Sad to hear Phife Dawg from Tribe Called Quest has died. Love this tribute to J-Dilla he made, which seems oddly appropriate now.
I have a complex relationship with Tribe – a massive fan back in the day, until I heard a homophobic track from them which they then turned into a moan about the music industry (that saved their career by refusing to release it!) and realised that unlike De La Soul or Public Enemy they weren’t that ‘Daisy age’ nor ‘conscious’, it was a pose.
But always loved Phife’s rapping, and his humour and honesty. Stressed Out still means a lot to me, during indeed a stressful time in my life (as is now), and Can I Kick It (the extended mix) was a massive CHOON of my youth.
This will probably be the only time Tribe tracks posted here, so enjoy it. Here’s his critique of Q-Tip, which was on point:
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