It took 18 years, but A Tribe Called Quest has released its sixth and final album — and it already sounds as vital and important as their early ‘90s classics. We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service sees Q-Tip, Jarobi White, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, and the late Phife Dawg reunite for their signature brand of conscious, eclectic hip-hop. Artists as varied as Elton John, André 3000, and frequent Tribe collaborator Busta Rhymes also appear.
A Tribe Called Quest disbanded after the release of 1998’s The Love Movement thanks to conflict between the group members and strained dealings with their label. However, after a reunion on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the group decided to reunite and record another record. According to The New York Times, the collective “easily slipped back into the zone.” Phife Dawg, who died in March due to complications from Type 2 diabetes, can be heard throughout the effort. It was he who decided on the title, and it’s clear that this final effort is meant to honor him. When asked what the title means, Q-Tip told the Times, “I don’t know. We’re just going with it because he liked it.”
Seriously. You need to listen to this album.