G.O.A.T.:CAN I KICK IT?-Tribe Called Quest (1989)


THE GREATEST OF ALL TUNES (G.O.A.T.) is a series of posts, producing my 100 favorite songs of all time.  The master list is here, and I update it about every two weeks or when I have another 10 songs or so.

Sampling Lou Reed’s, “Take a Walk on the Wild Side,” Can I Kick It? introduced the world to a new sound. It mixed Native Tongue with jazz, and it set the hip hop world on fire. Actually, Can I Kick It was the third single from their debut album, but it became their signature tune. It’s also the only song I know of to give a shout out to NYC mayor David Dinkins.

As one of the Greatest of All Tunes, this is the first new entry to crack the top 10 in a long, long time.  It comes in at #8, knocking Elvis and Mellencamp down, but still under Biggie and one of the greatest soul songs of all time…


6. Be Thankful for What You’ve Got by William DeVaughn (1974)(link)
7. Juicy by Notorious B.I.G. (1994) (link)
8.  Can I Kick It? by Tribe Called Quest (1989) <——
9. Watching the Detectives by Elvis Costello (1977) (link)
10. Rain on the Scarecrow by John Mellencamp (1985) (link also has top 10 JCM songs)

Further listening: I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Scenario.

Cover versions: Jay Z blended the song into his incredible “Twenty-two Twos,” off Reasonable Doubt, but I think I’m going to stick with Sage Francis and Lykke Li, as two of the more interesting renditions, then the jazzy take by Popguns.  And then, for a real treat, the live unplugged version!

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