Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Q-Tip
Vocals
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Kamaal Fareed
Songwriter
Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
A Tribe Called Quest
Producer
Shane Farber
Engineer
Bob Power
Engineer
Anthony Saunders
Engineer
Tim Latham
Engineer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
[Verse 2]
10 after 1, I think I'll hop the horse
Downtown 83 of course
Just came from fishing, couldn't get a catch
Downtown they'll probably have a batch
A whiting sandwich and a Guinness Stout
But with the beer though I had a bout
So I exchanged it for some apple juice
I had the blues but I shook them loose
A Jeep is blasting from the urban streets
Loops of funk over hardcore beats
The moon dabbles in the morning sky
As the minutes just creep on by
I get a thought and here comes my Tribe
Ritual shakes and in good vibes
Like always the Quest begins
In the mist though, but the rhythm's moving
[Verse 3]
We find a spot and we sit and chat
Speaking on the status quo of rap
A derelict makes a real long speech
We pay attention to the words he read
When he was done we rattled on
There was no rush because it wasn't dawn
We pointed things out about these times
The wars, the famines and the crazy crimes
Inflation of the nation, it bothers me
I better go gold, to pay the taxes
Gotta be swift society
The man who's made is the man who maxes
The grounds for living are being discussed
As we go, it gets close to dusk
Gather thoughts and savor breath
'Cause there's only a few hours left
[Verse 4]
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
[Verse 5]
Me oh my, hey-hey, hey-hey
The human hours are here to stay
This is how it seems as Phife's my witness
Bug out all night, ask Phife, he's with this
Girls be screaming on this conversation
I have my two cents for a revelation
And my watch continuously tic-tocks
Shaheed will bring up the beat that rocks
I hear the frogs and the smashing of bottles
A car revs up and I hear it throttle
It probably moves with the morning wind
Oh my God, here's Phife again
Hear him talking about last night's game
Trying to remember someone's name
So hear the frogs dancing in the street
Once again Ali will bring up the beat
Like this
[Verse 6]
(He got this)
The beat is over and so is the night
The sun is risen and the shine is bright
We all say peace and go our separate ways
Youth is fading as we gain our days
Explanation for the song is simp'
The hours creep, excuse me, I mean limp
As we go you hear a gasp of laugh
As we start up our rhythmic path
Like this
[Verse 7]
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
After hours it was cool, after hours it was cool
[Verse 8]
Oh word, walking in some fresh mud
And I left back my foot prints, word
Written by: A. Muhammad, Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, John Davis, Kamaal Fareed