Ali Shaheed Muhammad

As a member of A Tribe Called Quest, Ali Shaheed Muhammad played a pivotal role in the evolution of rap through the 1990s, factoring in the development of a jazz-rooted, sample-based production. During and following Tribe's activity, the DJ, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter has been vital on his own and with collaborators. Muhammad co-wrote and co-produced the Top 40 pop hit that instigated the neo-soul movement, D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar" (1995), and years later released his lone solo album, Shaheedullah and Stereotypes (2004). Before Tribe's final performance in 2017, Muhammad entered a prolific partnership with Adrian Younge that yielded The Midnight Hour (2018). They co-founded the Jazz Is Dead label and released more than 20 volumes by 2023. After a break, they reactivated JID in 2024, focusing on artists from Ghana and Brazil. On Jazz Is Dead 021, Muhammad and Young introduced the series with a compilation of music from forthcoming titles.