Earlier in the week, hip-hop experienced a huge loss, as Phife Dawg, legendary rapper and member of a Tribe Called Quest, lost his battle with diabetes. The day he died saw a large outpouring of tributes from artists and fans on social media, but last night, on fellow Tribe member Q-Tip's Abstract Radio show, Phife was honored more extensively. Tip offered a mix of classic verses and rarities, while a few artists who found inspiration in the late rapper's words shared thoughts on his legacy.
Kendrick Lamar remembered his first experience with Tribe, and specifically, Phife Dawg.
If I go back to being five, six years old, I remember being acquainted with the legendary, and it was a record by the name of "Scenario." The flow was crazy, the beat was crazy, but one line stuck out out me in particular. The line in particular "I'm all that and then some short dark and handsome / Bust a nut inside your eye, to show you where I come from."
I just thought that line was witty at the time you feel me being a kid as six years old. I'm short myself, so I was rocking that way. Being witty and crafty as possible, and that's exactly what he did with that line. There's many many many more but that was my first time ever being excited hearing Phife. Much love to him and his family everything that you've done for the culture everything that you've done for Hip-Hop we will always hold it down for Phife.
Big Boi, Pharrell, and Chuck D also shared their experiences with Phife's music, as well as Andre 3000, who recalled rapping over Tribe songs when he and Big were first cutting demos with Organized Noize, but also cited the group for their wordplay.
A Tribe Called Quest is everything, everything to me. There will not be no Outkast without A Tribe Called Quest. It was everything to me in high school, just listening to Q-tip run the verses. And I remember being really interested in vocabulary. He actually made me want to know more about words and use them as tools. Like, words that you may have not even know before. He made it actually cool to use those words.
You can listen to the full episode below. RIP Phife.