a tribe called quest

The Library Of Congress Honors Music By A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, And Others

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A Tribe Called Quest 1991 Ali Shaheed Muhammad Q-TIp Phife Dawg
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There are plenty of music awards out there but perhaps the most prestigious is a work being selected for preservation in the Library Of Congress’ National Recording Registry; Recordings are selected after being deemed “worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.” It’s a major achievement, as only 600 recordings have ever been honored.

That total counts the newly announced selections for 2022, which include Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and Alicia Keys’ Songs In A Minor, among noteworthy others.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden says, “The National Recording Registry reflects the diverse music and voices that have shaped our nation’s history and culture through recorded sound. The national library is proud to help preserve these recordings, and we welcome the public’s input. We received about 1,000 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry.”

Keys also noted, “I’m so honored and grateful that Songs In A Minor, the entire album, gets to be recognized as such a powerful body of work that is just going to be timeless.

Find the full list of 2022 selections below and read more about them here.

1. “Harlem Strut” — James P. Johnson (1921)
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Complete Presidential Speeches (1933-1945)
3. “Walking The Floor Over You” — Ernest Tubb (1941) (single)
4. “On A Note Of Triumph” (May 8, 1945)
5. “Jesus Gave Me Water” — The Soul Stirrers (1950) (single)
6. Ellington At Newport — Duke Ellington (1956) (album)
7. We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite — Max Roach (1960) (album)
8. “The Christmas Song” — Nat King Cole (1961) (single)
9. Tonight’s The Night — The Shirelles (1961) (album)
10. “Moon River” — Andy Williams (1962) (single)
11. In C — Terry Riley (1968) (album)
12. “It’s A Small World” — The Disneyland Boys Choir (1964) (single)
13. “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” — The Four Tops (1966) (single)
14. Hank Aaron’s 715th Career Home Run (April 8, 1974)
15. “Bohemian Rhapsody” — Queen (1975) (single)
16. “Don’t Stop Believin’” — Journey (1981) (single)
17. Canciones de Mi Padre — Linda Ronstadt (1987) (album)
18. Nick Of Time — Bonnie Raitt (1989) (album)
19. The Low End Theory — A Tribe Called Quest (1991) (album)
20. Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) — Wu-Tang Clan (1993) (album)
21. Buena Vista Social Club (1997) (album)
22. “Livin’ La Vida Loca” — Ricky Martin (1999) (single)
23. Songs In A Minor — Alicia Keys (2001) (album)
24. WNYC broadcasts for the day of 9/11 (September 11, 2001)
25. WTF With Marc Maron (Guest: Robin Williams) (April 26, 2010)

Phife Dawg’s Estate Releases The Rapper’s Posthumous Album, ‘Forever’

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Phife Dawg 2008 Rock The Bells
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Phife Dawg‘s long-anticipated posthumous album has finally arrived today. Forever comes on the sixth anniversary of the A Tribe Called Quest rapper’s death.

Forever is Phife Dawg’s second solo album, following 2000’s Ventilation: Da LP. Phife appeared A Tribe Called Quest’s 2016 reunion album We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service, which was released just months after his death. Phife was said to be working on solo music up until that time.

“We faced a lot of ups and downs trying to get the album completed, and only by God’s grace and patience were we able to,” said Phife’s longtime manager Dion Liverpool in a statement. “I would like to thank his fans for being patient and understanding that nothing that is good and timeless will happen overnight. I took on the responsibility to help the family complete Forever and honored that I was trusted to do so.”

Forever features production by DJ Rasta Root, who co-produced the album alongside Phife, along with the likes of J Dilla, 9th Wonda, Potatohead People, and more. The album boasts several collaborations, including tracks with fellow Tribe member Q-Tip, Redman, Dwele, Busta Rhymes, and Rapsody.

Check out Forever below.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5LgEGVdC1X8xgrNa09MS6f?si=4bbRdG8CSoq7QVKBFaPb-A

Forever is out now via Smokin’ Needles.

Phife Dawg’s Estate Reveals The Tracklist For His Posthumous Album, ‘Forever’

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It feels a little unbelievable, but just one week from today will mark the sixth anniversary of Phife Dawg’s death. It’s a sobering sentiment, but the load is lightened by an announcement by the late rapper’s estate last year: March 22 will also mark the release of his long-awaited posthumous album, Forever. Today, his co-producer on the album, DJ Rasta Root, shared the album’s cover art and tracklist, which features a who’s-who of longtime collaborators and friends, including Angel Winbush, De La Soul, Dwele, Little Brother, Lyric Jones, Rapsody, and, of course, his A Tribe Called Quest brother in rhyme, Q-Tip.

Production on the album will be handled by 9th Wonder, J Dilla, Khrysis, Nottz, Potatohead People, and more. So far, only two singles from the album have been released: the Busta Rhymes and Redman-featuring “Nutshell Part 2” and “French Kiss Deux,” which features the late J Dilla’s younger brother Illa J. Both revealed an aesthetic similar to latter-day Tribe production, with stripped-down, funk-driven beats custom-made to show off Phife’s easygoing flow.

The road to the album’s release has been kind of a bumpy one; though initially announced almost five years ago, it has certainly taken a while to prepare, with the album getting pushed back to 2021, then pushed back again to 2022. But, the wait is almost over now, and from the looks of things, the project will be well worth it.

Forever is due 3/22 via Smokin’ Needles Records.

Q-Tip Wishes One Thing About A Tribe Called Quest’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nomination Was Different

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A Tribe Called Quest 1991 Ali Shaheed Muhammad Q-TIp Phife Dawg
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On Wednesday, the nominees for the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction class were announced and some hip-hop icons made the cut, including Eminem, Rage Against The Machine, and A Tribe Called Quest. Now, Tribe’s Q-Tip has spoken about the nomination, revealing that he’s happy about it but indicating that it’s a bittersweet moment for him.

In an interview with Billboard the day after the nominations were revealed, Q-Tip said, “I was pleased, [but] I wish my man [Phife Dawg] was here.”

Phife Dawg, a founding member of A Tribe Called Quest, died in 2016 at 45 years old.

Elsewhere during the conversation, Q-Tip spoke about how he believes A Tribe Called Quest helped bridge the gap between rock and hip-hop for many people, especially white listeners. He said, “I was just saying to LL Cool J the thing about Tribe is we played in front of more rock audiences than rap audiences. Just being on tour with Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, Green Day, Beastie Boys, and our first show we opened for Big Audio Dynamite — at our time, we kinda helped bring white audiences to hip-hop. So it’s overall good. I feel like the story of music and music’s evolution can’t happen without hip-hop artists.”

Check out the full interview here.

Who Is Eligible For Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction?

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Every year, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame (Rock Hall, for short) inducts artists with distinguished careers that have stood the test of time. Being enshrined into the Rock Hall is an honor bestowed upon artists who have demonstrated a body of work across many decades that once in the Rock Hall, can help engage fans with music history and the 2022 class nominees were announced today.

Who Is Eligible For Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction?

The nomination process considers artists whose first commercial recording was released a minimum of 25 years before the year of their nomination, so you won’t see Billie Eilish or Harry Styles nominated anytime soon. With this year’s new crop of 17 nominees for the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame class, Eminem leads the way as the only nominee who is in their first year of eligibility. A Tribe Called Quest, Beck, Carly Simon, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, and Lionel Richie are all nominated for the first time despite having been eligible in the past. The other nominees include Devo, Dionne Warwick, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, Judas Priest, Kate Bush, MC5, New York Dolls, Pat Benatar, and Rage Against The Machine.

From here, fan voting to help determine who will enter the 2022 class is now open now via the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame website. The inductees are scheduled to be announced in May, with a ceremony later in the fall.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Eminem, Dolly Parton, And Beck Lead The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s List Of 2022 Nominees

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Eminem Marshall Mathers 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony 2021
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Being nominated for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is one of music’s biggest honors, and now a new crop of artists can add that to their resume. Nominees for the 2021 class were announced today, and the list includes 17 iconic artists: A Tribe Called Quest, Beck, Carly Simon, Devo, Dionne Warwick, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, Judas Priest, Kate Bush, Lionel Richie, MC5, New York Dolls, Pat Benatar, and Rage Against The Machine.

Of those, A Tribe Called Quest, Beck, Carly Simon, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Eminem, and Lionel Richie are first-time nominees. The rule for Rock Hall eligibility is that an artist must have released their first commercial recording 25 years before the year of the nomination, meaning that this is Eminem’s first year of eligibility. Eminem is the only 2022 nominee in his first year of eligibility.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation Chairman John Sykes said in a statement, “This year’s ballot recognizes a diverse group of incredible artists, each who has had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture. Their music not only moved generations, but also influenced the sound of countless artists that followed.”

Fan voting for the 2022 class is open now via the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame website. The list of inductees is expected to be announced in May, followed by the induction ceremony at some point this fall.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Phife’s Upcoming Posthumous Album ‘Forever’ Gets A Release Date

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It has been a few months since we last received word on Phife Dawg’s posthumous album, Forever. The late member of A Tribe Called Quest had been working on the album at the time of his death and it was initially to have been released in the first quarter of 2017, but those plans were scrapped and the album had been in limbo ever since. However, in late 2020, Tribe released a statement promising the album’s release sometime in 2021 and the first single, “Nutshell Part 2,” was released in February, followed by an animated music video in March.

A live-action video followed a few weeks later, and in May, a second single, “French Kiss Deux,” dropped, but since then, there has been little information about the status of the album itself. Today, though, A Tribe Called Quest was finally able to announce an official release date for the long-awaited project: March 22, 2022, the sixth anniversary of Phife’s passing. Dion Liverpool, a frequent Phife collaborator, helped to finish the album and will also be releasing it through his Smokin’ Needles Records imprint, distributed by AWAL.

In a statement, Liverpool said, “We faced a lot of ups and downs trying to get the album completed, and only by God’s grace and patience were we able to. I would like to thank his fans for being patient and understanding that nothing that is good and timeless will happen overnight. I took on the responsibility to help the family complete Forever and honored that I was trusted to do so.” Phife’s widow, Deisha Taylor, added, “As we celebrate his life on this day, we are overwhelmed with excitement of completing Forever. This album is truly a masterpiece and will exceed all expectations. The world will absolutely love and cherish this amazing album.”

His mother, Cheryl Boyce-Taylor, was also quoted, saying, “Forever, soon come. His voice a steel pan cruising the sea salt edge of Trini waters. A balm, a salve, a son’s kiss on his mama’s cheek.”

A Tribe Called Quest Denies Authorizing The Sale Of Their Royalties As An NFT

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The “industry rule” Q-Tip revealed back in 1991’s “Check The Rhime” appears to hold as true as ever. For proof, look no further than the recent sale of A Tribe Called Quest’s catalog royalties as an NFT, which the band now says they never actually authorized. Group DJ and co-founder Ali Shaheed Muhammad responded to Billboard‘s report of the sale on Facebook, revealing just how Royalty Exchange came to offering 1.5% of the band’s first five album royalties as a non-fungible token at auction.

“No member of A Tribe Called Quest has entered into any partnership with Royalty Exchange,” he wrote, as he launched into a lengthy explanation of just how labyrinthine and convoluted record contracts can truly be.

In 1989 a dream unfolds. Two teenagers sign a 5 album recording contract with Jive Records. Q-Tip and I were represented by Ron Skoler and Ed Chalpin. Ed owned PPX Enterprises, google that ish. We had absolutely no affiliation with either of these gentlemen other than them representing us as our lawyer/“agent” in negotiating the deal with Jive.

PPX aka Ed Chalpin added a clause to our agreement stating they get paid a percentage of our recording fund EVERY time we commenced to record a new album. We did not discover this hidden clause until we commenced to record The Low End Theory. We disputed this clause. Neither Ed or Ron ever told us about this bullsh*t language in the agreement. It was unwarranted and where I come from “crooked.” Ed sued us and he lost. He appealed the case. He was rich and had deep pockets to litigate. We however were not rich. We were kids with a dream, an album slowly selling and deeply in debt to our record company.

We were determined to not to be taken advantage of by PPX Enterprises. We wanted to fight on. Jive offered to help us with our lack of capital to litigate the appeal however they required us to sign a sixth album with them. Without any other means to get this (do not use slanderous adjectives) entity out of our lives, we signed for the 6th album, added Phife to the contract and Jive made the PPX issue disappear or so we thought.

It wasn’t until reading this incomplete article by Billboard on June 29, 2021 that I learned PPX Enterprises wasn’t entirely out of our business. Apparently PPX sold their share of a settlement they made with Jive Records to an individual whom entered into a partnership with Royalty Exchange. Be clear that is the NFT that was created and auctioned.

Had we known this percentage of our art was out there we would have bought it directly from PPX Enterprises as it should have never been sold by Jive Records.

So, there you have it. The group never wanted to sell their royalties but now, bidder Stephen F, who paid 40.191 in Ethereum ($84,765), will be receiving semi-annual checks from every stream, sample, or media appearance of songs from the first five Tribe albums (you know, the ones that have appeared EVERYWHERE since the ’90s revival boom in television and film over the past decade) until the copyright expires. Yikes.

A Tribe Called Quest Is Selling A Portion Of Their Royalties As An NFT

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While it shouldn’t be a surprise to see hip-hop acts getting in on the NFT craze at this point, the latest rappers to announce their non-fungible product have attached some real value to it. A Tribe Called Quest is selling an NFT through Royalty Exchange which will grant holders access to a 1.5% share of the royalties from the iconic rap group’s first five albums: People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm, The Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders, Beats, Rhymes And Life, and The Love Movement.

The NFT is being auctioned on the Royalty Exchange website using Ethereum, beginning today and running through the next 27 hours as of press time. The starting price was 16.500 ETH (or $35,000) and so far, that number has gone up to 16.659 ETH ($35,921), with just two bids. Expect that number to jump as the deadline nears You can watch the bids in real-time, and the winner can expect a biannual distribution of around $3,000, provided that CDs, vinyl, streams, and sync licensing hold steady.

The site describes Tribe’s catalog as “celebrated by critics and fans alike as the most intelligent, artistic rap group of the 1990s.” Some of the places their music has appeared include the 2021 live-action Tom And Jerry film, the 2020 Pixar film Soul, the fan-favorite Apple+ series Ted Lasso, and tons of video games, movies, shows, and advertisements.