After not dropping any music together since 1998, The Legendary hip-hop trio of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg , and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, A Tribe Called Quest is back and the trio has dropped a new and final album. The group was formed all the way back in 1985 with Tip, Phife, Ali and Jarobi White, White who was the 4th member of the tribe left the group back in 1991 and has made random appearances here and there in the years later. After signing to Jive Records they released their solo debut album and had very well received reviews despite having little mainstream appeal but the group had a cult-like following with the alternative hip-hop community and the album went gold. The album and the group were praised for lyrical content from social awareness and deep messages mixed with some humor and clever rhymes. The album was also was the first ever on Source Magazine to received the 5 mic rating, while the album and the group were getting all the love and praise however some members felt like the album was very unfocused and immature.
After they released they solo album White left the group to go back to school and Phife learned he was a diabetic and was very ill. Phife said to Q-Tip and both agree to increase his participation and set it up as well. Tip hired double bassist Ron Carter and their sophomore album was released in 1991, an album that is considered a classic to many fans and critics ,The Low-End Theory. It was one of the first albums to fuse hip hop mixed with a laid back jazz vibe. The trio was credited with showcasing how rap was done before rap went commercial and was also praised how minimalistic the album was with just vocals drum and bass. in 1993 the group released their Midnight Marauders and it was met with high praise and also another classic album from the hip hop and jazz community. 3 years later the trio dropped their fourth album and it was a very different sounding album, straying away from joyful and positive vibe but more dark in content. The album was met with somewhat positive reviews and introduced us to Consequence who was Q-Tip's cousin.
The group released their final album in 1998 met with some mixed to mostly positive reviews and split up due to personal issues with each other nad pursued solo careers, Q-Tip being the most successful going more with friendly radio commercial sound and his debut solo album going gold, Phife dropped a solo album as well but he was mostly ill and kept a very low profile, Ali went to form a short-lived supergroup called Lucy Pearl and went to focus more on helping out up and coming artist. The group did some reunion shows here and there but it wasn't till a year ago when on an appearance on Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote a reissue of the group debut album and after the show and with the Paris attacks taking place on the same night, everyone feeling "charged" the group patched things up and put aside their differences and record a new album as a secret. Unfortunately, on March 22 Phife passed away due to complications from diabetes. The album wasn't done but Tip said Phife left enough material to continue working on the project. The projects feature Consequence, Busta Rhymes, Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, Elton John, Kanye, Talib, and Anderson .Pakk. So being this the official Tribe's final album, is this album the perfect curtain call?
What makes this album quite interesting is that Tribe Called Quest return to their early sound but as sounding fresh and brand new here as well. The album is a double disc album with eight songs apiece on both discs. Album kicks off with the track "Space Program" with Phife, Tip, and White paints this picture the struggle and harsh reality that the African American community faces every day. Lyrical is mostly a call to action as the group cites oppression of minorities. I would say most of the theme is very political with whats going in the world like with the next track and possibly my favorite track on this entire project alone with "We The People". I love that hook on here with Tip singing that Mexican's, Blacks, and poor people need to leave and satires the newly elected president Donald Trump on here and it's pretty clever. I also enjoy Phife and Tip on here painting another picture taking shots at reality tv, the IRS, the top 40 hits lists, women equality, and racial profiling, it's a very beautiful and favorite highlight of mine. Track 3 continues the trend of social issues with what black people. This is song has low-key dark tone here with each member rapping about their race being inferior, I say my favorite verse was when Consequence comes at the end. Love that first few lines of his short verse he uses different countries flag as a metaphor like saying he serving that green and white like Nigeria, very clever wordplay. The next track has a sample of an Elton John song on the hook and there isn't much say on this track it's more of a posse track here but I'll praise Busta Rhymes on here cause he killed his verse. "New Generation" is another highlight of mine which is an ode to the new generation of rappers. The group praised artists like Kendrick, J Cole, Earl, and Joey BadA$$ who kept it real with their music and stick to keeping that real hip hop alive and well, so this track reminds me of passing the torch to the new crop of talent. The track Melatonin is another highlight on the first disc where as you guess it about the drug itself and how oneself can abuse and enjoy how Abbey Smith here say it can be used in a positive way to ease your mind.
As we move on disc two on this project it kicks off with Mobius and I love how Busta and Consequence verses here from rapping about the street life, the Illuminati, and other topics. I also love the production and the beat transition when it switches to Busta verse. The next track has probably one of the best verses on here when Q-Tip comes through and his entire verse is a dedication to Phife. It pretty interesting when you hear and it sounds like Phife quite a bit, it's pretty trippy and also quite sad. A very nice tribute and gave me a chill down my spine. The Killing Season main theme is about the veterans and soldiers in the military and what the face every day while also discussing killing black political leaders and police brutality. Also enjoyed Kanye on the hook and the beat transition from Talib's verse to the hook it went to sort of boom bap beat to more a dark ballad production. Lost Somebody is a dedication to Phife with Tip and White spitting the verses here. It's a very good tribute and you hear in Tip's voice with his verse he almost broke down and almost shed a tear and White verse is also a very tribute as well. The hook from Cat was quite chilling as well, gave me some goosebumps and Jack White is on this track handling the guitar at the beginning and towards the end and his appearance on this track it's pretty decent.
Movin Backwards it's pretty a match made in heaven with Anderson .Pakk on the hook and with a verse, with each artist rapping about success and failure. I enjoyed the final verse on here with Tip and Anderson going back and forth and also enjoy the upbeat production here as well. Conard Tokyo is my favorite track on disc two with Phife and a guest verse from Kendrick Lamar having a reflection about the political and economy situation going on this decade and the acceptance with Donald Trump being a political figure. Both men killed their verses here and did an excellent and I'm glad we got a dream collabo with Tribe Called Quest and Kendrick Lamar. Ego is probably my least favorite track on this project, It felt like a rushed last minute track and filler on disc two. The album ends with the track The Donald and you may think it's about the newly elected president Donald Trump when the album dropped the same week as the election it's mostly a reference to the word "Don Juice" and this song right here, what a perfect way to go out. Phife killed his verse here and I Love the outro with a touching tribute from Busta and tip here chanting his name and praising him with one line after another. It was a perfect song for a curtain call and very touching tribute , I shed a tear or two.
Final thoughts that this final album A Tribe Called Quest was excellent and a perfect way to go out. Love that Tribe here sounded modern while keeping old school. Love the topics that every artist was rapping about here and the tributes to Phife and the new generation was awesome and touching. The only two negatives here is there are some mixing issues and couple of tracks here I would have taken off the album here but overall the album is excellent. I wanna give a huge shout out to A Tribe Called Quest for the years of great music and being one of the pioneers and being a huge influence in the hip hop community. Rest In Power to the five-foot assassin Phife Dawg...
Favorite Tracks: The Donald, We The People, Whateva Will Be, Solid Wall of Sound, Dis Generation, Melatonin, Mobius, The Killing Season, Lost Somebody, Movin Backwards, Conard Tokyo, Black Spasmodic, The Space Program
Least Favorite Tracks: Ego
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