In search of lost time

Although a Tribe Called Quest They read hip-hop back in the mid-eighties, when they studied at school, it really started for them with the success of another New York group-De- De La Soul . In 1989, the album was released La Soul "3 Feet High And Rising ” , after which they began to write about the fact that in New York a new,“ alternative ”, rap-with ornate texts, often not directly related to the poetry of the streets, and complex music based on jazz samplax, but, in addition, drawing inspiration from various sources, from Johnny Kash do Sergey Gensbur. A Tribe Called Quest , founded in 1985 rappers Q - TIP and PhIFE Dawg and DJ Ali Shahid Muhammad, joined this current, inserting a fragment of Lou Read’s song into their hip-hop; And about their debut album " PEOPLE ' S Instinctive Travels And The Paths of Rhythm ” , published in 1990, enthusiastic critics wrote that Proust could calmly read it under him.

Jerobi White, a participant in the first composition a Tribe Called Quest: “I don’t think we competed with other rappers. Rather, they tried to reach the level of Prince, Marvin Gay and Earth, Wind & Fire ”( from an interview with Legacy Recordings label).

A Tribe Called Quest - "Bonita Applebum"

The status of an outstanding rap group brought them a second album, “ The Low End Theory ” , on which the group started talking about social problems. One of the participants a Tribe Called Quest , a native of Queens Q - Tip , flaunted: “The curse of the second album? What is this nonsense? I better write down “ The Low End Theory » ". Preserving the love of jazz samplack, a Tribe Called Quest Added bass And they began to sound more dance. As a result, the album was recognized as one of the main rap plates of the nineties.

Phief Dawg: “We wanted us to be remembered not by songs, but by albums. So that, having heard someone talking about A Tribe Called Quest, people reacted: “Yes, I remember, their entire record was amazing!” You know, there are musicians who appeared and disappeared without a trace, because everyone knew only one of their songs and did not pay attention to the rest. We wanted another ”( from an interview with Rolling Stone ).

A Tribe Called Quest - "Jazz (We've Got) Buggin 'out"

Despite the success of “ Low End Theory ” , the story of hip-hop went the other way. Around the same time, the power began to gain a gangsta-raP, which, if I wanted to do something with Prust, then at best to tear out all the pages from his books and wind up from them jambs. The music became tougher, sharper, more energetic, jazz influences faded into the background, instead of them, Funk came to rap music. A Tribe Called Quest , sensitive to new trends, also did not stand aside - their next album, “ Midnight Marauders ” ,“ coarse ”from both the musical and textual point of view (although, of course, this is still not Tupak Shakur at all).

A Tribe Called Quest - "Electric Relaxation"

By the end of the nineties, the group was firmly rooted in the list of living classics, released two more successful albums, many joint records with other famous rappers and eventually broke up, giving the participants the opportunity to start solo careers. But the glory of the pioneers of the "complex" hip-hop periodically knocked on the door to the creators a Tribe Called Quest - q - tip , Phife Dawg And Ali Shahid Muhammad, and they declared the next Reunion. The last time they gathered in full force - the fourth participant in Jerobi White's early entries joined - to recording a new album, the first in 18 years; But in March 2016, in the midst of work on the album, Phife Dawg Died of diabetes. As a result, the recorded material was enough for the two -disc “We Got it from her ... toe you 4 Your Service , which was released on November 11.

Jerobi White: “Yes, the record of this album killed him (Phief Dawg. - Ed.). But he was very happy to leave that way ”( from an interview with New York Times ).

The musicians who always hit the nerve of the time gathered a win -win composition of the guests, including Basta Raims, Jack White, Elton John, anderson .paak , Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar. It was possible to recreate the branded intelligent sound a Tribe Called Quest , the album sounds absolutely modern - maybe even too modern for such honored musicians. The traditional jazz pier of the group hit the stream of universal hobby with a viscous hip-hop, but a powerful bit drags the listener forward, preventing the songs from saging. Plus, numerous quotes-samples from the most unexpected sources are sewn into the music-the joy for experts who can identify them, or a way to plunge into the sacred thrill of listeners easier. A Tribe Called Quest turned out to be something like a high-class tribute to oneself-all the proprietary techniques on the list filed in the best possible way. Having completed a two-part album with a tribute composition “ The Donald " , the musicians seem to say Phife Dawg Farewell: “Further we are somehow ourselves, but thanks for showing the way” ( “We get it from geree ... toe you 4 Your Service” ).

At the link, you can find the primary sources of samples used in the posts of the group - on “We Got it from here ... the thank you 4 Your Service, for example, Gentle is found Giant , Black Sabbath , quote from the movie “Willy Wonka and Chocolate Factory” (though rather beaten) and track of French composers Pierre Henri and Michelle Colombiee called “ Jericho Jerk " .

A week after the release of the album, talent a Tribe Called Quest to get into the nerve of time manifested once again: the group laid out a difficult clip on the most acute song from the album “ We The PEOPLE ” , which, according to VICE , perfectly reflects the rhetoric of antitramps protests. Let's see what will happen next.

"We The People"