"Can I Kick It?"
Listening Guide
Composer: A Tribe Called Quest (Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife Dawg, Jarobi White)
Composition: "Can I Kick It?"
Date: 1990
Genre: Rap
Form: Verse-chorus
Nature of Text: recited to a steady beat
Performing Forces: Rap vocals over looped music backdrop incorporating a variety of musical samples from previous recordings. Rappers: Q-tip and Phife Dawg
What we want you to remember about this composition:
- Listen for the verse-chorus form
- The first verse features clever wordplay, with the last word of each phrase rhyming. Notice how the last syllable of each line slowly evolves from words like "cuz" and "fuzz" to "rug" and "hug" and finally to "love" and "shove."
- In the second verse, most of the phrases rhyme on the sound "ayer" as in "layer"or "player"=
Timing
Text and Form
Q-tip Chorus or "Hook":
Hey y'all, we is havin' a ball
And you know they ask me to get on the MIC
And they ask me Can I kick it? Word yes you can
Can I kick it? Yes you can
[repeats}
Well I'm gone, gone
Can I kick it?
To all the people who can
Quest like A Tribe does
Before this, did you really know what live was?
Comprehend to the track, for it's why cuz
Gettin measures on the tip of the vibers
Rock and roll to the beat of the funk fuzz
Wipe your feet really good on the rhythm rug
If you feel the urge to freak, do the jitterbug
Come and spread your arms if you really need a hug
Afrocentric living is a big shrug
A life filled with fun that's what I love
A lower plateau is what we're above
If you diss us, we won't even think of
Will Nipper the doggy give a big shove?
This rhythm really fits like a snug glove
Like a box of positives it's a plus, love
As the Tribe flies high like a dove
Verse 2: Phife Dawg
Can I kick it? To my Tribe that flows in layers
Right now, Phife is a poem sayer
At times, I'm a studio conveyor
Mr. Dinkins, would you please be my mayor?
You'll be doing us a really big favor
Boy this track really has a lot of flavor
When it comes to rhythms, Quest is your savior
Follow us for the funky behavior
Make a note on the rhythm we gave ya
Feel free, drop your pants, check your ha-ir
Do you like the garments that we wear?
I instruct you to be the obeyer
A rhythm recipe that you'll savor
Doesn't matter if you're minor or major
Yes, the Tribe of the game we're a player
As you inhale like a breath of fresh air
(Can I kick it?)