Hip Hop Hooray (Leah)

We lost Phife Dawg this week at the age of 45 due to complications with diabetes.  Phife was a formative artist for pretty much everyone I know. A Tribe Called Quest both laid the groundwork for and perfected the Native Tongues sound, and were one of the most influential hip-hop groups in history.  Phife’s melodic delivery seemed so casual but is so difficult to replicate, as anyone knows who’s tried to queue up Can I Kick It? for karaoke. He and Tip were the perfect foils – Tip was cheesily romantic, while Phife made self-deprecating and often crude jokes. Phife always seemed to be having the most fun. To lose him at 45 is such a blow to hip hop, and so sad. There has been much already written about Phife, so I’ll just present you with some music to enjoy while you reminisce over how his lyrics shaped you:

:A Tribe Called Quest – Ham N Eggs:
:A Tribe Called Quest – Oh My God:
:A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario:
:A Tribe Called Quest – One Two Shit:
:A Tribe Called Quest – Electric Relaxation:
:A Tribe Called Quest – Jazz (We’ve Got):
:A Tribe Called Quest – His Name is Mutty Ranks:
:A Tribe Called Quest – Buggin’ Out:
:A Tribe Called Quest – Can I Kick It?:
:A Tribe Called Quest – Verses from the Abstract:
:A Tribe Called Quest – Find a Way:
:A Tribe Called Quest – Check the Rhime: