Scenario (song)

"Scenario" is the third single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory. The song features the rap group Leaders of the New School. Matt Cibula of PopMatters called the track hip-hop's greatest posse cut.^[1] The song is commonly considered a breakout moment for Leaders of the New School member Busta Rhymes, who was 19 when this song was released.^[2] Time included the song on its list of its All-TIME 100 Songs in 2017.^[3]

"Scenario"
Single by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Leaders of the New School
from the album The Low End Theory
B-side	"Butter"
Released	March 13, 1992
Recorded	1991
Genre	Boom bap alternative hip hop golden age hip hop
Length	4:10
Label	Jive
Songwriter(s)	Kamaal Fareed Bryan Higgins James Jackson Ali Shaheed Muhammad Trevor Smith Malik Taylor
Producer(s)	A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest singles chronology
"Jazz (We've Got)" (1991) "Scenario" (1992) "Hot Sex" (1992)
Leaders of the New School singles chronology
"The International Zone Coaster" (1992) "Scenario" (1992) "What's Next" (1993)
Audio sample
Scenario file help
Music video
"Scenario" on YouTube

For other uses, see Scenario (disambiguation).

The song opens with the chorus, followed by verses from Phife Dawg, Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and Q-Tip, who hands the mic off to Busta Rhymes.^[4][5]

The music video, directed by Jim Swaffield, plays on an interactive desktop, and features cameo appearances by Spike Lee, De La Soul, Kid Capri, Brand Nubian, Fab Five Freddy, and Redman.

A remixed version of "Scenario" appeared on the B-side of the 12" single, the cassette single, and the limited edition release of the group's fifth album, The Love Movement (1998). The remix also features Leaders of the New School and newcomer Kid Hood, who was murdered two days after recording his verse.^[6] Blender magazine ranked the "Scenario" remix at number 216 in its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".^[7]

Samples

• "Oblighetto" by Brother Jack McDuff
• "Little Miss Lover" by Jimi Hendrix
• "Soul Vibrations" and "Funky Granny" by Kool & the Gang [sample appears on remix only]
• "Ecstasy" by Ohio Players [sample appears on the remix only]
• "Blind Alley" by The Emotions [sample appears on the remix only]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100[8]	57
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[9]	34
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10]	42
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[11]	6

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[12]	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Cibula, Matt. The Importance of Being Busta. PopMatters. Accessed December 29, 2008.
2. Young, Kevin. Unwrapping the Message. Bookforum. Accessed November 16, 2010.
3. "All-Time 100 Songs". Time. Time Inc. 21 October 2011. Retrieved 2017-10-06.
4. Connor, Martin. Tribe Called Quest – Scenario. Rap Analysis. Accessed August 13, 2018.
5. HipHopGoldenAge. 25 Best Guest Verses In Hip Hop History | #3 Busta Rhymes – Scenario. 25 Best Guest Verses In Hip Hop History. Accessed May 15th, 2019.
6. Cowie, Del (January 23, 2008). "A Tribe Called Quest Verses From the Abstract". Exclaim!.
7. "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 201-250". Blender. October 2005. Archived from the original on March 22, 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
8. "A Tribe Called Quest Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 264, 2022.
9. "A Tribe Called Quest Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
10. "A Tribe Called Quest Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
11. "A Tribe Called Quest Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
12. "American single certifications – A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 10, 2021.

External links

• Video at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
• Lyrics and musical notation at www.rapanalysis.com