A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest & Brand Nubian & Diamond D
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest & Leaders of the New School
On “Skypager,” the duo comments on the cultural importance of skypagers in the early ‘90’s, with a broader message about consumerism in general. Having a bigger role on The Low End Theory, Phife Dawg delivers some of his strongest verses from the album on the song.
The jazz-influenced beat samples...
[Intro: Q-Tip]
Do you know the importance of a skypager?
Uh, uh, uh, uh
[Verse 1: Q-Tip]
Those who don't believe, see you're laid behind
Got our skypagers on all the time
Hurry up and get yours 'cause I got mine
Especially if you do shows, they come in fine
If you're with a G and you're sipping wine
Eating cacciatore with a twist of lime
Gotta meet your lover at a quarter to 9
Joint by base, then you get your high
[Verse 2: Phife Dawg]
If you get your high, then mines is next
The 'S' in skypage really stands for sex
Beeper's going off like Don Trump gets checks
Keep my bases loaded like the New York Mets
At times I miss the pager so you don't get vex
Having bad days like a voodoo hex
Conceptually, a pager is so complex
That I be standing on the verge, ready to flex
[Interlude]
Welcome, wel-wel-welcome to the new skypager
Wel-welcome to the new skypager
Welcome to the new skypager, new skypager
Enter telephone number or other numeric message
[Bridge: Q-Tip]
Uh, so funky
Uh, so funky
Uh, so funky
Uh, so funky
[Verse 3: Phife Dawg]
The batteries I use are called Duracell
They last for three weeks so they do me well
Don't be going through no phases, my joint stays on
24/7, from dusk 'til dawn
If you're in Costa Rica on a sunlit beach
Your greed for the Phifer, I can be reached
A number of importance, I just put it on lock
You leave code "69", that means you want some ****
[Verse 4: Q-Tip]
People tend to think that a pager's foul
Well, it kinda is 'cause it makes me scowl
But it really hurts when you're on the prowl
Brothas know it hurts when you're on the prowl
Grabbin' on my joint 'cause I'm an eager owl
Get paged by a G or a business pal
My shit is overflowin', they won't allow
Another page, so I'll just end this now
[Outro]
Message sent, thank you for calling skypager
Skypager was written by Q-Tip & Phife Dawg & Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
Skypager was produced by Q-Tip & Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
A Tribe Called Quest released Skypager on Tue Sep 24 1991.
The drums on “Skypager” were sampled from Sly and The Family Stone’s 1967 song “Advice”:
The jazz sample heard in the hook was taken from Eric Dolphy’s 1960 song “17 West,”, featuring jazz bassist Ron Carter: