Music

A Tribe Called Quest Says A Posthumous Phife Dawg Album Is Coming In 2021

Getty Image The Queens collective gives fans something to look forward to. …

Pioneering Queens hip-hop collective A Tribe Called Quest just gave fans something to look forward to in the new year. Despite being officially disbanded following the death of group founding member Phife Dawg in 2016 and the group’s final outing that same year, Tribe’s social media has remained active, giving updates on merch and special announcements. Today, it offered up both in the form of a tweet honoring Phife’s 50th birthday.

“To honor and celebrate his life and legacy, the estate on behalf of his family just released limited-edition ‘Phife Forever’ tees,” the tweet announced before following up with the real kicker. “Also know that early next year you will all get to hear a new Phife album.” That’s truly impressive news considering his last full-length release came out over 20 years ago in 2000. Ventilation: Da LP received mixed reviews at the time — mainly, I think — because it was not the Tribe reunion album fans hankered for. It reached 175 on the Billboard 200 (by way of comparison, Q-Tip’s solo album Amplified from the year before debuted at No. 28 and spawned the Hot 100 hits “Breathe And Stop” and “Vivrant Thing”).

Happy 50th Phife Dawg!
To honor and celebrate his life and legacy, the estate on behalf of his family just released limited edition "Phife Forever" tees. You can pre-order until 12/1 in the bio
Also know that early next year you will all get to hear a new Phife album pic.twitter.com/BfXTb11Oq5
— ATCQ (@ATCQ) November 20, 2020

Interestingly, Phife’s widow Desha Head Taylor had previously teased the album to drop in 2017, but with no new announcements since, it seemed we’d heard the last of Phife Dawg on the Tribe farewell album We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service. Now, it looks like we can expect a new collection soon.

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Album Review

Paul Terry, Aptøsrs & Cellarscape unite on bold new album “Alternative Piano Club”

Combining his three artistic alter egos, Paul Terry presents an awe-inspiring new 12-track album, “Alternative Piano Club,” written in collaboration with Aptøsrs and Cellarscape. This is an album-length voyage of music that blends acoustic, rock, and piano-driven cinematic sounds.

Torn between this complex emotional spectrum, all the while the piano remains at its core throughout. Paul Terry opens his “Memento Mori (Chromogenic Phase)” contemplatively, creating a solemn, reflective mood. Cellarscape’s “Three Years Of Roses“ is warmer, whereas Aptøsrs’ “Questionnaires“ is much more textured as a large, sculptural post-rock.

“Dave’s Theme,” written by Paul Terry, musically expands the narrative with a touch of cinematic elevation that aligns well. “We Shape The Clouds” by Cellarscape is fluffy and heart-warming, “Writers Behind The Curtain” is somber, more narrative. We are all together in “A Place We Made,” an honest, intimate, emotionally grounded space.

The project contains vocal warmth and cultural depth in the song “This Is My Home“ by Silas Miami & Lana Crowster. Proceeding in a totally different direction is the stronger emotional clarity of Paul Terry’s acoustic storytelling on “Any Time You Want To Fly” and “No Sleep Has Come.” Cellarscape presents a wide, spacious atmospheric moment in “Cygnus,” while Aptøsrs ends with “Rust Mountain (Monochrome Piano Version),” a simple gem that brings the project full circle.

The mixing of Sam Okell and Adam Noble, the mastering of Alex Wharton and Robin Schmidt have, in many ways, brought their polish to it while still making it feel human. “Alternative Piano Club” is a work entity, where three musical personalities met and talk mind in the same emotional language.

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Artist Spotlight

LAST ALEX! balances precision and pulse on the electrifying track “Plus 1”

LAST ALEX!, a Chicago-based artist and producer, comes out with “Plus 1,” a high-energy release that combines technical prowess with an undeniable melodic instinct.

LAST ALEX! puts both craftsmanship and creativity on display here. The song’s strength lies in its balance, in detailed execution without sacrificing feeling, and in complexity without losing momentum.

LAST ALEX! doesn’t fully lean into the cold technique or loose emotion, but finds the sweet spot where skill and soul meet. This yields a polished, vibrant, and musically confident track.

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