1. Phife Dawg
A Tribe Called Quest’s Five Footer might not be the greatest of all Trini rappers but he definitely has the best lyrical references to his Trini roots. See Trini gladiator/Anti hesitator/Shaheed push the fader/From here to Grenada (from “Oh My God”) and Brothers wanna flex—you’re not Mad Cobra/MC short and black/There ain’t no other/Trini-born black like Nia Long’s grandmother (from “Steve Biko [Stir It Up]”). Read our “Annotated Tribe Called Quest for the Unseasoned Patois Traveller” article for more on Phife and Tribe’s Caribbean flavor.