A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It from Here … Thank You 4 Your Service

The Guardian 80

(RCA)

Recorded shortly before the death of founding member Phife Dawg, this is the final album from the group that opened a new route for hip-hop in the 90s. Jazzy, cheeky and often political, the New Yorkers’ sixth album serves as the final chapter of their story and a clarion call for others to follow their path. It is full of nods to the past, with musical echoes of their most indelible songs and contributions from their longest-standing collaborators, notably Busta Rhymes. Q-Tip, the group’s leader and politically conscious straight man to Phife’s ribald sports fan, takes on subjects from gentrification to the mis-sold dreams of African American youth. He calls out to those he sees as his heirs – from Kendrick Lamar to Earl Sweatshirt – to keep the Tribe flame alive. The album closes on The Donald, a tribute to Phife (not the new president), and there is a real sense of this being the group’s final testament. At times the album can seem tired and mid-paced, and some of the collaborators (Andre 3000, Anderson Paak) are more effective than others (Talib Kweli, Jack White). But for those who value Tribe’s contribution to music, this is a record to be grateful for.