Alternative hip-hop in the context of "A Tribe Called Quest"

The Native Tongues was a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and jazz-influenced beats. Its principal members were the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Black Sheep, Monie Love, Queen Latifah, and Chi-Ali. The collective was also closely tied to the Universal Zulu Nation.

The Native Tongues movement inspired later alternative hip-hop artists such as Outkast, the Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Little Brother, Black Eyed Peas, Dead Prez, Camp Lo, Jean Grae, Nappy Roots, Digable Planets, Common, Black Star, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill, MF Doom and Pharrell Williams. Rolling Stone cites the track "Doin' Our Own Dang" as "the definitive Native Tongues posse cut".

Progressive rap (or progressive hip-hop) is a broad subgenre of hip-hop that aims to progress the genre thematically with socially transformative ideas and musically with stylistic experimentation. Developing through the works of innovative US hip-hop acts during the 1980s and 1990s, it has also been known at various points as conscious, underground, and alternative hip-hop.

Progressive rap music critically examines social issues, political responsibility, and existential concerns, particularly in the context of African-American life and youth culture. Common themes include social injustice, inequality, status, identity, and religion, with discourses around ideologies such as Afrocentricity and Black religiosity. Unlike the genre's more commercially-dominant counterpart gangsta rap, prog-rap artists typically disavow intracultural violence and economic materialism in favor of constructive and educational responses such as consciousness, uplift, heritage, humor, and activism.

The Pharcyde is an American hip-hop group, formed in South Central Los Angeles in 1991. The original four members of the group are Imani (Emandu Wilcox), Slimkid3 (Trevant Hardson), Bootie Brown (Romye Robinson), and Fatlip (Derrick Stewart). DJ Mark Luv was the group's first disc jockey (DJ), followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla.

The group's debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992), featuring the hit single "Passin' Me By", was highly acclaimed and has gone on to be cited as one of the greatest albums in alternative hip-hop. In 1995 the group released second studio album Labcabincalifornia to further commercial success, featuring crossover hit singles "Drop" and "Runnin'". Labcabincalifornia received mixed critical reception upon its initial release, but has since achieved retrospective critical acclaim. After Fatlip's exit from the group, the remaining members of the group released the follow up albums Plain Rap (2000) and then Humboldt Beginnings (2004). Slimkid3 left the group in the middle of the production of Plain Rap, with the group only consisting of Imani and Bootie Brown. In 2002, the group released the EP AMP with hip-hop group Souls of Mischief under the title Almyghty Myghty Pythons. The group never regained its former commercial or critical success.

Digital Underground is an American alternative hip-hop group from Oakland, California.

Digital Underground's leader and mainstay was Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs (also known as Humpty Hump). Shock G formed the group in 1987 with Tampa hip-hop radio deejay Kenneth "Kenny-K" Waters and Jimi "Chopmaster J" Dright of Berkeley, California.

Fugees (/ˈfuːdʒiːz/) are an American hip hop group formed in South Orange, New Jersey, in 1990. The trio of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill were known for their fusion of hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and funk; their socially conscious lyrics; and use of live instrumentation during their performances. Their sound stood apart during the gangsta rap-dominated era, as they became one of the most significant alternative hip hop acts. Their name, derived from "refugees", referenced Jean's immigrant background, Michel's Haitian heritage, and themes of resilience in their music, which occasionally incorporated Haitian Creole.

After signing with Ruffhouse Records, an imprint of Columbia Records, in 1993, Fugees released their debut album Blunted on Reality (1994). Initially met by modest sales, it gained traction as they built a reputation in local clubs and talent shows. Producer Salaam Remi remixed their songs "Nappy Heads" and "Vocab", with the former charting on the Billboard Hot 100, helping them gain underground recognition. Their second album, The Score (1996), was a massive commercial success, spawning the hit singles "Fu-Gee-La", "Ready or Not", and their reimagined version of "Killing Me Softly", which topped the charts in over 20 countries worldwide. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, was certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, making it only the second rap album to receive the honor. According to The New York Times, its success placed the Fugees "at the forefront of pop music".

Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1992, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo. Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and left the group in 2018. They have sold an estimated 80 million records, making them one of the best-selling musical acts of all time; they were ranked 12th on Billboard's 2000s Decade-End Artist of the Decade Chart and 7th on the Hot 100 Artists of the Decade.

Originally forming as an alternative hip hop trio, they signed with Interscope Records to release two albums—Behind the Front (1998) and Bridging the Gap (2000)—before rebranding to a more marketable pop-rap act; their third album, Elephunk (2003), yielded the group's mainstream breakthrough. Its lead single, "Where Is the Love?" (featuring Justin Timberlake), peaked atop music charts in 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it spent seven weeks at number one and became the country's biggest-selling single of that year. Their fourth album, Monkey Business (2005), was met with continued commercial success; it received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.

Daniel Dumile (/ˈduːməleɪ/ DOO-mə-lay; born Dumile Daniel Thompson; July 13, 1971 – October 31, 2020), also known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both mostly stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and "supervillain" stage persona, he became a major figure of underground hip hop and alternative hip hop in the 2000s.

Dumile was born in London and raised in Long Beach, New York. He began his career in 1988 as a member of the trio KMD, performing as Zev Love X. The group disbanded in 1993 after the death of DJ Subroc, Dumile's brother. After a hiatus, Dumile reemerged in the late 1990s. He began performing at open mic events while wearing a metal mask resembling that of the Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom, who is depicted on the cover of his 1999 debut solo album Operation: Doomsday. He adopted the MF Doom persona and rarely made unmasked public appearances thereafter.