Beats, Rhymes & Phife: How A Tribe Called Quest’s first album in 18 years saved a lifelong friendship

We’ve all had a relationship we wish we could mend. Whether the fallout and wounds are still fresh, or you can’t even remember why the person is out of your life, the weight of the conflict is one you might carry forever. Unless you do something about it.

Founding members of one of music’s most influential groups, hip-hop legends, and lifelong friends, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, did indeed do something about their broken friendship. The upcoming release of A Tribe Called Quest’s final studio album, We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service is more than the group’s first substantial work together in over 18 years, but is an important example of mending bridges before it’s too late.

In the landscape of early ‘90s hip-hop, dominated by groups such as N.W.A. and Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest seemed to exist on a planet that was not fully understood, but piqued everyone’s curiosity. Q-Tip, the consummate creator, revolutionized production in the genre by incorporating a sophisticated knowledge of jazz samples, laying the foundation for the thoughtful and insightful lyrics from himself and partner-in-rhyme Phife Dawg. Their chemistry was undeniable and could have only been a result of growing up together on Linden Boulevard in Queens, New York.

Rarely do outsiders get a glimpse into the personal lives and relationships of the music icons we look up to the most, but the fallout between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg has been well documented. In Michael Rapaport’s 2011 documentary, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, fans got a brutally honest look at how a friendship, that started in grade school, could deteriorate to a point where Tip and Phife would sacrifice everything they built together to go their separate ways.

Then, in November 2015, A Tribe Called Quest celebrated the 25th anniversary of their first studio album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. Appearances and performances which surrounded the event reunited members, Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and contributing member Jarobi White, and left long-time fans like myself hopeful for something amazing from the reunion.

All hope and bated anticipation faded however when Phife Dawg, who had been battling Type 2 diabetes for his entire adult life, passed away on March 22, 2016.

Phife Dawg’s death sent ripples across all of pop culture and affected me on a very personal level.  I always related more to Phife than Q-Tip.  He was the short dude that loved sports, working on his craft, and got along with everybody. I always had friends that could talk to girls like Q-Tip, but I was the only one that could ever make them laugh like Phife.

I remember streaming Phife’s memorial service, which was attended by some of today’s biggest and brightest music stars including Kanye West, Pharrell and Andre 3000, who came together to share how much his life meant to them. Phife was gone, and so was any hope that another Tribe project or live performance would ever see the light of day.

Until last week.

That was when The New York Times broke the news that A Tribe Called Quest was set to release their final studio album on November 11th. What fans didn’t know was that before Phife Dawg’s death, Q-Tip and Phife were back in the studio, creating music, but more importantly mending their friendship. In the interview Q-Tip stated, “We went through all of the stuff and apologized, and it was just so good, man. We were so back.” He also commented on what he thought the project meant to Phife, “I really believe he did the traveling back and forth, not for this record, but to make sure that me and him, Malik and Jon, were O.K.”

We won’t get the chance to see Phife Dawg perform his verses from the new album with his brothers, but we will get to hear the “5 foot assassin with the roughneck business” do what he did best one last time. Almost prophetic is the title Phife wanted to use for the final album, and speaking as a lifelong Tribe fan, I thank you Phife for your service. Your legacy will live on forever with the legion of fans you have blessed with your rhymes. We got it from here.

Rest in power Phife.