A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here: Thank You 4 Your Service

It took the United States really messing the bed to bring back A Tribe Called Quest. With all the election nonsense, general intolerance and the violence against blacks going on south of the border it compelled the band to write and release their first album in 18 years. What I most appreciated about the album is that besides trying to educate and speak out against the intolerance and racism they also point out how big a part the media plays in all this. There is some poignancy to be found here as band member Phife Dawg, whose absence is felt, passed away earlier in 2016 at the age of 45. The remaining members pay tribute to him. Especially Q-Tip when he raps just like his fallen brother on the track “Black Spasmodic”. Q-Tip has remained true to his 90s style by keeping up his Speedy Gonzalez delivery style. No bowing to the modern rap style. He remains a unique voice in many ways. Just listen to the song “The Space Program” if you want an example of what I am talking about. Keep ears open for guest appearances by Elton John, Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, Busta Rhymes, Talib Kweli and Jack White. Bottom line is that despite the fact that almost two decades have passed since they last released music time has not passed them by proving that A Tribe Called Quest equals timeless rap. Great beats. Great rhymes. Totally old school.