It has been an eventful year for true hip hop heads, with recent releases from heavyweights De La Soul, Common and now the legendary A Tribe Called Quest…
Undoubtedly regarded as some of the world’s most talented rappers of all time, Q-Tip, the late, great Phife Dawg and the team are back after 18 long years of rumours. Any life-long fan will admit that their best work was towards the beginning of their career, as the 90’s drew to a close both their individual and group efforts began to shine a little less brightly. With this in mind, skeptics may worry that the album may fall flat, as many believed De La Soul’s latest had, but there is no doubt that this is a monumental moment for hip hop. With the death of Phife Dawg earlier this year it was seeming even less likely that this project would ever see the light of day, however, they have had many years to record the elements needed, many of which were recorded at Q-Tip’s personal studio.
The album is set out in two sections of 8 tracks each, opener The Space Program is an instant reminder of why these guys are regarded so highly, from the detailed sci-fi inspired production to the smart rhymes it is apparent that they have not lost their midas touch. Following themes of many 2016 albums they reference some tough political issues, from Trump’s policies to mentioning a female president; which we can only assume was meant to be Clinton. We the People, however, sounds a little more Beastie Boys than we are used to, it has an awkward chorus and production wise it also misses the mark slightly. Whatever Will Be is a relatively plain offering, Q-Tip’s nasal style fits well over the funky electric bass and guitar chops but Phife Dawg definitely wins this round. The memorable chorus also gets under your skin, but all-in-all this does not feel like their finest hour. Unfortunately for anybody expecting some traditional Tribe material the next track is also quite jarring, it features a prominently dancehall flavoured patois vocal over some silky piano riffs that fails to gel.
Dis Generation samples Musical Youth’s Pass the Dutchie and starts to resemble the sound that made them famous, it is undeniably well crafted and lays the foundation for the albums first feature from long-time collaborator and rap royalty Busta Rhymes. It has many references to modern day life, hearing these old-school legends referencing both USB keys and Uber sounds like you have stepped into a parallel universe. From here on the first part of the album sounds more like a Q-Tip solo release, it has as many sketchy moments as it does moments of brilliance.
As we enter the albums second second batch of 8 tracks, Mobius has a intriguing middle-eastern string sample and features Busta once again as well as Consequence. Busta is spitting fire as always, roaring down the microphone like the dragon he has always been. He undoubtedly steals the limelight, the contrast between a relatively laid back beat and his uncontrollable energy works surprisingly well giving us the albums strongest track so far. Black Spasmodic has a more reggae inspired feel, giving Phife a chance to show off his Jamaican patois style once again. So far so good as we make our way into the albums second half, The Killing Season thankfully follows suit with Kanye West and Talib Kweli both appearing on top form over the top of another stunning beat.
These are followed by some more mediocre fillers until the unique style of another politically minded rapper Kendrick Lamar shows up on Conrad Tokyo. The production is another smooth number full of electric piano jams and some 90’s style background chants giving it some real flavour. Kendrick’s vocal is distorted and filtered into an almost megaphone style effect. The album finishes on a high with two more sizzling beats, both Ego and The Donald showcase the different vibes that these guys can create. Lyrically they are also some of the album’s finest work, with their delivery and creative flows connecting the dots perfectly.
As the crew members move into their later years, this album proves that there is hope for the remaining members to continue touring, keeping the sound alive alongside greats such as Jurrasic 5 and De La Soul. The amount of stand-out tracks certainly out weight the weaker ones, and they deserve some credit for trying a few new tactics musically. After the long wait their fans will no doubt be more than satisfied, considering tracks like Mobius, Killing Season and The Space Program hold up so well against their impressive discography.
