A Tribe Called Quest set the bar even higher for future hip hop musicians with stellar sampling, amazing lyrics, and their signature clean sound on their latest album. We got it from Here…Thank You 4 Your service honors the late Phife Dawg and inspires hope simultaneously. The excitement and high expectations that followed Tribe’s flawless Saturday Night Live performance were not unmet. There’s no such thing as the wrong time for a new Tribe album, but there is a such thing as a perfect time for a new Tribe album. Amongst the embers of confusion, anger, and fear following the presidential election, a beacon of light and musical excellence emerged.
The cultural impact of Tribe’s music has been growing for decades and continues to flourish in an era when many classic musical acts have lost their fire. We got it from Here…Thank You 4 Your service isn’t a “remastered” scam to increase album sales or a failed attempt at reviving the group’s image. It is 100% real. It’s the music that only Tribe can make while opening a different dialogue on the current sociopolitical climate. Specifically, the second track on the album, We The People…. has gained a lot of praise and recognition for its powerful commentary on our culture of fear, intolerance, and inequity.
Artistic documentation and critique of current events and culture is one of the most powerful ways to bring about social change. With their status at veterans and expert innovators in the musical world, A Tribe Called Quest provided eager minds and change makers with a soundtrack fit for a revolution.
by Hayley Robertson
slimetimemag.com 