During the ‘90s, an era many would be quick to crown as the golden age of hip-hop, no group embraced the more alternative side of the genre better than A Tribe Called Quest. The group, which consisted of artists Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammed and Jarobi White, pioneered the way for countless artists to come after them with their experimentation.
The world had been craving a new “Tribe” album since their last release in 1998, and 18 years later the group has returned with their final and possibly best record yet, “We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service.”
The release of “We Got It from Here…” serves as both a triumphant return and bittersweet send-off. Seven months prior to the album’s release, member Phife Dawg passed away from diabetic complications, but his presence is certainly felt on the album.
Phife’s verses are present all over the record. The album ends with a perfect closing track, “The Donald,” a meaningful tribute to Phife Dawg.
While Phife’s passing certainly left a sizeable void in A Tribe Called Quest’s dynamic, the group thankfully had a host of friends willing to help. The featured artists on “We Got It from Here…” are the best audiences will hear on any hip-hop album this year.
This list ranges from some of hip-hop’s biggest acts such as Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and Andre 3000, to more surprising additions like Jack White and Elton John. Each featured artist fits in flawlessly without stealing the show. Verses by Busta Rhymes flow perfectly as he trades bars with Q-Tip, his Trinidadian accent causing him to resemble something of a tribute to Phife’s legacy. He easily could have fit as the newest member of the group.
Considering it had been nearly two decades since the group’s last release it was natural to speculate that Tribe may have had some rust to shake off, but this does not seem to be the case. “We Got It from Here…” keeps true to the groups distinct sound of unexpected production.
A Tribe Called Quest keeps true to themselves without sounding dated. Despite their host of contemporary contributors, the group never finds themselves pandering to any demographics or riding any current popular trends.
Perhaps the most interesting thing that sets “We Got It from Here…” apart from Tribe’s previous work is a new, aggressive tone. The group’s discography is filled to the brim with smooth tunes and songs about anecdotes, but their newest record has a fair bit of grit to it.
This grit is essential to several tracks that hold politically charged lyrics. Tracks like “The Space Program” and “We The People” throw a spotlight on all sorts of issues plaguing modern American life, such as police brutality, racial and religious discrimination and gender inequality.
With people’s worries about the recent election and the direction America is heading in, there could not be a more fitting time for this album to release.
