By Jamil Oakford/ editor-in-chief
A Tribe Called Quest just blessed this generation with the most important album of 2016 yet.
Dropped a week ago, A Tribe Called Quest’s final album We Got It From Here … Thank You 4 Your Service, a timely release, contains messages for the new generation coming in behind them.
In many ways, this sounds like a “passing of the torch” kind of album with messages that resonate through much of this generation’s consciousness through news and social media.
While the band’s sound is unchanged, the jazz/hip-hop fusion in each song gives that distinct New York City ’90s rap.
The album doesn’t hold punches as it begins with “The Space Program,” a scathing look at how few prospects black youth have to better their status. The chorus drives the point home as the band chants, “There ain’t a space program for n—-s. Yeah, you stuck here, n—a.”
The song also takes the opportunity to remind the community to get its act together to help one another “move on to the stars.”
With biting lyrics, each song offers valuable lessons for the listener. In “We The People…,” the lyrics remind people how important it is to stay focused and unfazed by the distractions meant to keep everyone complacent. In the same fell swoop, the group points out America’s issues with religious discrimination and police brutality. Q-Tip raps, “All you black folks, you must go. All you Mexicans, you must go. And all you poor folks, you must go. Muslims and gays, boy, we hate your ways. So all you bad folks, you must go.”
It’s hard to offer highlights from this album as A Tribe Called Quest has packed it with 16 songs incredibly important with powerful messages. Not one song falters in its value or dynamic.
But if time is limited or money is the issue, listeners might want to check out “Dis Generation,” “Melatonin,” “Movin Backwards” and “The Killing Season.”
This hip-hop album is the genre in its purest form. It harkens to the days when rapping was about speaking out on issues plaguing the black community. This is a parting gift worthy of praise from a group of rappers ready to see what the newest generation has to offer.
