RIP Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest

[hammerva]

When I was in college getting into rap music, a Tribe Called Quest was #1 on my play list.   Such an incredible group.   if you haven't had the chance watch their documentary I would suggest it. 

 

[Curt McGirt]

GODDAMMIT. I mean he's been sick forever but still. RIP

[J.T.]

I am heartbroken.   Tribe tracks were part of my car beats tapes from high school to college.   Talk about music that shaped your life...

RIP. 

The job of resurrectors is to wake up the dead.

[The Comedian]

 

"Straight from the heart I represent Hip-Hop

I be three albums deep but I dont wanna go pop

Too many candy rappers seem to be at the top

Too much candy is no good so now I'm closin' the shop"

 

RIP to the 5 Foot Assassin

[J.T.]

I float like gravity.  Never had a cavity.

[Jiji]

Quote

If my mom don't approve, then I'll just elope
Let me save the little man from inside the boat
Let me hit it from the back, girl I won't catch a hernia
Bust off on your couch, now you got Seaman's Furniture

RIP to one of the best of all time. ATCQ is probably still my favourite hip hop act.

It shouldn't be that surprising, since he's struggled with diabetes since '90 and had that failed transplant.

[supremebve]

I absolutely LOVE A Tribe Called Quest.  Phife was absolutely perfect in his role.  He very well could have been overshadowed by Q-Tip, but he projected personality shined more than most rappers could ever dream of.  He was the predecessor to guys like Big Boi and Havoc from Mobb Deep who make you say, "Yeah, Q-Tip is better, but I just like Phife more."  This one really hurts, but he won't be forgotten, because I think there is a Tribe song on probably 98% of every playlists I've ever made.  

[JLowe]

2 minutes ago, supremebve said:

I absolutely LOVE A Tribe Called Quest.  Phife was absolutely perfect in his role.  He very well could have been overshadowed by Q-Tip, but he projected personality shined more than most rappers could ever dream of.  He was the predecessor to guys like Big Boi and Havoc from Mobb Deep who make you say, "Yeah, Q-Tip is better, but I just like Phife more."  This one really hurts, but he won't be forgotten, because I think there is a Tribe song on probably 98% of every playlists I've ever made.  

I've listened to the whole discography today, and I'm gonna make a controversial statement and say that Phife is better than Tip on most, if not all, of Midnight Marauders.

[JLowe]

I wrote this on the facespace this morning:

RIP Phife, aka Phife Dawg, aka the 5 Foot Assassin.
When I went to college in 1989, one thing I knew I wanted to do was be a DJ at the college radio station (thanks to Night Flight and Pump Up the Volume). On my first trip down, they gave me some records to listen to and review. I had mentioned that I liked hip-hop, so they tossed in a couple of 12" records. One was "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" by A Tribe Called Quest. I was hooked, and went the next day to the Juniata bookstore and bought the tape (which I still have, and *maybe* a copy of the 12" too).
I bought The Low End Theory, unheard, the day it was released and listened to it non-stop for weeks. One of the things I loved was that Phife was on just about every track, a nearly equal contributor, and even had his own solo joint. His higher pitched voice, bouncy flow, clever similes, and pop culture references were a perfect balance to Q-Tip's ultra-smooth voice and flow, his abstract poetics.
My junior year, I finally started my own hip-hop radio show. When I had to come up with a name, I immediately thought of "Excursions", the opening cut of The Low End Theory. The last song I ever played on the show, 2 years later? "Vibes and Stuff". A tribute to all the fallen. Seems appropriate now.

[Greggulator]

Tribe is one of the best group -- rap, rock, anything -- ever. They had so many good songs and great moments. I had The Box on my cable system when I was a kid. This was this service where if you called in a 1-900 number and typed in a code they would play the video you requested. They had the video for Check The Rhime and Pfife was a Seton Hall jersey. Being a huge SHU hoops fan, I was hooked.

One of my FB friends said it best: Out of every rapper in memory, Pfife sounded like one your friends the most.

[J.T.]

Q-Tip was the intellectual and I loved him for that, but Phife was that dude on the corner who would give you fist bumps when you walked by him and say "That's fucking awesome!" if you shared your good news about expecting a kid or a job promotion.

Phife was real. He was 100.

[The Comedian]

And seriously, there's a reason why Phife got to lead off "Scenario" while Tip got the job of "guy who intros Busta Rhymes"...TIp was laid back, Phife was a ball of energy on the mic...

[SirSmUgly]

Oddly, my favorite Phife lyrical performance is on a more laid-back track, which is also my favorite ATCQ song: Electric Relaxation. 

 

[J.T.]

14 hours ago, Smelly McUgly said:

Oddly, my favorite Phife lyrical performance is on a more laid-back track, which is also my favorite ATCQ song: Electric Relaxation. 

The Jazz is my ATCQ jam for that very same reason.

[zev]

Rippa posted "Scenario" in the Album Closing song thread.

It reminded me of that amazing performance on Arsenio, so I went and found it online.

 

[The Comedian]

9 hours ago, zev said:

Rippa posted "Scenario" in the Album Closing song thread.

I posted it and he quoted me to give props...

[zev]

7 hours ago, The Comedian said:

I posted it and he quoted me to give props...

Oops, my bad. Sorry about that.