A Tribe Called Quest & Jack White & Kendrick Lamar - Rap, New York Rap
Conrad Tokyo by A Tribe Called Quest & Jack White & Kendrick Lamar Lyrics
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Duration: 3:32
Story Behind the Song
"Conrad Tokyo" appears on A Tribe Called Quest's sixth and final studio album, recorded after an 18-year gap following 1998's *The Love Movement*. The reunion that made the album possible was sparked by a November 13, 2015 performance on *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon*, which reignited the group's creative chemistry despite years of internal tensions. Q-Tip stated the performance convinced him that returning to the studio would be natural: "I knew if we were connecting with that kind of energy in a performance, it would be easy to go back to the studio." The entire album was recorded in secrecy at Q-Tip's New Jersey home studio, the AbLab. Phife Dawg, who passed away before the album's November 11, 2016 release, initially expected only a five-song EP to emerge from the sessions. The finished album earned a Metacritic score of 91, making it the year's best-reviewed hip-hop record.
Lyrics
[Verse 1: Phife Dawg] Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Just done mash a show, Dawg is off on sabbatical Rather watch the Nixon shit than politicians politic CNN and all this shit, gwaan yo, move with the fuckery Trump and the SNL hilarity Troublesome times kid, no times for comedy Blood clot, you doing, bullshit you spewing As if this country ain't already ruined In lieu of these mumbling, fumbling Swearing they're the greatest Online they debate us, if we different, then we're haters We ended our hiatus, the dogs looking for food The nucleus is here now (ooo) [Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar] Toleration for devastation, got a hunger for sin Every nation Obama nation, let the coroner in Crooked faces, red and blue laces for the color of men Just embrace it and die alone, song of Revelation Reverends and cattles racing Devils and demons and Deuteronomy Fumigate our economy, 'lluminate broken dreams And manifest all insanity, look around Sayonara tomorrow, it's just blood on the ground [Hook: A Tribe Called Quest + Kendrick Lamar] Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Sayonara tomorrow, it's just blood on the ground Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Sayonara tomorrow, it's just blood on the ground Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Sayonara tomorrow, it's just blood on the ground Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Sayonara tomorrow, it's just blood on the ground Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio [Outro: A Tribe Called Quest] Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio [Guitar Solo: Jack White]
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Meaning of "Conrad Tokyo" by A Tribe Called Quest
The track kicks off with a stark contrast between luxury and decay. Phife Dawg opens with "Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio," evoking images of high-end hotels and refined tastes, immediately juxtaposed with the grim reality of political "fuckery" and a nation "already ruined." He dismisses the "mumbling, fumbling" politicians, preferring to watch Nixon's downfall over current political theater, highlighting a deep disillusionment with leadership and media consumption. The narrator feels the weight of "troublesome times," suggesting a pervasive sense of unease that leaves no room for levity. Kendrick Lamar amplifies this feeling of impending doom, painting a picture of societal rot with phrases like "toleration for devastation" and "hunger for sin." He references "crooked faces, red and blue laces for the color of men," a pointed nod to partisan division that seems to lead only to a "song of Revelation." The imagery of "fumigate our economy" and "manifest all insanity" points to a systemic breakdown, where the only certainty is future devastation, a grim "sayonara tomorrow." The repeated hook, "Conrad Tokyo, Sapporo, pistachio" against "Sayonara tomorrow, it's just blood on the ground," is the song's masterstroke. This sonic and lyrical juxtaposition is jarring: the opulent, almost detached descriptions of luxury are drowned out by the stark, inevitable consequence of societal collapse. It's a chilling reminder that even in perceived comfort, the underlying reality is one of destruction, making the luxurious references feel hollow and ironic.
This AI-assisted editorial analysis was reviewed, improved, and approved by the LyricsWeb editorial team.
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Credits
- Writers
- Q-Tip
- Phife Dawg
- Kendrick Lamar