Released: 2016

Genres: East Coast Hip-Hop, Jazz Rap, Conscious Hip-Hop, Experimental Hip-Hop, Political Hip-Hop

The Musiquarium’s We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service Review Score: 10 out of 10

Having disbanded at the end of the nineties, nobody knew when or if A Tribe Called Quest would ever get back together, but after nearly two decades of inactivity, they finally returned. Unfortunately, Phife Dawg died during the recording of the album, but not before getting to leave his mark on the project, even having named it.

We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service is a modern and updated take on the jazz rap sound that A Tribe Called Quest pioneered in the nineties, and features an all-star cast, including Jack White, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and André 3000.

The Space Program is a poignant opener, perhaps their best yet. We the People… samples Bill Ward’s drums from Black Sabbath’s Behind the Wall of Sleep, and is an anti-Trump Administration anthem. Solid Wall of Sound interpolates a line from Elton John’s Benny and the Jets in a transformative fashion. Dis Generation acknowledges the new generation of rappers that have sprung up since Tribe’s time.

Enough!! is a sensual bedroom ballad. Kids… features André 3000 and deals with the frustrations of adolescence. Kanye West sings the hook on The Killing Season, which deals with police brutality and mistreatment of veterans. Black Spasmodic has a Rasta-ready beat. Lost Somebody is R&B that uses a sample of CAN’s 1971 track, Halleluhwah. Kendrick Lamar features on Conrad Tokyo. Jack White plays guitar on the final two tracks, Ego and The Donald.

We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service is a triumphant tour-de-force, as well as one of the greatest final albums and comebacks; perhaps A Tribe Called Quest’s finest hour yet.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view A Tribe Called Quest on Discogs.

Back to the 2016 Album Guide or the A Tribe Called Quest Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard