Once I read a book about A Tribe Called Quest by Hanif Abduraqqib called Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest. I bought the book and read it despite knowing nearly nothing about them, mostly because my brother had told me about how much he had liked them. I don't remember much from the book, other than the fact that they all just kind of hung out while recording and writing, not trying to do too much, so that Phife Dawg could tap into his creativity. I remember it was written as a love letter to them. I remember giving the book to my brother after I had finished reading nearly the entire thing on an Amtrak train to DC. Now he told me it's one of the first vinyls he ever purchased.
All that and the music all sounds pretty similar to itself. One song blends into the next, and it's hard to distinguish between them. I feel that way about Digable Planets, too. But I do feel like a story is being told here, one that remains about of my reach a bit. One that is for the music snobs, and less for me. I'm a snob about other things, but less about music. I know enough to be able to tell that Q-Tip has a distinctive voice and creative lyrics, though, that's for sure. And I love the way he rapped on "Bang Bang Bang" that was in Girls, and I love that he specifically supported the Jewish community in light of comments made by that dangerous fool Kanye West.
And it feels like an album that on multiple listens I would absolutely become obsessed with. So there's that.
What a moment in time, these types of albums. Could anyone make an album with this sound these days? I'm not sure they could.
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