Thank You Phife Dawg!

"Microphone check. 1, 2 what is this?.." When I first heard A Tribe Called Quest's first album People's Instinctive Travels, I was changed forever. It became my preferred brand of hip hop. Although Phife didn't appear on most of the album, his verses on Push It Along and Can I Kick It are some of the most memorable moments in my hip-hop vocabulary. Fast forward to The Low End Theory, one of the most important albums of any genre. The way he comes in on the albums 2nd track, Buggin Out is as classic as it gets. I have so many fond memories of listening to this album on cassette repeatedly throughout my youth but Midnight Marauders is undoubtedly my favorite album of their discography. From Stir It Up to Lyrics To Go, Phife shines all the way throughout this masterpiece. I always appreciated the way A Tribe Called Quest grew with the times musically but kept their sensibility. I sincerely believe if they released an album today as a follow up to Beats Rhymes & Life and The Love Movement, it would sound consistent with their iconic catalogue. I believe the reason so many people universally love Tribe is because they never compromised their integrity since day 1. And although there was tension between Phife and Tip for many years, they didn't let it affect the way they performed together or made music. And the music is simply amazing. Hands down, my favorite hip-hop performance of all times was getting a chance to see Tribe's reunion tour over ten years ago in Philly. I remember how tight their show was after having taken such a long hiatus from doing anything as a group. They performed every single song I personally wanted to hear and I sensed that every person there felt an intimate connection with them from the moment they got on stage until the end. More recently, I had the chance to share a bill with Phife for DC Loves Dilla a little over a year ago and he was in great spirits although his health had been suffering for many years now. I feel privileged to have met him and I'll miss his presence but I'm relieved he's no longer struggling with diabetes and other health problems. And the legacy he leaves behind is rich and enormous. On point Phife. All the time...