Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 110 Best Albums of the 2010s, representing a varied cross-section of artists, genres, and styles. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & album index here.
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST | We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
Epic (2016) | Listen Below
Selected by Marcus Willis
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Even with A Tribe Called Quest’s long-cemented legacy, We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service had no right to be as good as it was. It takes a very special group to release a semi-surprise homecoming album after an 18-year absence, and sound like they didn’t lose one damn step. Recorded in the afterglow of the promotional run of their debut album’s 25th anniversary, the LP picks up where The Love Movement (1998) left off, arguably surpassing the quality of both it and Beats, Rhymes, And Life (1996). Dropping two days after Donald Trump’s election, the LP’s themes were eerily prescient, with the group comfortably walking into the Conscious Rapper shoes that had been unfairly fitted for them in the past. Aside from reminding us precisely how much we missed Tribe, We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service served as a fitting goodbye to Phife Dawg, who passed away eight months before its release.
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