Check the Rhime

"Check the Rhime" is the first single from A Tribe Called Quest's second album The Low End Theory.^[1] The song was written by group members Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. It was recorded at the legendary Greene St. Recording studio in New York City. The song peaked at number 59 on Billboard on November 16, 1991.^[2] Rolling Stone listed "Check the Rhime" as one of the group's 20 essential songs, noting that Phife Dawg "quickly proves himself Q-Tip's lyrical equal."^[3]

"Check the Rhime"
Single by A Tribe Called Quest
from the album The Low End Theory
B-side	"Skypager"
Released	September 9, 1991
Genre	Alternative hip hop
Length	3:36
Label	Jive
Songwriter(s)	Roger Ball Malcolm Duncan Kamaal Fareed Steve Ferrone Alan Gorrie Ali Shaheed Muhammad Onnie McIntyre Minnie Riperton Richard Rudolph Hamish Stuart Malik Taylor Leon Ware
Producer(s)	A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest singles chronology
"Can I Kick It?" (1990) "Check the Rhime" (1991) "Jazz (We've Got)" (1991)
Audio sample
Check the Rhime file help
Music video
"Check the Rhime" on YouTube

Composition

The song samples "Live Your Life" by Average White Band; this is why the band members are credited.

Music video

The music video, directed by Jim Swaffield, starts out in front of houses and moves to a dry cleaning business in St. Albans, Queens, New York City, where the group performs on the roof in front of a large crowd. The dry cleaners shop featured in the video is still at the corner of 192nd St. & Linden Blvd. in St. Albans. In 2016, a mural was commissioned on the wall of the business after the death of the group's founding member, Phife Dawg.^[4][5]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1991)	Peak position
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[6]	28
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[7]	59
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[8]	1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9]	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.