| I Left My Wallet in El Segundo | |
| Cover: | Wallet in El Segundo.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | A Tribe Called Quest |
| Album: | People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm |
| B-Side: | Pubic Enemy |
| Released: | March 17, 1990 |
| Genre: | Alternative hip hop |
| Length: | 4:05 |
| Label: | Jive |
| Producer: | A Tribe Called Quest |
| Prev Title: | Description Of A Fool |
| Prev Year: | 1989 |
| Next Title: | Bonita Applebum |
| Next Year: | 1990 |
"I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is a song by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released as the debut single from their first album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990). The song contains a sample of "Funky" by The Chambers Brothers as the main hook.
James Hamilton from Record Mirror felt that "this mildly amusing story telling slow rap was always at times raggamuffin accented amidst the Mexican coloring of its subject matter, and is more so than ever now that it's out here again in Norman Cook's brand new bassily booming Vampire Mix (bpm)".[1]
Original version
Norman Cook remix
The entire music video for "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is narrated. The group finds themselves at a police station where Q-Tip begins his story. The tale starts with Q-Tip's mother winning a game show prize and leaving on a month-long cruise trip. After her departure, Q-Tip calls Ali and they take a road trip across America in Q-Tip's mother's car. The group gets lost on the way and Q-Tip asks a four-foot person with a sombrero for directions. Then, at a nearby pub, Q-Tip is distracted by an attractive woman and forgets his wallet before they leave. The waitress then takes his wallet off the counter. They return home and Q-Tip drops off Ali. Only then does Q-Tip realize that his wallet is missing and he rounds up the group to get it back. When they get back to El Segundo, California they want to stay longer, and the video fades out.