Before Friday, it had been 18 years since the last new music from A Tribe Called Quest. That all changed when the group released We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service, a new album that features the entirety of A Tribe Called Quest – even the late Phife Dawg, who passed away earlier this year.
The album was conceived when the group reunited in 2014, and it was no surprise to see it released just three days after the Presidential election. Race and social injustice are main themes of the new album, addressed with the lyrical eloquence for which ATCQ is known.
On SNL, the group performed two songs from the new album, “We The People….” and “The Space Program.” Q-Tip, Jarobi White, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad kept it rocking through the first song, all leading up to Phife’s verse. They then unveiled a mural depicting Phife, as his track played through the room. It was a touching moment, allowing for these artists to pay tribute to their lost brother.
The second song, “The Space Program,” saw both Consequence and Busta Rhymes join on stage for a celebration of hip hop music. Watch videos of both, streaming below.