple Fifth Avenue in New York City in 2006

Together with Jay Dee and Q-Tip, Muhammad formed the music-production collective, the Ummah.[1]

After A Tribe Called Quest disbanded, Muhammad formed the R&B supergroup Lucy Pearl with Dawn Robinson, formerly of En Vogue and Raphael Saadiq, formerly of Tony! Toni! Toné!, releasing one album in 2000.[1] On October 12, 2004, he released his debut solo album, Shaheedullah and Stereotypes.[1]

In 2013, Muhammad moved to Los Angeles to work with producer Adrian Younge on the Souls of Mischief album There Is Only Now, as the album's narrator.[7][8] Since then Muhammad and Younge have collaborated to co-produce the soundtrack for both seasons of the Luke Cage TV series,[9][10] and they have toured together since 2018 as the Midnight Hour, releasing an album by the same name.[11][12]

In 2019, Muhammad contributed to Saadiq's fifth album, Jimmy Lee.[13]

In 2020, Muhammad and Younge launched the Jazz Is Dead album series, in which the two of them collaborate with jazz musicians. Album partners in this series have included Roy Ayers, Marcos Valle, Doug Carn, Gary Bartz, João Donato, and the trio Azymuth.[14][2] Muhammad is the main bass guitarist for the project.

In 2024, Muhammad was selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of A Tribe Called Quest.[15]

Radio show

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In 2013, Muhammad began co-hosting the Microphone Check radio show, which ran on NPR until 2016,[16] and on Spotify until 2019.[17][18]

Discography

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See also: A Tribe Called Quest discography and The Ummah discography

Studio albums

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with Lucy Pearl

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with Adrian Younge

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  • Luke Cage (Original Soundtrack Album) (2016)
  • Luke Cage: Season 2 (Original Soundtrack Album) (2018)
  • The Midnight Hour (as The Midnight Hour) (2018)
  • Jazz Is Dead 001 (2020)
  • Roy Ayers JID002 (2020)
  • Marcos Valle JID003 (2020)
  • Azymuth JID004 (2020)
  • Doug Carn JID005 (2020)
  • Gary Bartz JID006 (2021)
  • João Donato JID007 (2021)
  • Brian Jackson JID008 (2021)
  • Instrumentals JID009 (2021)
  • Remixes JID010 (2021)
  • Jazz is Dead 011 (2022)
  • Jean Carne JID012 (2022)
  • Katalyst JID013 (2022)
  • Henry Franklin JID014 (2022)
  • Garret Saracho JID015 (2022)
  • Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison JID016 (2023)
  • Lonnie Liston Smith JID017 (2023)
  • Tony Allen JID018 (2023)
  • Instrumentals JID019 (2023)
  • Remixes JID020 (2023)

Selected solo production credits

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1991

A Tribe Called Quest - Check the Rhime 12"

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  • "Check the Rhime (Mr. Muhammad's Mix)"
1992

Fu-Schnickens - F.U. Don't Take It Personal

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Fu-Schnickens - True Fuschnick 12"

  • "True Fuschnick (Shaheed's Fix)"

Boogie Down Productions - We in There 12"

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  • "We in There (Remix)"
1993

Greg Osby - 3-D Lifestyles

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  • "Raise"
  • "Hardcopy"
  • "Flow to the Underculture"

Shaquille O'Neal - Shaq Diesel

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  • "Where Ya At?"

Young MC - What's the Flavor?

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  • "We Can Do This"
  • "Foulin'"
  • "Bob Your Head"
  • "Open Up the Door (and Let Me In)"
1994

Gil Scott-Heron - Spirits

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  • "Don't Give Up"

Ice Cube - What Can I Do? 12"

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  • "What Can I Do (Eastside Mix)"

Simple E - Colouz Uv Sound

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  • "Neck Work"

Da Bush Babees - Ambushed

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  • "We Run Things (It's Like That)"
1995

Faith Evans - You Used to Love Me 12"

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  • "You Used to Love Me (Ali Mix)"

D'Angelo - Brown Sugar

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Naughty by Nature - Feel Me Flow 12"

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  • "Feel Me Flow (Ali Shaheed Muhammad Mix)"

Stepchild - Hangin' Around (Sicka Gettin' Treated) 12"

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  • "Hangin' Around (Sicka Gettin' Treated) (Remix)"
1997

Jon B. - I Do (Watcha Say Boo) 12"

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  • "Cool Relax (Remix)"
1998

Various artists - Ride soundtrack

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  • "Never Say Goodbye" (Adriana Evans and Phife Dawg)
1999

Angie Stone - Black Diamond

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  • "Bone 2 Pic (With U)"

Shola Ama - In Return

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  • "Lovely"

Eric Benét - A Day in the Life

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  • "That's Just My Way"
  • "Lamentation"
  • "Why You Follow Me"

Scritti Politti - Tinseltown to the Boogiedown: The Variations

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  • "Tinseltown to the Boogiedown (Ali Shaheed Variation)"

Various artists - The PJs soundtrack

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Mos Def - Black on Both Sides

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  • "Got"
2000

Laurneá Wilkerson - II

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  • "Groovin'"
  • "She's Hurtin'"
2001

Angie Stone - Mahogany Soul

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  • "What U Dyin' For"

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Torres, Andre. "Ali Shaheed Muhammad – About" Archived January 23, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Linear Labs, Accessed February 27, 2019. "The soft-spoken and contemplative Brooklyn native began a life of music at an early age, spending years DJing parties in his Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood before co-founding Tribe in 1985."
  2. ^ a b "Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Madden, Sidney MaddenSidney (August 11, 2015). "Happy Birthday, Ali Shaheed Muhammad! - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Del F. Cowie "A Tribe Called Quest – Verses From the Abstract". Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Exclaim! February 2008
  5. ^ "Q-Tip – Red Bull Music Academy". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  6. ^ [1][permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "The Midnight Hour is giving a jazzy nod to soul and hip-hop in upcoming Charlotte performance". QCityMetro. September 13, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  8. ^ Rys, Dan (July 10, 2013). "Adrian Younge Talks New Concept Album With Souls Of Mischief, Narrated By Ali Shaheed Muhammad – XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  9. ^ "Luke Cage (Original Soundtrack Album) by Various Artists". Itunes.apple.com. October 7, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  10. ^ "Luke Cage season 2 soundtrack revealed: who are the musical acts in Netflix's Marvel series?". Radio Times. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  11. ^ Madden, Sidney (July 18, 2018). "The Midnight Hour: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR.org. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  12. ^ "Ali Shaheed Muhammad / Adrian Younge: The Midnight Hour". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  13. ^ Strauss, Matthew (June 7, 2019). "Raphael Saadiq Announces Jimmy Lee, First New Album in Eight Years". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "Ali Shaheed Muhammad / Adrian Younge – Jazz Is Dead 001". AllMusic. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  15. ^ "2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  16. ^ Janssen, Mike (September 30, 2016). "Reshuffling of NPR Music includes farewell to 'Microphone Check' team". Current.org. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  17. ^ "Wrap Up Episode". Frannieandali.com. February 26, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  18. ^ "About Microphone Check". Npr.org. June 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
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