The renaissance of A Tribe Called Quest is as unexpected as it is welcome.
For years, this was a band that seemed finished. They hadn't made an album since 1998's The Love Movement, and if you saw the 2011 documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, you were understandably convinced they'd never get back together. And then in March, Phife Dawg died.
But then came November's We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, which was one of last year's best albums. Partly a reunion record, partly a celebration of old-school rap, partly a grim commentary on the state of race relations in America, and partly a showcase for some of the best hip-hop artists alive (Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Andre 3000), We Got It From Here also has plenty of Trump-bashing, which makes it as relevant as any piece of music out there.
Tribe's Grammy performance was a highlight of the night. And because of it, I've been playing "Award Tour" on a loop.
