“Award Tour” was the lead single from Tribe’s third album, Midnight Marauders. Over a sample of Weldon Irvine’s “We Gettin' Down” and a chorus interpolating lines from Malcolm McLaren’s “Hobo Scratch,” Tip and Phife appear to be celebrating their worldwide success they were achieving with their critically acclaimed sophomore album, The Low End Theory. They also bring in fellow Native Tongues member Trugoy the Dove from De La Soul to perform the hook, and he appears in the music video mysteriously holding his right eye.

Q-Tip talked to Vibe magazine about the song’s production:

I love the drums on ‘Award Tour.’ And then there’s the sample I used from Jade’s ‘Don’t Walk Away.’ It’s all about that bassline. I just wanted to flip it, so I went through some more records and I got that Rhodes to counter the melody in the bassline. I wanted some drums that would smack that shit out the park.

The single topped Billboard’s Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart, while peaking at #7 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and #47 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it their most successful single.