We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service (studio album) by A Tribe Called Quest

The amount of time between this album and the last made me go into this with low expectations but the patience of the fans is definitely rewarded on this record. To start with the production on this album is simply phenomenal and the way the music flows from track to track astounds me. This makes for such an easy and enjoyable listen for us where we can admire the high quality sound and musicianship. Next there are the samples which are woven throughout the music intelligently and do a great job of adding depth to the sound rather than stealing the whole show. This demonstrates the groups brilliance as they don't need to rely on the samples to carry a song but rather they command a song and the sample just adds an additional layer for the listener to be able to enjoy. It also makes the album more interesting and makes us want to revisit. Furthermore, there is no weak tracks on here and every song plays an important role in the music. This makes this release feel cohesive and like a complete experience. Overall, a comeback album that proved me wrong and demonstrates how elite this group is as not everyone can have such huge gaps between records and then produce something as good as this.

From VictorVale 06/27/2022 00:17

Incrível a criatividade deles, batidas bem fodas!

From teague 08/30/2021 23:21

All things considered, this album has no business being this good. It flows so great, not a dud on this thing.

A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service came out 18 (!!) years after their last album - and sadly was marked by the passing of Phife Dawg, meaning there won't be another one- but at least it was worth the wait. It has to be one of the most impressive comebacks ever and easily qualifies as a fitting last chapter to their astounding legacy. The production is the absolute star of the album. They draw inspiration from various styles - pop, rock, soul, disco, reggae, R&B etc., you get the point - and use a wide range of samples -Elton John, Michael Jackson, Black Sabbath, Can being among the most famous ones, though there are many more- managing to incorporate them into a cohesive sum. But it isn't only about the samples, the instrumentation is also great. When you have guys like Jack White making a guest appearance, you know it's something special. Rapping is likewise of the highest level, as all members are on the top of their game here and the chemistry between them is as good as ever, while the guests never fail to make an impression. The lyrics explore for the most part ever so timely and relevant socio-political themes ("They’d rather lead us to the grayest water poison deadly smog Mass un-blackening, it’s happening, you feel it y’all? Rather see we in a three-by-three structure with many bars Leave us where we are so they can play among the stars They taking off to Mars, got the space vessels overflowing What, you think they want us there? All us niggas not going Reputation ain’t glowing, reparations ain’t flowing If you find yourself stuck in a creek, you better start rowing Used to see the TV screen as the place to land my dream in And the car stereo where they would promote the show Optimistic little brother with a hope you know"). Dis Generation provides a change of subject and can be seen as passing the torch on to the next generation, ("Talk to Joey, Earl, Kendrick, and Cole, gatekeepers of flow They are extensions of instinctual soulIt's the highest in commodity grade And you could get it today"), which takes another meaning when you take into account that some members of the new generation do feature here (by the way, Kendrick's "Obama nation" devilishly sounding like "abomination" is the one line of the album I can't seem to forget, it's stuck in my head since day one). It goes without saying that a tribute to Phife Dawg couldn't be missing (Q-Tip "Malik, I would treat you like little brother that would give you fits Sometimes overbearing though I thought it was for your benefit Despite all the spats and shits cinematically documented The one thing I appreciate, you and I, we never pretended Rhymes we would write it out, hard times fight it out Gave grace face to face, made it right And now you riding out, out, out, out, damn", Jarobi "Never thought that I would be ever writing this song Hold friends tight, never know when those people are gone So, so beautiful, opined indisputable Heart of a largest lion trapped inside the little dude"). One complaint could be that the first side is so strong (tracks 1,2,3,5 are ridiculously good) that it would be almost impossible for the second side to catch up, but it comes with its own highlights -namely Lost Somebody and Conrad Tokyo - , so the difference is not that striking.

One could argue that this is A Tribe's best record. I'd still put The Low End Theory first but this is undoubtedly a powerful, emotional, and worthy final outing from one of the greatest rap groups of all time. Highlights for me are Whateva Will Be, Space Program, We The People..., and Dis Generation. There isn't a bad track on this album. The fact that this is ranked at number 9 for 2016 is crazy and really just goes to show what an amazing year 2016 was for music.

Some more commiserations due here, as this record was in part a tribute to member Phife Dawg who died this year. An even longer wait between albums than The Avalanches, but the payoff here is so much sweeter as ATCQ set the world to rights in their inimitable style.

Best track: We The People.... This should be shown to anyone who pretends they don’t see any musicality in hip-hop.

From a group that did not released any album in the last years, my expectations from this project were very low. Somehow, they have managed to come with a refreashing style to end the career of ATCQ. We the people is an incredible track that came at a very good moment in term of politics. RIP Phyfe

From joannajewsom 03/23/2018 18:04

Who else can go away 18 years and come back with a classic?

This album turned me on to TCQ. Sadly, there won't be any new projects, but the old ones will never leave. It's amazing that Tribe came out with such a good album after going 18 years without putting one out. And their style ages like wine.

Highlights- We the People, Solid Wall of Sound, Black Spasmodic

First half is great, but the quality does deteriorate a little into the second half. Some excellent songs and tunes though.