New studio album by A Tribe Called Quest is definitely one of the most unexpected releases of 2016. We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service is a socio-political engagement of the band who returned to the throne of American East Coast hip-hop. For all of you who are too young to remember A Tribe Called Quest, I highly suggest you start discovering their epic discography.
Eighteen years after The Love Movement came out (after which the band broke up), in the year where they were left without their co-founder and friend Malik Taylor, A Tribe Called Quest gave their critical opinion on the contemporary society and the victory of the future president of United States – Donald Trump (The Donald, Ego).
Sixteen songs spread on two records and all of them are produced by Q-Tip and Blair Wells (the guy who worked with Solange, Norah Jones, John Legend). The album sees appearances from the likes of Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, Elton John, Jack White and many others. Of course, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White are also on the record.
Known as the conscious band, Tribe is oriented towards deeply rooted problems of racism and xenophobia of American society. Great examples of it are We The People, The Space Program and Dis Generation. These songs, and many others on the album, are little stories with strong messages that can stand on their own, even without a music background. It’s what makes this release so powerful.
Generally, the sound is ambient with slow beats and jazz elements, supported by electric guitars that fit with the alternative hip hop compositions. Lost Somebody brings repetitive piano sample. Classic hip-hop expression is also present in Conrad Tokyo and Solid Wall of Sound that features Elton John. Black Spasmodic and Melatonin are more experimental in their character.
We Got It From Here is a very balanced album. Many features do not overshadow the band, and the personal sentimental value is perfectly mixed with the strong social message. Everything is equally represented on the album.
The band had a huge influence on the urban sound of the 90s, and they just reminded us why. This is probably one of the best releases of 2016.
