I Left My Wallet in El Segundo…err…in Indian Springs, NV: A Tribe Called Quest Filming Location Revealed!

The mystery would be solved, my curiosity quenched and the intrigue would evaporate as this long chapter would finally come to a close.

Warning: Nerd Alert Ahead
If it wasn’t already obscenely apparent, my geekiness will be displayed at absolute peak level by the end of the next few paragraphs, so strap yourself in. This weekend I decided to fly to Las Vegas, rent a car, and set out of town on a dusty highway just to try and find the locations of my favorite music video of all time. Nerd powers activated.

For this story and absurd trip to make any sense whatsoever, we need to go back to 1990 – come with me, won’t you?

I was a 13-year old, 7th grader, who–up until then–was taught by my parents and believed that “rap music” was bad. When it came to hip-hop, in 1990, all I really knew about was stuff like 2 Live Crew and NWA; and yeah, pretty “bad” stuff I guess. (I’d later become a big fan and supporter of both groups – give it time!) But back then, as a young man, I completely respected and even wanted to “be” just like my Dad – I think many boys at that age do – and was perfectly content with enjoying his music. Pops and I enjoyed many hours in the car together, taking road trips while listening to Jimmy Buffet and Dad’s collection of 1950’s Oldies. And I truly did love that old music. My mom’s too! She’d blast tunes on the record player from Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass, The Baja Marimba Band, Neil Diamond, and Johnny Mathis. I really did love and appreciate my parents’ musical selections…maybe a little too much: I was the weird kid in junior high who was listening to Louis Armstrong on his Walkman! Serious. While friends were blasting Guns N’ Roses, Beastie Boys and Technotronic, if you listened closely, you could hear “Hello Dolly” seeping out of the sides of my headphones. But one day, MTV would finally infiltrate my senses and help define my own musical tastes. It was only a matter of time.

The Video That Would Change my Life
Call it serendipity, but that one morning while getting ready for the two-mile bike ride to Mt. Gleason Middle School, my life would change in less than four minutes and twenty seconds: the length of the music video for I Left My Wallet in El Segundo by A Tribe Called Quest.

I don’t remember why MTV was even on, but probably because I was at the age where I was finally starting to accept “current” music. I’d fought it long enough, but I was now actually loving the current songs I was hearing on my local pop station. Milli Vanilli, Calloway, Paula Abdul, and Jane Child were a few of the first Top 40 songs I remember taking a liking to. I’d even joined “Columbia House” and gotten my 10 cassettes for 99 cents. But rap music? It wasn’t really playing on the radio – at least not on KIIS-FM. I wasn’t even aware of “Urban” stations like KDAY and The Beat existed at this point. I didn’t even know what “Urban music” was!

So back to MTV: I was eating cereal when the screen caught my attention. Four guys in Brooklyn. Their parents out of town. They decided to take the old family car on road trip…

Took the Dodge Dart, a ’74.

The next few minutes was a magical, mystical trip across the country, before ending up in El Segundo. Okay, maybe there wasn’t much “magic” or “mysticism” about the road trip in that old, beat-up car, but the classic filmography, quirky lyrics and overall just “fun” vibe of these guys was super-contagious and leaped right through the TV screen and attached to this 13-year-old’s heart. Come to think about it, why yes, yes it was magic.

The guys end up in “El Segundo” where they meet a little person in a sombrero on the side of the highway, who directs them to a gas station and then food.

A man with a sombrero who was four feet high
I pulled over to ask, were we was at
His index finger he tipped up his hat
“El Segundo, ” he said, “my name is Pedro
If you need directions, I’ll tell you pronto”
Needed civilization, some sort of reservation
He said a mile south, there’s a fast food station
Thanks, senor, as I start up the motor
Ali said, “Damn, Tip, why you drive so far for?”

It was then and there when the crux of the story took place. The lead rapper, Q-Tip, immediately falls head over heels with the waitress at the diner, leaving his wallet on the counter, before the quartet heads home. These lyrics were just phenomenal.

Anyway a gas station we passed
We got gas and went on to get grub
It was a nice little pub in the middle of nowhere
Anywhere would have been better
I ordered enchiladas and I ate ’em
Ali had the fruit punch
When we finished we thought for ways to get back
I had a hunch
Ali said, “Pay for lunch” So I did it
Pulled out the wallet and I saw this wicked
Beautiful lady she was a waitress there
Put the wallet down and stared and stared
To put me back into reality, here’s Shaheed:
“Yo, Tip, man, you got what you need?”
I checked for keys and started to step
But what do you know, my wallet I forget

At the end of the video, each rapper’s name appears below them, as credits: Q-Tip, Ali, Jarobi and Phife. What I didn’t know, is that this one video – this one flash of four minutes and eighteen seconds in time, would change the course of my life forever. This is not an exaggeration.

The Video
I guess before we go any further, you should watch the video. Press play. Enjoy it. Let it marinate. Try not to analyze it too much if this is your first watch – just enjoy the adventure. There will be plenty of time to dissect the video and lyrics in a few minutes. For now, just sit back and enjoy. Really, please.

Fan Boy
I wish I would’ve noted the exact date of this monumental discovery, which, to me, was more important than Columbus discovering America. Needless to say, within one year I became, without a doubt, the biggest A Tribe Called Quest fan in the entire universe. I like to point out that while Quest’s freshman album was released in 1990, (I feel that) the group didn’t really rise to mass-appeal fame until well over a decade later. In fact, I almost find it strange, how the “coolness” factor of A Tribe Called Quest didn’t really blossom until the early to mid 2000s. I can say this with authority, remembering so vividly those days of middle school where literally no one in my class had ever even heard (much less cared) about ATCQ. Many friends would even chide me. They were all listening to (and raving about) music from artists like Vanilla Ice, Bell Biv Devoe and Naughty By Nature. Even my Black friends at school weren’t “down” with Tribe. I felt all alone in my passion for this group, but I kind of liked it that way – it’s like I had a Tribe Called Quest all to myself. It’s cool to know and appreciate something before the rest of the world catches on.

Needless to say, ATCQ’s music led me directly to other artists: other Native Tongues like De La Soul and KMD (for some odd reason, The Jungle Brothers never clicked)…there was Justin Warfield, Leaders of The New School and Fifth Platoon. There were many, many more. And to this day, there is no question: It is I that is thee biggest ATCQ fan in the entire universe. You’d have to present some pretty hefty evidence to get me to even consider that anyone loves the group even as close to as much I do. Show me someone else who made an ATCQ ping-pong paddle in eighth grade wood shop? In the same year, I ordered one of those corporate, custom-faced watches from the back of the airline magazine and put the group’s logo on it. To this day, I believe it to be the only ATCQ watch in existence.

Today, the amount of ATCQ “merch” (both counterfeit and authorized) online is mind-blowing. And yes, I do own the Bonita Applebum Vans (in-box, never worn!) But back in the day, in terms of merchandise? There was nothing! Zip, zilch, zero…at least nothing available outside of going to an ATCQ show in person – and sadly the group never came to perform anywhere I lived. I’m getting way off track here. We need to get back in the direction of why we’re here: my trip to “El Segundo.”

Finding El Segundo
The irony in “Wallet,” is that the location in the video dubbed “El Segundo” is actually nowhere even close to the actual town of El Segundo, California. The real “El Segundo” is located in Los Angeles County, right next to LAX. The town’s border literally butts right up against the airport’s runways to the north, with Manhattan Beach to the south and Hawthorne to the east. I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I figured this all out–on my own–that the guys weren’t actually in El Segundo. I reckon it was sometime in my 20s, when I was living in Tucson, Arizona. As an actual desert resident now, I’d gotten to know the landscape well and was sure that the video was filmed in Arizona. Curiosity began to swell and I began to really wonder and want to know where exactly the video was filmed, so I could visit the location myself. Perhaps it was just down the road? Was it a store I’d passed a hundred times already? I especially wanted to patronize the restaurant where the wallet was left myself – that would just be epic in my book. Eccentric, sure; but I was so infatuated with the group and this song that started it all for me – that I really wanted to go and eat “enchiladas” and drink “fruit punch” at the exact same diner where ATCQ did. And wouldn’t it be crazy if said “nice little pub in the middle of nowhere” was in my town (Tucson, Arizona) all along. But how would I ever find out? I couldn’t find anything online about it. A mild curiosity would soon blossom into a full-blown obsession.

Here is an incredible piece of history: an MTV interview about the video itself…WOW!!!

And here’s an even rarer piece of footage with the group, talking about the song:

The Interview
Sometime in the early 2000s, I had the honor and privilege to actually interview Q-Tip. I work in radio and the phone interview was arranged through the record label, who was promoting Q-Tip’s solo efforts (“Vivrant Thing,” etc.) I might have the copy of this interview somewhere, but maybe it’s best that the recording is lost forever. It was a horrendous interview that actually never made it on the air. It was basically me just completely fan-boying Q-Tip: a mix of me asking the most ridiculous, personal curiosities about Q-Tip, ATCQ, the music and their history – and me telling Q-Tip how much I loved him and how much he changed my life. Nothing of any value to a listener. If you’ve ever seen “The Chris Farley Show” on SNL, that’s me: just a bumbling idiot. I did manage to ask about “Wallet,” and most importantly, its filming location. It was then when Q-Tip informed me that the video was shot outside of Las Vegas. Boom! Although being excited about finally having info about where the magic happened, it wouldn’t be until over 15 years later that I’d be able to pinpoint the exact location.

2019
I’m not sure if I was just bored one night going down the rabbit hole, but I started to do some digging around online – an attempt to see if anything new regarding the video’s location had been posted online. IMDB showed the name of the video’s producer: Charles Stone III. I found him on Facebook, he accepted my friend request, but messages to him went unanswered. I figured the video’s producer would know everything, but it was a dead-end since I didn’t hear back. StoneI is an absolute genius by the way: His film credits include the videos to ATCQ’s “Bonita Applebum” (which would become my favorite song ever), Public Enemy‘s “911 is a Joke” and a ton of movies and TV shows. The guy is the real deal.

I finally got closer when I stumbled upon a 1994 interview with Q-Tip online:

It was my second interview with them—the first interview was at the video shoot for “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo,” which took place about 60 miles outside of Vegas. That interview went great, Jarobi was even there!

The article was written by a Las Vegas DJ and music producer named Warren Peace. That man was there…at the shoot! I must find him – he’ll know! A quick internet search revealed we had a couple of mutual friends. I enlisted one of them to contact Warren directly. He did not let me down. And boom goes the dynamite:

Pay dirt! Beatty, Nevada! Did this just really happen? Did I just find the area the video was filmed??? Wow. 25 years later. Was this happening?

Searchin’, Searchin’
Sadly, “Beatty Nevada” was as far as I got. Repeated attempts to reach Charles Stone III for more info proved futile; he never saw my messages. And “Outside of Beatty” was all I could get out of Warren. I mean, what else did I expect – this was 30 years ago for cryin’ out loud. I’d have to just go to Beatty myself, although I must admit, I was afraid I’d go all the way out there just to come home empty handed. I pictured just driving in dusty circles, cursing at wasting a day driving around without coming up with any results. I wanted more info. An address, a street, the name of the gas station and/or diner. Something. I’ve never spent so much time staring at Google satellite images and “street views;” but nothing. I felt I was closer than ever – but farther away at the same time. It was maddening.

No More Messin’ Around
I’d booked a trip to Vegas for October 2021. Not to find “El Segundo,” but to come in and host a concert with my local affiliate radio station there. About nine days out I realized it was now or never. I had a full weekend in Vegas, and it was prime opportunity (and weather) to go on a Quest to find “El Segundo.” I spent another couple hours scavenging Google for more clues, but nothin’. I checked my last Facebook message to Charles Stone – unread. Crap. As I was almost about to throw in the towel, one last idea came to mind: Perhaps there were one or more local Beatty, Nevada “groups” on Facebook. Indeed, there were two.

Taking my chances, knowing that I was opening myself up to complete ridicule, I went ahead and asked the question like the weirdo I am…hoping someone on that Beatty board knew something.

I was fully prepared to be either ignored or made fun of. What I didn’t expect was for dozens of area residents to spring into action and put on their Sherlock Holmes hats, roll up their sleeves and enthusiastically join my search mission. By the time I went to bed that night, scores of helpful Facebookers were offering intel and ideas, tagging their friends and even posting maps. A few commented that now they too were invested in this hunt and they couldn’t rest until the mystery was solved. The amount of kindness and assistance given to this stranger was absolutely mind-blowing. These were awesome people in Nevada.

I also gotta give a shout out to Eric Preiss from the Nevada Film Office. He was nice enough to return my call and turned out to be a fellow 90s Hip-Hop head like me. Though he didn’t have any locations for Tribe Called Quest videos on file, he seemed genuinely interested in my mission and was fun to talk to. We soon got off track as we began comparing our favorite songs and albums of all time.

Jackpot…Royal Flush…Pay Dirt…Gold Strike!!!
I woke up Sunday morning to see that dozens of kind Nye and Clark County residents had sprung into action overnight. They offered advice and possibilities, playfully quarreled with each other about what they thought could or couldn’t be the locations, tagged their friends and mentioned that they would bring this topic up to family and friends to try and bring back answers. Everyone was just so thoughtful and it felt like I had a whole “posse” of townspeople on the hunt to find these two places.

When I saw Tara Trimble‘s comment, I jumped out of bed and ran for my computer. I had to confirm!

Midnight at The Oasis
I almost fell over when I saw the pictures of the Oasis Bar in Indian Springs. Not only did Google have clear photos, but there was even a drone/aerial video of the property – looks like it is (or had been) up for sale. Could this really be it? After searching for 30 years, did I just hit on it???!!! The roof and lighting matched. And that blue pole from the video – it’s right there. But damn, no side door on the Oasis – the group left out of a side door. Not it. WAIT!!! After zooming in, you can see that there had been a door there. Oh my God, THIS IS IT!!!

We Got Gas…
Finding the gas station proved a bit tougher. There were a lot of guesses on Facebook, but the final consensus by the group was that said gas station simply wasn’t around anymore. A few people sent photos of old abandoned roadside service stations, but none of the architectural details matched up. One contributor thought the gas station had been set on fire and burned to the ground years ago. Another told me Creech Air Force Base now occupied the land where the truck stop once stood. It wasn’t looking good. I guess I’d waited too long to find that old gas station – but was happy the diner still existed.

 

It’s Really Happening
That next Saturday morning, I was heading north on 95 by 7:30AM. As the city (Las Vegas) disappeared behind me and the landscape opened up, the hairs on my arms stood at attention. Blue skies, endless brush and scattered yucca trees surrounded the road. I was Q-Tip driving through the desert at this moment. I was even behind the wheel of a Dodge Dart. Yes, I rented one on purpose: I just had to have me a Dodge Dart, just like the song! Go big or go home. Shoot, I would’ve tried to find an actual 1974 Dodge Dart if I’d had more time. The 2016 would have to do. Close enough.

Soon, I was pulling off of the highway into Indian Springs. I would’ve never, ever found this place on my own – it was off the main drag, tucked away a few blocks into the neighborhood. This was it. The excitement was overflowing. At the same time, I was almost a little bummed that the “challenge” was over. The mystery would be solved, my curiosity quenched and the intrigue would evaporate as this long chapter would finally come to a close.

Lights, Camera, Action
I arrived early that morning in hopes of beating the lunchtime patrons who might’ve parked in front of the wall – the one and only spot captured in the video. Luckily, the spaces in front of the cinder block backdrop were open, providing me the opportunity to position my Dodge Dart just the way Tribe’s was parked there 31 years ago. I spent the next half-hour trying to recreate the exact shot from the video. The few passers by who saw this weird guy modeling in the tavern parking lot must’ve thought I’d lost my marbles, but I didn’t care. I just couldn’t believe I was here.

I really wanted to go in, but would save my meal inside for the way home. There was still a lot to do and see today. I left with a full-heart, thankful that after all these years (decades!), I’d located the exact restaurant where so much history took place.

Anyway, a Gas Station We Passed…
Just up the road on Highway 95, I thought I’d check out one of the buildings mentioned to me in that Beatty Facebook group. I was super doubtful this was the building, but it was on the way to Beatty, so why not stop? Facebookers Yonna and Jack both sent me the photo and location of the old roadside shack they thought might be the gas station, but I wasn’t hopeful. There was no gas pump “canopy”/roof and the structure in the photos actually looked like an office building with wood siding.

 

No Trespassing 
The entire property was sealed off by chainlink fences and barbed wire, but I just walked around the fence to get in – as porous as the US southern border! Soon I was in and getting a closer look at the old building. At first I thought, no way, no how – this ain’t it. And then, I was able to slowly but surely connect the dots and compare the features to this old shack with the gas station in the video. I pulled up the screen shot on my phone and began to look for similarities. First, the AC unit on the roof was in the same place. So was the door. But the windows sure looked different. Garage doors were missing. There wasn’t a gas pump in sight, and this building has wood paneling. But soon, it all came together. The detail that confirmed everything was the bar or “stripe” on the right side of the building. It housed a fluorescent light and matched the gas station in the video exactly. Lo and behold, this was it! This was actually it!!!

As I ventured closer, I realized that the wood on the building was just a thin, cheap siding, plastered over the walls. On the left side of the structure, a piece of siding was missing, exposing what looked like some of the original lettering from the old gas station: “24 HRS.” Same type of font/paint from the video. Wow! In front of the building stood the original crumbling, concrete island where the pumps would’ve been located. I looked down to see where the big, steel support for the overhang was sawed off. They’d done a really good job trying to turn this old petrol station into some kind of “office.” They’d done a lot of work to disguise it, but I wasn’t fooled!

Breaking and Entering
Against my better judgment, I crouched low to duck under some broken plywood and entered the abandoned shack. The inside was interesting: The ceilings of the old station had been lowered, another attempt to turn a gas station into an administrative building. But traces of the old service station remained, including the sliding door leading to the vehicle “bay.” I tried to look for any signs and fossils that would identify what the building was last used for, but only came up with an old Pepsi can circa 1987. That was kinda cool.

I wanted more answers – like the complete history of what this building was used for, including all its transformations; but all in all, I was just thrilled to be here. That’s two for two: the diner and the gas station! A complete success, especially considering that I’d conceded the gas station was completely gone. No, it lives!

The Adventure Continues
I didn’t have any other specific landmarks on my list–no other businesses or specific places were featured in the video–but I figured I’d drive a little more to explore. I wanted to roll through Beatty, see the Big Bovine of the Desert, and maybe even Death Valley, or at least the entrance. I thoroughly enjoyed the next few hours, roaming the highways of the Nevada desert. There were a few fun surprises along the way. Here are a few highlights.

We Got Gas and Went on to Get Grub
The day was escaping. I had to be back in Las Vegas that night for a concert, or I would’ve strolled a little slower. To end the adventure, I absolutely had to actually go inside The Oasis, and do what a Tribe Called Quest did. And if you don’t know exactly what transpired here – please watch the music video again! It’s the sole reason I’ve been on this ridiculous hunt for three decades. I’m finally here – how the heck am I not going to venture inside to order enchiladas and leave my wallet behind??? You know I had to do it!

I Ordered Enchiladas and I Ate ‘Em
Remember all those movies where the out-of-towner walks into a biker bar? Everyone turns around to stare as the music on the jukebox stops. Haha, it wasn’t exactly like that, but I did feel a little nervous, as I didn’t know what I was getting into. Turns out everyone was really nice to us in that dark and smokey bar.

The electronic poker machines glowed along the wall. There was one female bartender and four other patrons, all ladies, sitting on the right side of the bar.

“Were you guys taking pictures out in the parking lot this morning,” asked a patron at the bar named Mel.

When I explained why, she went on to tell us that the subject (the music video and my subsequent search) had been circulating around town (no doubt from the recent Facebook enquiry). But then she casually dropped the bomb that she vividly remembered watching the filming as a 12-year-old.

“You were there???!!!” I excitedly asked.

The shoot was no big deal for Mel, as she matter-of-factly and casually recalled seeing the cast and crew set up on the side of the building – a pub that was very different back then, recalling the colorful mural of trees and monkeys that used be to painted on the outside wall. She told me she remembered that the teenage boys into rap music at the time thought it was cool, but admitted she didn’t even know the song. It wasn’t her “type” of music. I thought it was wild that I’d studied every frame of the video like I was on an episode of CSI, but decades-long patrons (and even employees of the bar) had never even seen the video. I felt there should be some kind of plaque or monument on the property: “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo was filmed here!”

Next, it was to the back of the building to order lunch at the restaurant. Unfortunately, no enchiladas nor fruit punch on this menu. I did enjoy the western bacon cheeseburger and the banana milk shake was a winner. I looked for anything I recognized from the video (a lunch counter, pinball machines, the ceiling design) but absolutely nothing matched up, unlike the outside where many specifics aligned. So where ATCQ actually sat down to eat still remains a mystery – I’m left wondering if the shots inside the restaurant were actually filmed here. That’s a question for Mr. Stone, if we ever connect.

Quest Completed
One song has the ability to change someone’s life. In my case, happening upon one special music video while getting ready for school was the sort of “butterfly effect” that would ignite a passion and send me into a journey that would include a robust career in the music industry that continues to grow today. My internationally syndicated radio show is heard on over 200 radio stations in 17 countries, I’ve had successful Program Director posts in Tucson, Arizona; Los Angeles and San Diego (currently). I own multiple properties (in different countries), travel the world every chance I can get, host concerts for thousands and have met just about every one of my musical idols. This is not a brag, but an ode and “thanks” to the brilliant creators of the song and video that started it all for me.

Oh, and my wallet? Well…you know I had too, right? The “waitress” here, Lila, did not resemble the waitress Q-Tip fell in love with one iota, but I had to play the part right?

Ali said, “Pay for lunch” So I did it
Pulled out the wallet and I saw this wicked
Beautiful lady she was a waitress there
Put the wallet down and stared and stared
To put me back into reality, here’s Shaheed:
“Yo, Tip, man, you got what you need?”
I checked for keys and started to step
But what do you know, my wallet I forget

I did set the wallet down. I did stare, albeit uncomfortably, into Lila’s eyes. As I headed for the door it was obvious she spotted my wallet on the bar top.

“Sir! Sir! Hey!!! You left something, wait!!!”

I didn’t look back as I walked through the door towards my Dart. It’d be too much to explain.

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